Bouquet of Freshly Sharpened Pencils

Every year, there is a morning where my mind shuts off to Summer and begins its impatient campaign for Fall.

Today was that morning.

I vacuumed my hall, as my son slept and my daughter munched on bananas, thinking I could smell a change in the air. You know, the smell of cooling air, changing leaves and freshly sharpened pencils.

Then I realized that it was just my A/C that I set at an uncharacteristically low temperature last night so my babies didn't cook in bed.

Or perhaps it was that school started this week.

School is the advent of Fall to me. Although no one in my household attends school, I can't help but get caught up in the binder, backpack, pencils and new outfit craze. I pass by the school aisle at Target simply craving an excuse to buy back-to-school supplies.

But it's more than that. It's Fall itself. It's my very favorite season. The best for so many reasons (one of the most important in that I was married to my love at this time), but also because of its beauty and perfect temperatures that allow for the cutest layered outfits.

So why do I always live in warm climates?

I crave Fall. And I never get to live in a place that does this wonderful season justice.

Now I will simply continue to sweat it out as I stare longingly at mine and my children's adorable long-sleeved outfits and fashionable hats -- all of them begging to be modeled.