As summer officially turns into fall and the kids are starting to get settled into school, it seems every year around this time we face the incredible debate: TEAM PUMPKIN vs. TEAM SUMMER. It’s no secret that there is a running joke on women when September comes around.
You can picture a woman standing there, when literally one leaf falls on the ground and we all run to Starbucks in our hoodies to order the very first PSL of the season.
In case you didn’t know, PSL is how the basic ladies say, “Pumpkin Spice Latte.” I must admit, I am completely and utterly on the pumpkin spice team. I LOVE this time of year when fall weather is coming, and we have a few mornings where we get a glimpse of the cooler temperatures.
Nothing is better than a crockpot of hot chili for the family, football on the television, and a delicious fall flavored hot drink.
However, we live in the Ohio Valley, so just as soon as you have tasted your first pumpkin HOT latte, it’s surely going to be 100% humidity and 90 degrees within hours. Now we are sweating out all the pumpkin consumed.
While I am ready to shift completely into the cooler temperatures and wear the cute and cozy layers, I have many friends that are still heading to the lake for the weekend in their bikinis. Dragging the entire family out to swim and soak up the last rays of summer sun. I even have friends taking mini vacations in Florida in a seemingly last-minute panic frenzy of “SUMMER DON’T LEAVE ME”.
While there is a lot of back and forth on where we all stand on this topic as mothers, what I have noticed is that our children come into consideration during this time of year. We joke that it is all about the hot (and delicious) coffee, but we are excited to incorporate family life with this timeframe. Whether we are those moms out there still hanging pool side with the kiddos, or the mommas out there planning what fall festival events to attend for the next 4 weeks (while lining up the Halloween Disney movie schedules), we have the common ground that we are just trying to create precious times with our children.
That is my favorite part about seeing women get in this debate because it shows the passion for how they keep their sanity as mothers as well as how their family environment thrives during the changing of the seasons.
This mom here is total TEAM PUMPKIN and I love to bake the pumpkin goodies and line up a pumpkin carving contest for the entire family to participate in. It doesn’t matter to me that I am soaked from the humidity and heat that just won’t seem to go away. However, I will gladly wave to the momma that is in her tank top and shorts while dragging her overtired child home from the splash pad.
Whatever we do in this role as a mother, whether it’s pumpkins or sunshine, we are doing what makes our hearts and families happy. The joke is on you PSL, us, mommas don’t have to love pumpkins or summer.
We are soaking in what is truly the most important part and that is our family.
