As we enter fall, or autumn, or whatever you like to call it, I feel excited to embrace the new season like I do every other season. Except, maybe with this one, a little bit more.

There’s just something extra special about fall. The changing colors, the falling leaves, the misty mornings and the crisper air all seem so romantic to me.

And even though it’s one of our busiest times of the year running the kids around to all their extra curricular activities, it also feels relaxing and has me wanting to curl up with a good book by the fire after a nice hot bath.

It has me itching to make hearty homemade soup, too. And believe me, I’m not one for cooking.

More than anything, I love the brand new start it brings. With the change in temperature I get to swap out my light dresses and sandals for the turtlenecks and trousers I had packed away. I get to make a list of goals I want to accomplish over the next few months. And I get to watch a few new TV shows that may or may not keep me tuning in for more.

For my kids, the season with two names is primarily about Halloween. Lucky for them, the stores have been carrying costumes and decorations for awhile now.

“Can I get this one Mom?” my 8-year-old daughter asked me, holding up a Wonder Woman costume.

“You’d freeze in that thing,” I responded when I saw the flimsy little outfit.

“How?” she asked incredulously, pointing towards the door. “It’s hot outside!”

“It won’t be in a month.” I replied, reminding her how cold it was last year when she went trick or treating in her cheerleading costume and was forced to cover it up with a warm coat.

“What about this one?” she asked, holding up a fuzzy elephant suit. “This’ll keep me warm!”

Knowing from experience she’d grow bored with any costume chosen this early and wanting to avoid the inevitable pleading that would happen when she found something better, I managed to shift her focus to shopping for cookie ingredients at the opposite end of the store.

“Do you even know how to make cookies?” she asked, putting a big bag of chocolate chips in the buggy.

“Sure,” I replied, trying to remember the last time that I had. It might have been that autumn a couple of years ago when I attempted to make hearty homemade soup.

As I recall it wasn’t the tastiest soup I’ve ever slurped. But it was hearty, and it was definitely homemade.

Maybe I wasn’t really itching to make it myself after all. Since my husband was the true cook of the house, maybe he should do the honors. My mother-in-law once warned me that if I learned to do everything, I might end up doing everything. I doubt even Wonder Woman would want to do that, no matter what the season.

To see how other people feel about the change of season, watch the On a Brighter Note video at Lori Welbourne.com.