Coming Home

'Tis the season of changing colors, crisper air, and snotty noses from fluctuating temperatures and back-to-school. The air smells different and your body takes notice of the shift in conditions. I feel more and more like cuddling and hibernating with soft things. My preference for bright cheery colors gives a little for more rusty, brown tones. Ah yes--autumn, aka fall to the Midwest.

Fall is the time for football season for those who care. If it weren't for cheerleading, I would be in the negative of that category. One of the exciting peaks of nonprofessional football season is homecoming. Last Friday was my high school's homecoming, and since Hudson and I are actually back in town we joined a bit of the festivities. Ladies and gentlemen, Hudson attended his first real football game.

The ham ate it up of course, recognizing some of his favorite people and getting them to hold him the whole time. In fact, he persuaded one lady to steal popcorn for him. Mind you, he still isn't talking much. Sure, he let out more than a few charming "uh ohs," "see!s," and "ball!" (with point), but this level of control of grown adults is just amusing.

It was a real flashback of sorts for me as the craziness of getting Hudson prepared for the outing after a long day of work reminded me of the hours I would spend perfecting my hair, nails, etc. etc. etc. before a Friday night. I had cheerleading stuff to worry about in addition to the even more important after-plans. Oh high school, sometimes you weren't so bad.

Although high school really wasn't too far off for me, it was the first game I had attended since graduating. Next weekend Hudson and I are making the trek down south to attend the homecoming of a school I attended not so long ago. It has only been since May that we were in the college town last, but it feels longer. Hudson seems like such a bigger kid since we left, and I can only imagine the reactions of our dear ol' pals there when they take a gander at him.

Last year, when we lived with Aunties Val and Allie, Hudson and I would come home to the apartment from a long weekend in the tall corn state to gushing roomies about how much bigger he looked.
They're going to flip.

Val is traveling northward from grad school in Florida to crown the new homecoming queen. Maybe I will get to see this event as last year I was tending to a certain little guy's needs in the women's restroom while Val had one of the most exciting moments of her life. Ahem, Stinker.

One of the best new developments is "The Look." It's hard to describe, but you know it when you see it. A gesture he surely didn't pick up from me (ha), Hud will scrunch his eyebrows down, give his head a good downward tilt and frown in your direction when he's either A) not impressed by your unwillingness to do what he wants or B) doing something that warrants you giving him "The Look." For example, prime "Look" times include you remaining seated when he is trying to pull your body across the room to fetch something for him, or when he's dumping cereal all over the floor and stepping on it.
Not that my darling would ever do such things.


Motherhood and a quickly growing little boy definitely make looking backward a bit more sentimental. Although memories aren't always rosy of times past, fall is the perfect season for reminiscing and catching a good whiff of nostalgia in the cool, crisp air.