Happy October! Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...

It's officially my favorite time of year! The leaves are turning, the air is cooling, the scents are warming, and the pumpkin spice lattes are brewing (oh yes, you know I had to go there). It's a season we never really got to experience in Florida, and one that I've fallen in love with since we've moved up here.

It's fall, y'all! Happy October!

I was musing the other day how October and fall in general made me feel a bit more "witchy" than usual, a feeling to which I'm sure many Pagans and witches can relate. The bite in the breeze and the realization that the year is coming to a close -- whether you observe Samhain or the traditional New Year -- forces you to look back on everything that's happened, consider what all needs to be left in the proverbial dust, and those things you want to begin anew (or again!).

Motherhood is definitely one of those aspects. Tycho will be a year and a half on the 13th (where has time gone?!), and while I had all these great ambitions with regards to his childhood and my mommy experiences, there are a few things I've had to leave behind. The main one: The idea of being a "Pinterest-worthy mom". You know the types. They create homemade crafts for their kids, concoct elaborate recipes with only organic or farm-raised ingredients, bring their children on crazy adventures through town, and document every step of the way with beautiful photographs and detailed blog posts.

Yeah, totally not that kind of mom. If anything, I consider it a victory to get my son and husband and self all out the door on time every morning!

Don't get me wrong -- obviously I document our son's activities and whereabouts, otherwise I wouldn't have this blog. But where those moms are wielding their DSLRs and waiting for perfect lighting, my camera sits collecting dust and my iPhone gets most of the action instead.

And yet, I still manage to capture those moments:


That smile... :)

I've given up on trying to come across as the "perfect mom". After all, who do I end up really impressing, anyway? It's not like my son can read anything I post or critique every shot I take, so this isn't really for him (though I'd be flattered if he did end up reading it as he grows older). And while I hope that you all, my incredible readers, find some happiness and inspiration here, I do realize that there are moms out there who are infinitely better at this than I am.

Instead, my ambition has been, should be, and will continue to be trying to make as great an impression on Tycho as I can. This isn't achieved through obsessing over every little detail late at night after he's gone to bed, but experiencing life as he does.

And if I capture that? Awesome! If not, at least it's in my mind's eye.

So, mommyhood-wise, there's my dust: Perfectionism. It's admittedly a difficult one to give up, especially when I find myself longingly clicking through social media posts with these delicately coiffed kiddos and their equally put-together parents. But if there's anything I've realized over the past year and a half, it's that they have their moments, too.

But rather than avoid them, I like to write about them. ;)