Reasons to welcome fall

I have to go back to school next week and the kiddies arrive early the following week. Don't think I'm quite ready for it, but there's not much choice, eh? Going back to school is always the start of fall for me, though the calendar may say differently. Therefore, to look on the bright side, here's what I'm looking forward to this fall:

• Seeing my teacher friends again daily
• Lower energy bills--AC is the gift of the gods, but it ain't cheap
• The quiet that comes with getting up early (the one bright side of dragging my sorry butt out of bed at 5 am)
• Getting to dress up more--it makes me feel pretty
• The nice fall crispness in the air
• New school supplies...mmm, the scent of new pens and pencils makes my geek-happiness-meter go way up
• The fact that I no longer have an unpronounceable last name that will be used on a daily basis (just difficult to spell)
• Wanting to cook and eat again--summer doesn't make me want to turn on the stove or the oven. What I really want is a salad, but we won't go there.

Things that I will miss about summer (well, summer since we got back)

• Lots of alone time, doing things I love like reading and scrapbooking
• Not wearing a watch, often not caring what time it is
• Lots of D time
• A clean house (finally it's mostly clean, and I just know it will get dirty again when school starts)

And so it begins, or soon anyway. I am trying my best to enjoy these last few days at the same time as getting ready for school.