It did not happen all at once and honestly even I did not see it coming, but come it did.

The first indication that I was becoming a Christmas/Fall-In-July person was the candle. I lit my cinnamon sparkle candle twice in one week, a candle typically reserved for the fall months.

Then it was the cookies. As I was drinking my cup of coffee one morning, I thought that an accompanying gingerbread cookie would be wonderful. It did not necessarily have to be in the shape of a man/woman/person, but no ordinary cookie type would do. The recipe recommended chilling the dough for at least an hour. I made the dough, but then lost all motivation to bake after seeing the sorry state of my classroom.

The dough chilled in the fridge for a couple days. As is the case with these things, spoon sized/shaped divots started appearing in the cookie dough. I believe this is a natural phenomenon occurring when any cookie dough is left to rest too long in the fridge. Perhaps this is something you have experienced as well?

Fearing total dough loss, the boys and I finally baked the cookies. I brought out all the cookie cutters we have, cutters ranging from ones I used in my childhood, Etsy uses the term “vintage” to describe these, to the set of three Ninjabread men cookie cutters I got from Cost Plus World Market last Christmas.

The boys rolled and cut. There were ninjas, Christmas trees, stars, chili peppers, ghosts, candy canes, dinosaurs, footballs, and bells. After the cookies cooled, the boys pulled out their leftover frosting (made the morning Carter decided to randomly bake mini cupcakes wearing nothing but his underwear).

I left the kitchen at this point. I am not a decorator of anything, baked goods especially, and frosting and sprinkles are so sticky and messy. Ugh! I did not want to be the hovering mom wiping up globs of frosting off the floor. They had a great time and were very responsible cleaning up after themselves with minimal help or prompting on my part.

Cody was very proud of his Fortnite gingerbread skin cookie. Fortnite is a video game Husband and I finally caved on and let the boys start playing about a month ago.

Then last night I served Trader Joe’s Autumnal Harvest pasta sauce with our five cheese tortellini. Made of pumpkin and butternut squash, it is very fall festive.

No, I do not want Christmas in July (even if I was belting out Jingle Bells in the shower this morning). I just think that I am over summer. I am ready for something else. And if that something else happens to smell of cinnamon and taste of gingerbread, pumpkin, and butternut squash, the more the better.