We went from 60s and barely 70 degrees last week to the first week of Fall jumping back to the mid-80s.

Ugh.

The nice thing is that the weather has been dry since Hurricane Dorian blew through so it’s been easy to be outside. Even mid-80s isn’t too bad if there’s a breeze. And the evenings are definitely cooling off. Being out at football practice 3 days a week I’m noticing the daylight slipping away earlier and earlier too.

We had a bit of a rocky start to the school year, with some scheduling and registration mishaps, playing bus pick-up musical chairs, and adjusting to having sports AND chores AND homework again. So we’ve tried to take some time off on the weekends and fit in some family time. Some of our summer plans were derailed with family needs and camp schedules, so we’re fitting in some weekend adventures lately. We did the County Fair last week, and this past weekend we went to the Air Show at NAS Oceana.

They had flying demonstrations from the USAF Thunderbirds, a couple bi-plane demos, tatical demos from the F-18 squads, and Shockwave the jet truck. The boys favorite was the Army Airborne parachute jumps and the C-17 flyby. For some reason they love that giant cargo jet. I think it’s somehow related to Transformers.

On the ground all the services have planes, helicopters, trucks, boats,and other displays available for everyone to walk through and sit in. There’s also a whole hanger full of STEM resources, robotics demonstrations, and NASA exhibits.

Some of the exhibits are modern and some are historic. In general the event is free (food is SUPER expensive!) and we had a fun couple hours out there.

Since we’re officially in Fall, and almost to the 4th quarter of the year, I’ve also started my holiday shopping! Does that sound crazy? I tend to pick things up here and there over a couple of months and hide it all in my closet until the holidays. We have several birthdays, Christmas, and our anniversary between Thanksgiving and the end of January, so I like to start early and have time to find good deals.

I picked up 2 new graphic novels from Usborne for the boys for Christmas. They arrived the other day and look beautiful! We’re big graphic novel fans here. My relucant and struggling readers just eat them up! I also just pre-ordered the Wings of Fire #3 graphic novel for the Speedracer. I was hoping to hold it until Christmas, but he finished #2 recently and he’s been literally counting down the days until it’s released. {smile}

If you’ve got a graphic novel lover, check out our list of Great Non-Fiction and Classic Graphic Novel Series for some quality choices.

I also snagged a couple Pura Vida items that were on sale. Their bracelets are all the rage right now, and they are perfect for stocking stuffers OR for those moments when the Ladybug forgot to tell me she needs a present for someone! I just buy a couple cute peices and keep them in the closet for whatever comes up.

(Hint: It only takes $35 to get FREE SHIPPING with Pura Vida, and you can also get 3-5% back with Swagbucks–which I redeem for Amazon or VISA gift cards to do the rest of my shopping!)

Do you start your holiday shopping early, or last minute?