September is upon us, which means a new season lurks just days away. A new season to celebrate with the family. Make sure to notice seasonal changes, even if temperatures remain about the same. Enjoy these technically-still-summer days and look forward to fall activities with the family. Celebrate September’s splendor with those you love, looking out for hints of autumn as summer officially slips away.
Create family celebrations this month and incorporate some of the zany, but actual, holidays below, too.
Friendship Month – Reach out to family friends throughout the month and plan a get-together with each one to celebrate the holiday. Go for a picnic, take on a bowling challenge, hike a new path, or cook dinner together. Read some of these fun friendship books, too: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister; Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen; Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle; The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson; The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill; Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows; The Baby-sitters Club by Raina Telgemeier; Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders and The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by Taryn Souders.
National Honey Month – Add these buttery biscuits to the menu and serve with honey to enjoy the celebration. Melt one-half cup butter. Pour the melted butter in an eight-by-eight inch baking dish. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk these ingredients together: two and one-half cups all-purpose flour, four teaspoons baking powder, one tablespoon granulated sugar and two teaspoons salt. Pour in two cups of buttermilk and stir until combined, but don’t overwork the batter. Place the dough on top of the butter and use a spatula to carefully and evenly spread the dough to the edges. Bake in a preheated, 450 degree oven for 28 minutes. When done, use a serrated knife to cut baked dough in a three-by-three pattern to form nine large biscuits. Slice open while warm and spread honey inside. Enjoy.
National Truck Driver Appreciation Month – Pull out the toy cars and trucks and create a roadway for playtime on the den floor. Use painter’s tape to create roads. Turn shoeboxes on sides and make parking spaces with painter’s tape. Place a long strip of freezer paper on the edge of the roadway and use your best artistic skills to draw trees, shrubs, grass and flowers to decorate the road.
International Clean Hands Week – Check in with your child’s teacher at school or church and find out what you can donate to help keep little hands clean and healthy. Then, as a family, take a field trip to the dollar store or grocery store. Purchase hand sanitizer, liquid soap or wipes to donate to school or church.
World Letter Writing Day – Pick a friend or family member that you haven’t visited with recently and write a family letter on real paper with a real pen, one that will require an envelope and stamp to make it to the intended recipient! Have fun catching up and be sure to mail the letter right away.
Find unique ways to say goodbye to summer and welcome to almost-autumn with those you love. Make a few more warm-weather memories and start shopping for cooler-weather kinds of clothing. Take more hikes, play late at the park before the time changes and cheer on a favorite football team over the weekend. Most importantly, make every day a holiday and create incredible memories to cherish for a lifetime!
Statesboro native Julie Lavender’s newest book, "Jumbo Bible Word Search" released last month. She is the author of books and articles for adults and kids.