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School is back in session, and football season has kicked off. My favorite time of year is here, and I couldn't be happier.

As many do, I've made a fall bucket list to help identify some of the must-do activities that come with autumn, but instead of being overly aspirational, I'm keeping mine realistic

1. Visit an orchard and go apple picking. Have ethical conundrum about enjoying (read: eating) apples in the orchard. Opt for cider donuts at orchard.

2. Go on a hike once the leaves start to change. Make it a long hike to compensate for the donuts. Forget that the sun is setting much earlier now and hustle back to beat darkness, because the spooky movies this time of year make the dark woods seem even scarier than usual.

3. Visit a corn maze. But first, give my phone to a family member so I don't panic and become one of those crazy people who makes headlines for calling 911 while lost in said maze.

4. Watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Yell at Sally that she should not get roped into a boy's delusions and should go out and do her own thing, especially if that involves friends and fun.

5. Bust out the sweaters, cardigans and anything else with long sleeves that allow me to hide the fact that I do not now, nor will I ever have, Michelle Obama's arms. This alone is reason to rejoice, and makes it easier to enjoy #6.

6. Make pumpkin waffles on a weekend morning. Actually, go to restaurant that makes delicious pumpkin waffles. Remember that I'm supposed to be eating fewer carbs. Reconsider my order. Then decide that I'm also supposed to eat more vegetables and pumpkin is a vegetable, although pumpkins are related to the melon family. Wonder if pumpkins are actually a fruit. Decide that, either way, pumpkins are healthy, and so the waffles must be a healthy choice. Plan on pumpkin pancakes next weekend.

7. Carve pumpkins. Try really hard to not be a little grossed out by the insides of the pumpkin.Decide the mess-free, no-carve options are best. (I know, I'm weak.)

8. Watch others jump in leaves and be proud of myself for saving the co-pay that would be required for the resulting doctor's office visit if I did it myself.

9. Decorate for autumn and Halloween and not feel lame that I opt for cute, not-scary decor.

10. Acknowledge that we are a family that loves sweets and accept that buying the Halloween candy early doesn't mesh well with our efforts to eat healthy. Decide to wait until last minute. Cave a week before that.

11. Plant bulbs for spring, then curse silently when animals eat them. Again. Wonder if the fact that you've done this multiple times makes you insane.

12. Make soup, like corn chowder using corn from the farmer's market. Make peace with fact that my daughter really doesn't like soup and it just means more for me.

13. Ignore eye rolls from my family member when playing "Monster Mash" before Trick or Treat starts. Because it's a great song - one day of the year.

14. Mutter under my breath about early holiday displays and wonder why retailers and others fails to appreciate the fabulousness of fall.

Happy autumn!

- Shannan Ball Younger

Shannan Ball Younger is a writer living in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and teen daughter. She blogs about parenting at Mom Factually and about weathering the hormone hurricane at Tween Us on ChicagoNow. She grew up in Erma's home state of Ohio and was thrilled to attend the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop in 2014. Her essays can be found in the anthologies, My Other Ex and The HerStories Project. She was part of the Listen to Your Mother Chicago 2013 cast, and her work has appeared on The Mid, In the Powder Room, Mamapedia and elsewhere. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.