Milo can't help but mug.

What happens when Mama leaves her boys on a Sunday afternoon... To quote Milo, "There's trouble coming."

No kidding.

It's been a lightning fast fall, and suddenly, Mr. Milo Blue has turned four. With (at least) four celebrations, more than four cupcakes, four new Star Wars "guys" to hang with, four new art projects, four new dance moves, and only one new light saber (Mommy had to draw the line at a cumulative 13).

Ongoing birthday week started with the first snow fall (perfect for modeling Auntie Sarah's birthday hat) and wrapped with "a hundred zillion trillion million" Santas. There is nothing like several Santas eating pizza in the East Village, waiting in line for coffee or taking a long slow drag outside the subway stop for a complete glimpse into NYC winter.

And nothing like self-proclaimed Santa Boy recording it all.

While Labor Day beach and corn on the cob signal the official end of summer, there are interim steps for our family trio that get us to True Fall.

First, hold onto summer as long as the Northeast will let you. If you're lucky, there's Indian Summer, which means the humidity is gone but the sun is still hot. Borrow your papa's shades. Go swimming until your lips turn blue, and Mama is positively shivering. Make seven sand castles and smush them one-two-three.

Indian Summer days are hot, but the nights get colder. Bundle up, fight the last lingering mosquitos and get your food grilled in the largest bonfire you've ever seen.

The next day, you need to climb a tree.

And before it gets to True Fall, which includes the day all the fireman's friends died in the big fire downtown, and which also includes, two days later, Mama and Papa's anniversary - very notable because, as has been multiply noted, you wouldn't have been in Mommy's tummy except for their wedding - you better get in a bit more play time as a Jedi.

All rise. All fall. Take a nap, put your show-and-tell toy in your new Star Wars backpack (thank you, Papa!), and it's time for school. Today, you get to learn more about apples, visit the Farmer's Market, and drink cider - your favorite.

You've already found two colored leaves for your parents. You know what you want to be for Halloween. You get to wear sweaters to school, and cuddle under a blanket at night.

Happy September, happy anniversary, happy Purple Room, happy Fall!