Here I am just existing in the soft spot between two beachy vacations. I’m working hard to maintain a routine during this time so I don’t completely devolve. That means cooking real food, working out, getting all the errands done, and maintaining standard working hours. It’s actually working for me. Despite a crazy heat wave, I’ve kept this train moving.
I had a haircut on Thursday and decided I needed a change. I walked in and said “bangs? a lob? both?” and the immediate reaction was “ummm are you going through some sort of crisis?” Well, perhaps, but who cares because I’m ready to control some sort of narrative. My stylist steered me away from bangs because she warned me how miserable it would be when they stick to my forehead in this insane heat. Maybe we’ll put that on the docket for the fall. We did cut off a whole bunch of inches so my hair now sits above my shoulders (it feels like it shrank up a bit the next day after this photo, too). Perhaps this is me, misguidedly avoiding chaos at work and my general life plans, but I feel fresh. Loving it.
Saturday was a very full day and we ran V ragged. Between swimming, a coffee shop hang, a rained out music class, and a rowdy backyard party an hour away, we packed a weekend of activities into a single day. That meant some big shoes to fill come Saturday. I’m pleased to say I delivered. I learned about Balloon Story that morning and we decided to build our morning around that. It’s essentially an interactive balloon exhibit with larger-than-life installations. There was a room with all sorts of vignettes for photo opps (great for those into Insta…also great for kids who just want to see cool things), giant displays, a balloon game area, a cage that served as a reverse bounce house, and a giant ballpit swimming pool. Finn had an absolute blast and screamed when we finally made him leave. (He calmed down when we soon got to a restaurant where he got to eat plenty of pizza.)
It took almost seven months, but I finally made good on one of my New Year’s resolutions and got myself to Color Me Mine to make a celebration plate. I left it there to get fired, but I really hope it turns out as well as I’m expecting. If it works out, it can be something Finn uses every year on his birthday to make the day feel like an *occasion* – one that’s as special as he is. It was also a lovely way to spend an afternoon when I had some downtime and a reminder to take some time for myself and engage in hobbies. (I did feel like Charlotte in that episode of SATC – s4ep7 – where she says “and sometimes I’ll walk by one of those Color Me Mine pottery places and I’ll see a woman having just a lovely afternoon glazing a bowl. That’d be a nice change.”)
Peaches to Apples 