Just Relax

Fall is my favorite time of the year. But it's just so busy. October is especially crazy, and for the last couple of years I've chalked that up to Ellie's birthday party at the end of the month. Well, this year we moved the party up to the beginning of the month, but still: madness. I've had at least one commitment every morning and evening for the last couple of weeks, and often days packed with one thing after another. It's exhausting. And we have vacation coming up! It will be a vacation regardless - a break from my everyday life and routine - but it would be nice to go into it not exhausted and worn to a nub.

One of the things on to-do list for this week was a hair cut. I haven't had my hair cut in nearly a year and a half, since my disastrous triangle look (aka the "trendy bob"). I was long overdue, so I had my hair cut this morning and after that I felt much more relaxed. Or so I thought. It was a great hair cut. Lovely salon, good consultation, relaxing short head/neck/shoulders massage, hair washing, cutting, slow blow dry. I walked out of there energized, refreshed, and able to get 1000 new words down before picking up Ada from Kids Day Out.

Then I worked out tonight, and after finishing my cardio I did a few yoga poses to wind down. In the middle of a sun salute: cramp! My hamstrings decided to clench. They're still really really tight, though I'm resting, hydrating, and stretching gently every now and then. Here's hoping I really do relax soon. Maybe Paul and I can treat each other to November massages in the imaginary respite between the wildness of autumn and the frenzy of the Christmas-lasts-months-and-must-be-perfect season.

But back to the hair. I hate the way layers look, especially on me, but they were becoming necessary. My hair was just so long that it was lying very flat up top and still curly at the bottom; it looked silly. My stylist was pretty careful to blend the layers well, and I love the back but am ambivalent about the front. I'm giving it a while to grow on me, and will know better what to ask for next time. This is an improvement. I'm already considering a next time!

From 2008-10

From 2008-10

Didn't I mention that we shoe-horned a trip to the pumpkin patch in between naptime and dinnertime? Well, it's just that kind of week. Too many things to mention.