Life Lately | September 2023

Well fall is here, formally and officially, but the weather is still BEACH weather, so thank you to whoever the weather DJ is that's taking requests, because finally I feel heard in this life!

But why, I ask you, are humans such creatures of habit? Or just me? Probably not just me. It's nearly October and I'm reaching a season as consistent as the regular ones, although this one is called "hair always in a ponytail season." It's the time of year when my hair, which I for sure said I'd grow out, is always in my face and therefore claw clipped to the nape of my neck by 9:12am at the very latest. At which point I start pinning and saving every bob cut I stumble upon. It's time to get a haircut, and it always is, come October. 

In other news, I picked up The Wizard of Oz to read with Duke this coming month. It feels weird, but not spooky, and that's a good fit for him right now. I'm currently snacking my way through Stephen King's Fairy Tale. I finished up yet another thriller, which I always tell myself I'm neutral about, but the sheer WTF-ery of that genre always keeps me turning the page. What will happen next!?

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Thank God, September was truly lovely. Just a few weeks ago, I was so ready to throw the whole freaking towel on the year, but this month was a true reprieve. I'm cautiously optimistic. Can things turn themselves around? I mean, of course they can. 

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Our September always begins with some birthdays. Ryan on the 1st and Duke just a few weeks later on the 13th. Ryan's mom makes a carrot cake for all the birthdays, so we ate quite a bit of that this month. Duke wanted a Black Panther party, so she came through with black frosting and boy, could you tell when anyone snuck a piece of breakfast cake. 

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We imposed on someone else's camping trip after a last minute cancellation of other plans. I'm so glad it worked out. 

A friend had some of those color changing tablets for the fire - aren't they cool?! 

We also went kayaking and usually Duke perches up on my boat with me and we fight for an hour about who's in charge of the paddle. This time, he really wanted his own boat and I was resistant because I thought it would be a  5 minute trick that would quickly lose its luster and turn into an hour of whining. Not so! Ryan had an actual boat with a tow-strap, so we were prepared, but Duke paddled along with his fishing pole like a little trooper. Like Baby's dad, when I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. 

Happily I was able to indulge in a new phase of life, motherhood that is slightly less on-duty all the time. I've preached to myself for years - quietly, usually in my car or in moments of parenting frustration - this is all a phase, it gets easier every year, etc etc. 

It does get easier and 7 is a real sweet spot. He still calls me mama and reaches for my hand without embarrassment, but he's also an independent little person who can generally be expected to manage himself. I'm largely here for companionship and to ensure he eats fiber every once in a while. 

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Other nice things -

Final patio meals at my favorite local places. The Cabbage Shed shuts down for the season in just a couple weeks, so I've been all "get thee" over there a lot. I'd argue they shorted me significantly on the tequila in this so-called Paloma, but it made for a beautiful drink and the view could not be beat. 

Birthday waffles. Pop some candles in anything and it's somehow infinitely more special. 

Another get thee moment -- the beach. I swear, every weekend I tell myself that this is it, this is probably the last nice weekend. Well, so far it hasn't been, and so there's been quite a few nights of perching up on the beach to watch the sun go down (and swim in the twilight, which is such a treat!)

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I am forever reminding myself that September is a sleeper month - it's one of those months that's really good, I just always sort of forget how much I like it. Cool nights, warm days, changing leaves, but still patio weather.  Like this afternoon when we stopped over in Frankfort to get blue slushies (Duke and I are both confident in this: anything blue is the best flavor). Anyway, it felt so summery, but the backdrop was resolutely early fall vibes.

We sat here for a while playing Eye-Spy which made for a nice Sunday afternoon activity. 

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I always get the "Sunday Scaries" in August because it feels like the seasonal shift is looming, and I'm hanging on to summer for dear life. But all the dread in the world can't stop time, and Fall and September marches on, and like Mondays, I usually find that it's not as bad as I thought it would be. It's always the anxiety I feel about looming change that is far worse than the change itself. 

I'm trying to be cognitive to reminding myself of this when I'm worked up about imaginary stressors. Things that could go wrong, might go wrong - but aren't actually going wrong at all. And so, time marches on, unconcerned with my worries and on we go. Usually just fine. 

I accept fall and maybe even welcome the season of change. But also, I really welcome your sustained beach weather - carry on.