To The Snow We Go

For us in Southern California, experiencing snow involves a trip in a car up a mountain, and then and only then do you get the cold, wet, exhilarating experience of snow. Last weekend Tatum and I took an overnight trip to visit friends in Palm Springs. Our friend Sonja too was traveling to the desert and came along with us for the ride. Fortunate for me Sonja was able to offer Tatum various books and snacks during the two hour trip so that I could focus on the road. On the return we decided to venture up the Palm Springs Arial Tramway to the top of San Jacinto Mountain. It was a beautiful crisp day and the reward of snow was sweet. We borrowed a sled from a family so Tatum could have a ride. She enjoyed it, but then was over it. She wanted lunch, her blankie, and a nap. She slept on the way home, then went into her crib at 2pm and slept until 5. Whew - we sure know how to wear our kid out.

These two above shots were taken atop the mountain.

This is a view of the peak from our friends the Futterman's front lawn.  Here Tatum is quite enjoying herself by pushing around a crib.  No baby, that's not the point.  The point is in the pushing and pulling.

Birthday Text

Today is Andrew's 33rd Birthday.  Tatum gave him an unexpected gift of sleeping in late so he could too.  Below is a copy of the text I recieved from the birthday boy:

Tatum slept till 7:30, or at least that's when i saw her standing up saying "kitty, kitty!"

Rainy Day Woman

There is a reason why over 4 million people live in the Los Angeles Basin, while the east coast was getting smacked with a blizzard, we were enjoying 75 degrees and sunny weather.  But LA does get rain, and it February is usually the wettest month.  I love the rain.  After living out here for seven years, rain becomes a novelty, something sort of precious that should be enjoyed to the fullest.  So when Lala come to visit last week, she brought with her a rain coat for Tatum, providing the protective layer to allow her to play in the rain.  And play in the rain we did.

My Little Buddha

Each morning I light a lamp and offer incense on the shrine set up in our living room. This is a morning ritual to make offerings of light and love to the world and recognize the new day as one of opportunity and blessing. Afterwards I sit on my cushion, offer prayers, and sit in quite mediation for as long as the morning time and Tatum will afford, sometimes 30 seconds, sometimes fifteen minutes.

Tatum has become accustomed to this ritual and enjoys taking out a second meditation cushion for her own. She sits beside me for the prayers, and always with a smile.  She may stay for a moment, a minute, or more; but she does sit.  She has come to understand that this is time for mommy to sit and not to play. And this is all so precious to me, the opportunity to practice and for her to observe it and participate in her own way.


Yesterday during the super bowl Tatum grew anxious to get my attention off the game and my body off the couch. She pulled out the meditation cushions and pulled me over to sit. I explained that it was not the time for prayers and to put the cushions back. She fell to the floor in tears as only a soon-to-be-two-year-old can, she wanted it "now" - what a concept! I thought my Buddhist family would enjoy that scene as well as the pictures below:

             

During a recent visit by Lala, Tatum enjoyed being wrapped in Lala's shawl making her look like a little Thai nun and sitting on her cushion.

Pocket Pleasures

We all can agree that baby clothes are adorable; but I've wondered about the purpose of pockets on the clothes. Seriously, why does a baby need pockets?  Well, we'ver found that while pockets on a 12 month old may be decorative, to an 18 month old they become "fun"ctional.
Tatum recently discovered she had pockets on most of her pants and jackets. I showed her how small things can fit in her small pockets, and this was a great discovery. Pockets are great for storing buttons, magnets, cell phones, bouncy balls, and paper clips among other things. And storing items in a pocket gives Tatum much pleasure.

Last week as I putting Tatum's jacket on to go outside I discovered some weird plastic toy in her pocket. I asked Andrew about it, and he said that she's been coming home with stuff in her pockets from daycare. Let's hope this doesn't continue through the teenage years.