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The Magic Number 30

LP works on collecting 30 branches.

LP loves the number 30. I think it is the biggest number she can imagine.

So when she enjoys a game she wants to play it 30 times. Or read a book 30 times. Or eat 30 cookies. Or pick 30 flowers...and so on and so on.

My observations is that although she can count to 30, the upper numbers don't really have meaning yet, so 30! Wow! That's just the biggest, the most, the best amount!

It makes us smile every time. She's so delighted by asking for 30. And although we cheat and do something a bunch of times (like 5 or 6 or 9) and call it a day. It seems to satisfy her.

Oh kiddo, just wait until you discover the world beyond 30. Yes, Little Person, you could ask for 100 cookies or put 300 shakes of cinnamon in the muffins or pick 2000 flowers.

And it does give me a reflective pause....wondering what is my 30? What are the things that I'm accepting as the end, that I don't have the vision to see beyond? What boundaries have I created in my world that I accept as the way things are and will be for always? There is a whole other realm of possibilities beyond that...I'm talking about the 40s and 50s and 100s and 1000s and 10000000000s.

As I'm reflecting on it, I see how I accept many 30s in my life now. In my writing. In my getting involved in new things. In taking risks in relationships.

So for now, we delight in 30...and look forward to the world getting bigger and filled with even more possibility. LP will discover those at her pace and I'll keep trying to be open to ones for me too.

This post is part of the Moms' 30 Minute Blog Challenge over at SteadyMom.

Making memories...

Today on the bus with LP on my lap, an elderly woman said to me, "A woman can live to be about 80 years old or so and we only have our children for such a short time."

We just had 2 more stops to go when she said this but in those few blocks she also shared that when "they go away from you, they do come back again"…and that "the best is being a grandparent." (when she said "grandparent" her whole face lit up...I look forward to the grandparent experience someday!)

I find that thing everyone says about "it goes so fast" is completely true (in the big picture, I still find individual moments or minutes can take forever). LP is three and bounding forward in her knowledge and abilities every day. Whoosh!

It often crosses my mind the memories I am creating for LP; what I don't often think about is the memories I am creating for me. Memories to stand out from the moments of tedium and times of tantrums.

So from our recent days, I hope that we will both remember:
• porcupine stew (crackers with butter and dried lentils)
• gardening in the rain
• walking with shaving cream "penguin feet"
• creating a costume out of pipe cleaners complete with tiara, earrings, glasses, necklace, dressing gown, belt with a ponytail and anklets
• sharing flower "ice cream cones"

And the one that's just for my mind's eye…the sweet sight of LP sleeping.



This post is part of the 30 Minute Blog Challenge over at SteadyMom.

The Panda Queen & the River Otter

Traveling is a time when I am often reaching into my improv bag of tricks ~ especially in just reminding myself to keep an improv mindset (meaning among other things to find things to say "yes" to, be flexible and be open to opportunities).

Our visit with family was so exciting for LP (she was on overdrive trying to keep up with her older cousins) so I used familiar storytelling structures as part of calming down and grounding and reflecting on things that were happening. When she was homesick, we told stories about home and what ImprovDad and all her beloved stuffed friends were doing.

One series of stories emerged about LP as the "Panda Queen" and her group of pandas. LP has 3 pandas at home (1 made the trip with us) and quickly gathered up a few pandas from a willing older cousin (thanks H!) while we were away. We told stories about the Panda Queen and both groups of pandas and LP has embraced her new royal title.

On a cold, drizzly day, my sister, brother-in-law and I ventured to the zoo with the 4 youngest kids. I think we had the place to ourselves except for one other family. The rest of our group roamed the zoo while LP and I went at her pace and she enjoyed lots of puddle splashing. I was feeling tired and down from having a cold and was counting the minutes until we could get back in the car out of the rain.

Then we discovered the river otter.

LP has been into otters since we read "Sea Elf" for the first time a few months ago. She loves to wear a green & blue blanket as her kelp and often has us tie it on her first thing in the morning. (It is a beautiful book about a girl imagining herself as an otter for a day.) And here, unexpectedly was an otter...and a very playful otter who seemed as excited to see LP as she was to see it. The otter would jump into the water and come right up to the glass where LP was, then dart away and return...again, again and again.

It was a beautiful thing to witness. Her enjoyment was so pure and full body. She laughed at times and was just entranced at other times. It lifted my spirits to be there with her.

To top it off...there was a carousel and the Panda Queen got to ride a panda...twice!

This post is part of the Moms' 30 Minute Blog Challenge over at SteadyMom.

One of Our Favorite Things: Painter's Tape

LP & I just returned from a wonderful trip hanging out with family on the East Coast.

And in addition to all the good visiting and food and experiences, my love of blue painter's tape was rekindled.

It is probably my favorite parenting item...good for everything from emergency diaper repair and babyproofing to crafting to creating a much needed spoon for applesauce on the plane. I use it to help keep paper still for art projects and hang things on the wall and as bandaids for all LP's lovies.

Despite having the world's most densely packed backpack of books and toys and snacks for our journey home, what was the biggest hit with LP? The painter's tape. Good old, familiar, multipurpose painter's tape.

She played with the tape people (pictured above) for longer than any other toy and used strips of tape to create a Wild Thing costume for her small doll (wish I had a picture of it because it looked more like a shaggy ball of tape than a doll). As a bonus, she could stick in all over herself and the seat and the window and it peels off quickly and easily. We also made a few bracelets and a necklace.

Painter's tape...truly, I don't leave home without it!

I linked this post to se7en's Fabulous Friday Fun...go on over and check it out!