Lots of Snow and Your Snowy White Teeth!

 Dear Luca,

    It really was one of our best days today. You know me pretty well now, and even though you put up a fuss when your mother left--it took you by surprise because you were all happy and smiling and taking your bottle, and then...as always, I show up and she leaves. But your fussiness lasted a few minutes before we settled down to play for a full two hours and more.

    When I first showed up and walked in the door, you clapped your hands. That's the very first time I saw you do that. Also--you are trying out standing on your own. You're not afraid to take risks. But you do need someone to watch you carefully because after a while you do plop down. But walking is in your near future, I predict. 

    About the snow. We're always, almost always, grateful for it. It was a good storm, but with very frigid temperatures, so I wasn't sure that I'd be able to make it up to your house.  Tuesday was cold and snowy, but today the sun came out, the roads were clear and those that weren't were snow-packed with lots of gravel on them. I love my Subaru, and I especially love my studded snow tires that I had mounted this year especially so I wouldn't have to worry about coming to see you on Wednesdays. So far, so good. It was such a beautiful drive up and down Boulder Canyon, with the beauty of the snow capped mountains and the pine trees and the deep, deep blue Colorado sky on a sunny day after the snow.

    About those snowy white teeth. 

Just look at that! You're really proud that those upper teeth came in at last. I could tell that when you began biting my watch band. And also because you gave me a big smile, showing off those teeth.

    I think that now that winter is setting in, we will have less and less time outdoors, walking the roads as we used to when it was warmer. I do miss that, and I'll get you out when I don't have to worry about the roads being icy or when it's not too windy or when it's not too cold. 

    But we were fine inside today, as I watched you with your never ending curiosity and your love of music. We played with all your toys that make music, you crawled and stood up, and when you became fussy, you let me carry you into the kitchen, where I fixed your bottle. Then we sat in the big chair by the wood stove, and you took your bottle in both your hands and drank and drank and fell asleep until the dogs started barking, announcing the arrival of your papa, and, of course, you were delighted to see him as he walked through the door. We had a threesome hug, and then I stepped out into the snow and into my car to head back down the canyon.