Borealis Spontaneous

Hey, Daddy;

I was so happy to see you on the computer today! That iChat thing is amazing! Can you believe how big and strong I am getting? I bet you were proud to see me stomping my feet when Mama held me up, and don't I do a good job holding up my head? I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I think I'm doing great (Mama helps.)

We had a fun night last night! A few people came over; some neighbors and also my friend from play group. I had a nice time visiting with everyone, but I just couldn't settle down enough to eat and go to sleep. There was too much to see and hear! Finally, our friends went home and Mama and I cuddled up for food and bedtime. Well, actually, I went to bed. Mama stayed up like she usually does. Instead of going to sleep a few hours after me, though, she did something different. She got me out of bed at a really weird time, and whispered something about “being spontaneous.”

Spontaneous is a new word for me, but based on Mama's actions I'm guessing that it means something like “let's hop into the car, drive out to the middle of nowhere in the dead of night, and stare at the sky.” I don't know why anyone would want to be spontaneous. It wasn't very exciting. I slept the whole time.

This morning, Mama explained to me what I missed. Apparently the sun did something explosive, and it caused some pretty lights in the sky. Now, I thought that the sun was a pretty light in the sky, but Mama said she was looking for something different, called Aurora Borealis. That's where the nighttime sky is painted with shades of green and blue, and sometimes red and violet. The news said this was a rare chance to see something really special. To see it, though, we had to drive way out past the city to where it was really dark. And it was really late! Mama was tired, but she said she would have kicked herself if she missed it. As it turned out, I guess she didn't see very much because of where we were, but she said she wasn't disappointed at all; she got something way better than the northern lights.

Mama said she was reminded that life doesn't stop when you have kids. You don't have to stay home all the time, miss out on the fun, or wish you could do more. You can still experience all of the amazing things that the world has to offer. And the greatest part is that you get to share it with a brand-new person. How awesome is that? You can still do the things that you love, and you get to teach someone else how to appreciate them, too. I could have told her all that, but I suppose it's something she had to figure out on her own. It must have taken her a while to figure out, too, because we stayed out there 'til almost 1 AM. Mama sure looked happy when we left, though, so it was worth it.

Well, Daddy, I guess that's all for now. We have to start getting ready for our big weekend. We're driving up to meet Auntie E., Uncle B., and my cousin! I know she's five months older than I am, but I think we're going to have a lot of fun. I bet she has a lot of cool moves to teach me. When we're big girls, maybe we can be spontaneous together! Um, Mama just groaned and said something about shipping us off to Grandma's house. Anyway, I love you, Daddy! Safe travels in Canada, and I hope to see you on the computer again really soon.

Love, Piper

P.S. – Mama mentioned something called “camping.” I think it's like being spontaneous, but with lots of dirt, a campfire, and a tent. Count me in!