Snowy

I love having Tziporah in her own beautiful room, but I didn't have anywhere to store the extra bed.  I think it makes Tziporah's room even prettier, and I can pretend it's our guest room.  (For our many international visitors.)  It's also a peaceful place for Ari to practice cello.  I love the winter light reflecting off the snow and illuminating the daffodils.  Instead of wishing for spring, I am enjoying being wrapped deep inside of winter, with its dark evenings and icy insulation.  Spring will come, but why should we wish away the stillness and beauty of winter?  It was made for us.  There are lessons to be learned in the snowflakes that summer can't teach, and pensiveness in the snowy tranquility that all the dazzling sunlight in the world can't offer..

In keeping with that idea, here is Ptolemy's new-and-improved nursery.  It's actually an unfinished laundry room in the basement, but that doesn't sound very cozy, does it?  I wanted Ptolemy to have a fun, comfortable place to sleep instead of a boring, closet-like junk room.  Ptolemy and I drew a polar bear on a big piece of paper, drew him on the wall several times and taped around the pencil lines.

Then we got carried away in the winter fun and decided to make a slide for the polar bears to use, leading right into their own deep blue ocean.  Ptolemy loved helping me cut out the snowflakes in different sizes and taping them to the wall.

I had a little mishap with the swimming polar bear and started to paint him red.  I'll have to get some white paint to restore him to his original whiteness, so it doesn't look like a shark got to him.

More Downeast bedding.  This plaid crib blanket matches Ari and Freestone's pillow shams, and it says "Briar," in case we ever want to change Ptolemy's name to something more woodsy.

I also scored the bumper for 10 bucks (regular price: $89.00) and the polar bear blanket for $12, monogrammed with letters so swirly, we can pretend they are "POD," for Ptolemy Orson Dopp.  I told Tolly that the blanket was made of polar bear fur and he stared at me terrified for about a minute before he said, "Uh...What??"  I said I meant fabric that looks like polar bear fur.

And of course, we had to have polar bear pajamas.  I hope my little polar bear doesn't fall on his head like the one on the wall!

This kid is only going to be a baby for another minute.  He's the snuggliest little boy, and the most lovable thing.  Soon he'll be too big for a crib and I'll have a polar bear laundry room.  So was it worth it to do all this painting?  (The red took forever!)  Yeah, it was worth it.  Childhood is so ephemeral, it breaks my heart.  In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."  Does the fact that we will grow out of this room later detract from the fun we're having now?  No.  If it did, nobody would ever have kids.  They grow up to be boring old adults, you know.  It's the fleeting nature of childhood that makes it so glorious.  I would rather wish it stay than wish it away.  Just like the snow, it will melt.  And we'll miss it.