"More"

Like any parent, my kids are an endless source of pride for my wife and me.  And the infinite ways they are adorable, kind-hearted, intelligent, or hilarious will no doubt be the topic of future posts.  But one particular piece of cuteness has stuck with me over the last couple weeks.

I was walking through our neighborhood with our almost-2-year-old son on a day the Santa Anas were gusting pretty heartily.  He was loving the breeze, no more so than under a tall tree whose last crisp leaves were hanging on to branches for dear life.  The winds would crank up, and the leaves would crinkle and crackle in response.

My son grew giddy with excitement, and we parked under the tree for a full 15 minutes before moving on.  Each time the winds would die back down, he would ask me for "More."  When the winds would not comply, he would grow impatient, conduct his arms in the air and demand again, "More!"  And the winds would rise again, and the leaves would crinkle and crackle, and my son would laugh and say, "Ooooh."

Since then, every walk includes a visit to our tall tree.  And despite my oh-so-matter-of-fact corrections, the wind now simply goes by the name "More".