Jonah: “I Want to Bring a Cloud Home”

Thoughtful Jonah

My son Jonah turns 5 tomorrow and we’re throwing a party for all his preschool mates on Sunday.

Lately, Seattle has been having more than its share of spring storms with lots of impressive cloud formations over the Cascade range which we view from our upper deck. Invariably, he’ll point to clouds and ask me “do you think they’re beautiful” to which I always reply: “yes they are.” Then he’ll ask me to “take a picture” (he’s really gotten into cameras–that’s one of the things we’re getting him for his birthday).

Cascades, winter sunset

Today, Jonah showed me heavy cloud cover just north of Snoqualmie Pass. But this time he said something new and utterly charming: “Dad, how do you get to the clouds?” To which I replied: “You have to go into the mountains.” He then said: “I want to bring a cloud home.” I replied: “Well, that’d be hard to do since clouds are made out of water. What do you think, you can put it in your pocket and carry it home?” He laughed at my joke and guffawed, “Noooo!”

Then he said: “When I bring the cloud home it’ll be too big for our house and we’ll have to make a bigger house.”

Ya just gotta love ’em!