Cloud Shapes and Loud Storms

I have been working with Milo on cloud shapes and what they mean. Cirrus clouds (thin and wispy) cumulus clouds (puffy like cotton balls) and cumulonimbus (puffy but dark with rain inside). He sees a tall dark cloud and while he cannot really pronounce it, he does know that it "has rain to feed the plants and makes the power go out."

Summer monsoon storms have made for some very wonderful cloud watching and Milo has become obsessed with the idea of the power going out. Every dark cloud we see prompts the questions, "Mommy will the power go out?" and "what we will do when the power goes out?" Mark tells him that we will get our flashlights, and we will maybe get some candles and then we just watch the storm. Milo is so ready for this event of the power going out. He has his flashlight at the ready, a tiger shaped flashlight that roars, more like a meow really, when the handle is pressed.

We got a very intense monsoon storm the other night. Wind whipping around at around 50 mph. Large branches fell in our neighbors yards, rain falling sideways and of course the long waited for power going out. We were about to get into bed, bathtime had happened, pjs were on and we were just getting our books ready to read when the wind started and *poof* the power went out. Milo runs to his room and comes out with the tiger flashlight, "meow" and the little light is bobbing up and down as he runs back to our bedroom.

Milo and I snuggled on my bed with the curtains open so we could watch the storm. I loved the idea of this, as I really appreciate a good Arizona rainstorm. Milo on the other hand was a bit disturbed by this. Apparantly the power going out is not nearly as fun as you imagine when it comes with loud thunder and bright lightning. To ease his worries, Mark and I explained about storms, thunder, lightning and rain. Milo never once said he was afraid, but you could sense the tension in his little body and see it manifested in the frequency of the "meow" of his tiger flashlight being hit constantly to keep his flashlight on.

Eventually Mark grabbed his pocket radio and some headphones. He and Milo listened, one ear bud for each of them to the Channel 3 news radio broadcast describe what we were witnessing in our backyard. Next came shadow puppets. However after a dog, a rather good bunny rabbit and a super lame bat, Mark and I exhausted our shadow puppet repertoire. Note to self, must polish this for the next time the power goes out, it was the only glimmer of my Milo smile I saw all night.

Eventually I convinced Milo we should read our books by flashlight and go to bed. He did not want to go into his room with the power out. "But the power is out Mommy, it is too dark," Despite the fact that he goes to bed each night in that room in the dark. I couldn't convince him of this logic, so we compromised with allowing him to fall asleep on "Mommy's bed" and then we would take him into his room once the power came back on. Finn on the other hand, had zero idea there even was a storm and slept straight on through.