Peter W. reading to Leif - Ishiuchi, Japan - March 1983 - Age 8

Some time ago I posted photos of Leif in the snow at Ishiuchi, Japan, but this was the cozy afterglow. Peter W. and Peter A. had come in from the slopes, and Leif and I had come in from sledding and Leif cuddled up with his dad for a story. I have several photos of Peter W. reading to Leif, snugggled together. It was such a good time.

We always read to our boys, from the very beginning. I did most of the reading, but Peter W. often read stories to them. He liked to embellish them with his own versions and sometimes they protested that, saying, "That's not how the story goes, Daddy." But I suspected that not only did he enjoy the embellishment, he enjoyed getting them riled up and hearing them insist how the story was supposed to go.

At this age, Leif also loved Richie Rich comic books. He could read them himself, but he loved to be read to and sharing the experience. That might be what they are reading in this photo.

Leif in the Snow - Isiuchi, Japan - March 1983 - Age 8

During the two years we lived in Sachsen bei Ansbach, Germany, we could enjoy the snow right outside our door, walking, sledding and skiing, but in Japan, were we moved in the summer of 1980, there was little snow in the Sagamihara area, and it was flat. We had to travel to the mountains to enjoy snow sports. Peter W. and Peter A. went skiing at the base of Mt. Fuji once. Peter W. went skiing at Zao, and in March 1983, we took a family trip to Ishiuchi, where we all had a great time.

Leif looks so bright-eyed and happy here, obviously enjoying the activity (speed, again) and slippery stuff. I think at that age he liked sledding better than skiing, which requires considerably more practice to be skillful.

He was eight years old in these photos. In the summer of 1983, just a few months later we moved to Hawaii for three years and that was the end of snow until we moved to the north side of Chicago in 1986.

Leif Sledding - Sachsen bei Ansbach, Germany - January 1980 - Age 5

The last snow we had fun with in Germany was in early 1980, since we moved to Japan that summer. We were still living in the village of Sachsen bei Ansbach, on the hill that offered such good sledding. From the beginning of his life, Leif loved motion and speed. He and Peter had a great time with this sled, racing down that hill. He was a little daredevil . . . a notice of things to come, evidently.

Although we moved the sled with us to Japan, there we lived on a flat plain and had very little snow. To enjoy snow in Japan, we had to travel to the mountains. So, you might remember seeing a picture of this sled in Japan, with his Fluffy dog "riding" it in warm weather. It became a play vehicle of a different kind there.

But while we lived in Germany, winter snow was fun!

This photo was taken in January 1980.