My kids are just loving life this week. In a rare event for southern California, we’re supposed to get rain, sometimes heavy, just about all week.

My kids love playing outside in the rain.

I know some people don’t like to deal with the wet messes this creates, but I think it’s really good for kids to get out in all kinds of weather… or at least weather that’s not flat out dangerous. It gives them an appreciation for nature that they don’t get from staring at the rain through the window.

We’re living in an area that gets rain that’s rather colder than where we lived before, so that’s a new experience for them. Used to be the rain storms were a nice, moderate temperature. Now we live where the rain changes to snow just a few miles away. It makes a difference, but they still love it.

I was rather amused last night to see that yes, some people had forgotten to turn off their sprinkler timers. Happens all the time, probably everywhere that they’re common. It’s an easy thing to forget, but I’m glad to be getting my lawn watered for free.

What really matters in southern California isn’t the amount of rain. It’s how much snow the mountains get, as that’s where the bulk of our drinking water comes from. So while I’m enjoying this weather, I’m hoping for a really good snow pack up in the mountains so we get the fullest benefit.