Reid's colours

I realised with a start the other day that my baby Reid has somehow turned into a full-fledged toddler (!) and I need to get it together already and change the way I've been thinking of him and treating him. He is normally an exceptionally laid-back and independent little fellow who is great at keeping himself busy. It had become my habit to focus more on doing projects with his older sister Addie, and I am somewhat ashamed to write that I often just kind of keep Reid on the back-burner. He is now sixteen months old, and it pains me that I feel like I still haven't fine-tuned the art of parenting (up to my own expectations) both him and Addie at the same time. One day, I hope somehow to get there.

After writing the other day - and taking long looks at the photo with his big huge tears... I realised that it is actually me that needs to adapt to things. It is me who needs to help Reid, by giving him lots of ways to discover all of the things he can do... rather then knowing all too well so many things he can't.

So I've set out this week to set up simple little projects and areas in and around our house that are ready for Reid to explore and discover. I am attempting to stretch my brain back to rethink a lot of things that are so simple and mundane to me, but can be fascinating adventures to a little 1 year old.



Project no.1073 = paints and the mixing of colours! What seems so trivial to me was absolutely amazing to Reid! I only dragged out and cleaned one of Addie's crusty old watercolour trays by running it under warm water - and then I let him go at it. I gave him a small brush and a medium brush, and poured a teaspoon or two of water into a few circles of colour at a time. Actually, initially I gave him paper to make marks on, too - but I found that he just tossed the paper aside and focused on mixing colours up. What fun!

Reid sat mixing with his paints for over 45 minutes, utterly enchanted. I couldn't even break through to him he was so focused on his work. He was completely satisfied by his endeavor... and he didn't even eat the paint!



I love these photographs that I caught of him, in this moment. And the results of his mixed up paint set.... To me, Reid's colours are just beautiful.