During the weeks before Ashton was born I made sure to spend tons of quality time with Kestan. I knew we were all in for some big changes and I was kind of emotional about it. I let go of work and made sure to be less distracted and more present so that he was getting my fullest attention.
We went on lots of “adventures” and took time for creative play. Here’s a fun activity we did that I think many of you will enjoy doing, too.
After reading this post on Aimee’s Artsyville site I got the bug to drive to Lawrence. She lives in my college hometown, which happens to be about 45 minutes from where I live. It’s a really cool, creative, indie place and anytime I find myself craving inspiration I gotta make the drive there.
So Kestan and I went on a short road trip for some spontaneous fun. The only goal – to let Kestan lead the way with coffee and camera in hand.
I bought him a disposable camera, which for a two-year-old who can already operate an IPhone this was a lot like buying him something as archaic as a VHS tape. He didn’t get why you couldn’t see the photos instantly and he really didn’t get why he couldn’t record video.
But once he got past the novelty of this old-fashioned thing he had a fabulous time getting to express himself through the lens.
And I just smiled as I waddled slowly behind him. It was so adorable seeing what caught his eye.
He made sure to have his “hot coffee” (aka: water) with him, too, and stopped about every 20 feet to take a photo and grab a swig.
And here are just a few of his unedited, super-fab shots…
Isn’t it cool to see from the perspective of a child?
Another thing he didn’t understand was – what happened to his camera? Why in the world did we give it to the lady at the grocery store and instead of giving his camera back, he got an envelope of photos instead?
But he sure loved sharing his photos with us – and each one had their own special story. I gave him an old photo album that I found from decluttering my art closet and now he has his own special book.
This was such a fun experience and I can’t wait to get him another camera!
Your Personal Reflection: Get out and play with your camera today (and if you have kids – let them join in on the fun!) Enjoy moving slower, being spontaneous and seeing things in a new way.
