Yesterday, I toted Reed along to a Snap Happy Mom's meet up at the Japanese Friendship Garden. When he asked "Why
Jap-you-knees Gardens?" I told him we were going to take some pictures. Fortunately, an old point & shoot camera that Reed has declared his own was in the car because he responded with "Me too
takem pictures Mommy!".
And that he did! While we waited for the other moms to arrive he took pictures of the parking lot, pine needles on the ground, and a passing helicopter.
I thought for sure that once we got inside the gardens he would hand me the camera and take off. Don't get me wrong ... he TOOK OFF running alright ... but not until he took a few shots of the gardens.
I didn't look at what was on his camera until we got home. I was amazed that he was very intentional about what he wanted in his pictures. I had underestimated that he was just pushing the shutter, he actually aimed and captured what he was seeing he wanted to capture. When I showed him his uploaded pictures he said, "Ya,
takem picture of flowers" ... like 'of course that's my picture, that's what we went there to do'.
He pleasantly surprises me over & over ... he also reminds me that God knows exactly what we need when we need it. Through Reed, I understand that there's no need to wait to start writing those "Workshops for Kids" that I've been planning for when he gets older ... they see beauty & wonder at ALL ages!
BOY, God sure did pack a lot into
this kid!
I know every mom thinks their child is something special ... but mine sure IS!
... and one of my favorite parts of the whole story - I was able to capture him TAKING those pictures. Some day I may be HIS assistant and I'm completely okay with that!

(just in case you're wondering, the bigger pictures in the collage are his)