Ode to Joy: Painting Bliss

Let's just put it out there - Kai is so much fun!  As you can see in the pictures I have added (yes, too many, but I couldn't stop the pride I felt!), I have a little painter in the house.  There is little as enjoyable as rolling out a giant piece of paper, opening up all the paint containers, pulling out a variety of paint brushes and just playing.  We both roll up our pants, or often in Kai's case he takes them right off, and create, ignorant of the 'mess' that surrounds us.  Sometimes he copies the way I play with the brushes and paint, and other times he is in his own world.  We have done sponging, splattering, mixing, spirals, and today we practiced using our wrist to paint back and forth...one, two, one, two.  We often chat along the way, sharing what we are painting, and give encouraging words.  "Good job, Mommy!"  "I like the way you are rolling your paint brush, Kai.  You are very creative!"

We generally paint after dinner, and if bedtime was not calling, we could probably go on for hours.  So I tell Kai "Five more minutes of painting, love" and begin to take away the paint, one colour at a time while he adds his finishing touches.  We put the paint away, peel off Kai's paint-covered clothes and jump into the bath for the first relaxing step of clean-up.  Daddy is usually just coming home at this time, so we get into pyjamas, show off our many new works and set about displaying them and mopping up the floor.

How I love our time creating together.  What a pair we are.  What a gallery our house is becoming.