opening and closing round containers

Check out Elise's first opening and closing lessons here and here!

the containers closed

the containers open

Want to see this activity in action?  Here, let Elise show you how it's done!  :)

step one:  

Remove the lid to discover what's inside...

Ooo... hand-painted, southwestern coasters!

(Thanks Community Closet!)

step two:

Dump the coasters out of the box - fun!

 step three:

Carefully put the coasters back into the box...

 

step four:

Put the lid back on the box.

Done - easy peasy!

I didn't get a photo, but Elise actually put the box of coasters back on the shelf!  Typically, she takes something out, plays with it, and then leaves it on the floor...  Hopefully this means her sense of order is kicking in, and she's going to start keeping this house shipshape! 

on the shelves - 12 months

 

a bag of personal care items

This activity is part treasure basket, part vocabulary lesson.  

After Elise takes out an object and explores it, I tell her what it is called.  

She doesn't repeat me yet, but I know she's soaking it up like a sponge! 

rings on a post

Elise has been enjoying this stacking activity for awhile now.  

To keep it interesting and add a little challenge, 

I replaced the wooden rings with silver bracelets.

hinged boxes

Elise continues to love opening and closing boxes. 

Every so often, I put out new boxes or change the objects inside.

birthday card basket

This basket holds the cards Elise received for her first birthday.

She enjoys looking through them - they're kind of like little books!

peg and cup

Elise spends a lot of time exploring how the peg fits into the cup.

This activity is slightly more challenging than the egg and cup - 

both came in a set from Pinkhouse Handworks.  

a tube of balls

Do you recognize these felt balls?  They're from the gobbi mobile I made Elise last summer! 

(The tube is a Pringles can wrapped in fabric - I got this idea from Montessori Beginnings.)

Elise enjoys taking out all the balls, and then putting them back in the tube - again and again!

 Although it's a bit beyond her skill level, she works at putting the lid back on the tube, too.

e's 1st birthday!

We tried to keep everything simple,

so that our focus would be on Elise

and her first year of life.

We kicked things off 

with a special birthday breakfast.

Hubs made Elise a birthday ring

from a slice of Douglas fir.

I made a timeline of Elise's first year.

(Can you tell I'm a teacher?!)

Friends and family came over

for a picnic lunch.

Elise's birthday treat - 

dirt cake!

I tried to make the recipe healthier

by using organic cookies and pudding

and homemade whipped cream. ;)

 The party favors were

mini wooden spoons and whisks.

My gift to Elise was a doll I made

from a Weir Crafts kit.

Hubs' gift was his childhood wagon

that he slightly modified (of course!).

It was a VERY good day!

looking back at baby elise part 5: a year in photos

Elise turned one a few days ago!!!  Here's my last looking back at baby elise post.  I'm feeling a little behind on things around here... birthday preparation is a lot of work!  Stay tuned for the highlights of Elise's special day sometime later this week.  :)

 newborn

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

 10 months

11 months

 

12 months

the book nook

 A little hideout,

tucked into a corner of the living room,

is the perfect place for... 

...reading books,

snuggling with stuffies,

or lounging in the sun.

It's just right for a little person

who's about to turn one!