gifts report, part 1

i’m so excited about a few of the gifts from this christmas that i just had to share them with you!  i’ll start with a gift mr. happy stuff and i gave the happy baby:  an art cabinet!  granted, this gift is probably more exciting to me than him at the moment, but that’s just because he doesn’t realize what it’s all about yet.

i decided to convert a cabinet in our dining room that had been filled with rarely-used table linens.  i also wanted to stock it pretty well, but leave room for growth.  i wanted the art supplies to be visible and sort of accessible to him, but not so accessible that he’ll just dump them all out onto the ground.  in invested in a variety of plastic containers and i love the way they all look, stacked up and tidy and ready for fun.  he can easily find the one he’s looking for and bring it to me and ask to do that kind of art, but so far he can’t open any of them on his own.  i think the container find that i’m most excited about is the one labeled “more art supplies” above–here’s a close-up:

this was originally a container to organize photos for scrapbooking (or something…) but it’s essentially a box full of boxes and the smaller boxes are just the right size for:  sidewalk chalk, “pipsqueak” markers, dry erase crayons, a stamp pad and a few homemade stamps and (for now) some of the “slick stix” from crayola (these are actually a bit too big for the containers so i had to use two of the small containers–i’m looking for alternatives, but it will do for now).

i love being able to pull out one art supply at a time, play with it, and when we’re done we tuck it back into the container and put it away.  i have no idea how long this illusion of order will remain, but i’m loving it for now and every time i pull out a new art supply to try, the happy baby is thrilled to discover it with me.  even if that means insisting on eating the homemade play clay (yes, it’s the super-salty kind.  i think that’s why he likes it.  he’ll just sit there and lick it and lick it and keep an eye on me because he knows i don’t really like for him to do that, but i’ve sort of given up fighting it.  eventually it will lose its thrill, right?  or does anyone know of any disgusting-tasting but kid-safe flavors i could add to the dough?).  oh well, i suppose that’s just another way to experience art through all of his senses!