Elliott's Mailbox

The Milburn branch of the U.S. Postal Service is officially up and running! I spent a little time while Elliott played covering a Pampers box in paper grocery bags to make the mailbox. I cut a slot for the mail to go in and a hole in the bottom for the mail to be retrieved. I put a little fun washi tape around the slot becuase washi tape makes everything prettier. So far, Elliott has mailed himself a lot of crayons and has received a card from Grandma Nancy and a few postcards from Grandma Becky. The cards are lovely and have provided lots of entertainment and fine motor skill practice for Elliott. He has found many other uses for his mailbox (hat, walker, trumpet) and it has lost a bit of its grocery bag veneer. He does not seem to mind.

I also made another fine motor skills activity for Elliott using an old formula can, a stack of Pantone postcards and my circular die cutter. I cut a slot in the plastic top of the formula can, removed the label and covered the outside in leftover superhero wrapping paper. I then punched out about ten circles from my Pantone postcard collection. Elliott puts the cardboard circles into the slot and then hands me the can when he's finished so I can help him start again. I keep the cardboard circles in a little burger basket I got in the Dollar Spot at Target. He really loves this activity and has become more efficient -- he's figured out how many cardboard circles will fit at a time and sometimes attempts to stuff them all in at once. He also enjoys putting Post-It flags on everything and homemade play dough.

Elliott took his first official steps at daycare yesterday, but has successfully prevented anyone -- myself, Wilma and her grandson Khalil -- from documenting this momentous occasion. He takes about four steps at a time and can stand up from a squat position. We are so excited for him and also very worried about keeping up with him!

On Monday I handed in my notice at Foley & Lardner. I was recruited for a carve-out position with DLA Piper working for an attorney who joined the firm last year to develop their International Arbitration practice. I was pretty happy at Foley, but this opportunity is just too good to pass up. They offered me a higher salary, more responsibility and the practice is new, exciting and very interesting. My last day at Foley will be July 17. I'll take a week of vacation and start at DLA on July 28. Yay!