And together we sipped tea

First of all, let me say that I LOVE little boys! I love all of their energy and boy activities! Each one of my grandsons brings so much happiness, energy and fun to our lives!

Having been the mom of two sons and no daughters, I also delight in little girls and dolls, and dress up and jewelry and princesses and . . . all things pertaining to girls that I never had the joy of experiencing as a mother. Lilly is a delightful combination of tomboy and little girl.

Lilly liked the idea of a tea party. In fact she requested it and asked if we could invite her cousins as well. She was concerned, however, that she might have to wear a dress and hat. I quickly reassured her that as the hostess and she was welcome to dress casually.

Jackson was equally concerned. He wondered if he could help but not actually be part of the tea party. We had plenty of manly jobs that needed doing so he was satisfied as well. Together we decided that Jackson would be chef, photographer, waiter and game organizer.

After addressing those concerns, both kids were totally on board and we got started. Our menu included scones, muffins, graham cracker sandwiches, bogels (bagel holes), strawberry cream cheese, chocolate chips, blueberries and raspberries.

We got busy right after breakfast preparing food.

Jackson had helped Lilly complete a Lego car before breakfast and that novelty also needed to be included in the tea party photos.

Lilly requested that the tea party be held in the family room. She reminded me that we should use a pretty table cloth and have pretty flowers.

Both children set the table properly with napkins and plates and cups. Both Lilly and Jackson had a tea pot to serve the tea and Jackson would take other drink orders if some guests wanted a cold drink as well. Lilly asked to greet and welcome the guests as they arrived. We were so happy to have Morgan’s neighbor and friend, Fionnuala, join us.

The highlight for me were the conversations. Jackson introduced and led a round of Would You Rather? The questions could be funny or serious and each person participated by making up a question—even our two doll guests—Sammy and Julianna—had questions and responses with Morgan and Jessica serving as interpreters. Game rules are that you must choose one of the answers and you must give a reason for your answer.

For example one question was, “Would you rather go Trick or Treating and get lots of candy or go swimming at the beach?” Mostly the answers were, “swimming at the beach” for various reasons such as—“I like getting buried in sand,” or “because my mom would not let me eat much of the candy anyway.” It made me chuckle as Morgan predictibly answered, “Trick or Treating!” because “I love chocolate and I love dressing up in costumes!”

One question that caused quite a lot of giggles was, “Would you rather jump into a lake with sharks in your Sunday clothes or naked?” The answers were logical, such as “Naked—because my mommy would not like my Sunday clothes to get ripped up.” or “Naked—because my clothes would weigh me down and I could not swim as fast to get away ” or “In my Sunday clothes—because I would just feel more protected” or “In my Sunday clothes—because the sharks would have to bite through more stuff before they got to my skin” or “Naked—because I would look more like a baby shark and maybe they would not attack me.”

Our other games were from the May issue of Family Fun magazine. We played a variation of She Loves It, She Loves It Not, as we removed petals from flowers.

We also played Mrs. Mumbles. To win this game, you need to be able to talk without showing your teeth. That means no laughing — or even smiling — while other players are trying to crack you up. To get started, one person curls her lips tightly over her teeth, turns to the person to her right, and says, "Excuse me, is Mrs. Mumbles home?" The person must reply, in the same tooth-hiding manner, with, "I don't know, let me ask my neighbor ..." She then turns to the person to her right and asks, "Excuse me, is Mrs. Mumbles home?" The question and the answer are passed around the table, as everyone tries hard not to giggle.

Following the tea party, everyone did a craft—Jackson making one for his mom while Grandma cleaned up the kitchen a bit. (I bought paper fans to decorate from Discount School Supply—12 for $6.99.) While working on the craft, we played “Two truths and a lie.” Again, it was entertaining and intriguing to hear from each child! Absolutely delightful!

As the years pass and you grow up
Framed in memory, I will see
Pinkies extended, sweet hands dainty,
Holding pretend cups of tea.

On the small chairs by the table
Girls and Jackson full of glee
Giggles and laughter of the moment
Oh, God's precious gift to me!

If I live to be a hundred
I shall never richer be
Then when I shared your dazzling presence
And together we sipped tea.

Adapted from Tea for Three by Lee Scott