Tea Parties With B

Life has been so busy lately that I haven't stopped to take the time to enjoy my kids like I should.  My kids are so patient with their busy Mom.  I love them for that but it is easy to take advantage of it as well.  I am striving to take the time to play with my kids. Dad does a great job at just playing with the kids.  I tend to just see the to do list and put them off. I am realizing quickly that they are growing up fast and I need to enjoy our time together before it is gone.  There will come a day, sooner than I like to admit, when my girls would rather hang out with their friends then have a Tea Party with Mom and my boys will prefer working on a car then cuddling with Mom on the couch with a book.

One day, while A and C were playing with friends and D was taking a nap, B was feeling lonely and out of sorts.  I stared at the piles of laundry, dishes and other things that needed doing, then I looked at her big blue eyes.  Chores could wait.  This was the perfect time to spend some much needed Mommy and Daughter time.  

I surprised her by digging out C's old tea set, which has not seen the light of day since C was six years old.  B's eyes lit up, the way only an almost four-year old's can, and she began putting everything in place for our impromptu Tea Party.  She was so excited.  She got her dolls out and arranged them in the living room.  She set the table beautifully.  She carefully served 'tea' to me and her doll guests.  She generously passed out cookies.  She said "please" and "thank you", just like every Mom loves to hear.  

It wasn't the most elegant Tea Party, we sat on the floor.  Our tea set is not fine china, but it has been loved by many girls before us (as all of the cracks and chips will attest to).  We didn't use real tea, water worked for our purposes.  We didn't even dress up for this event, although B is wearing a dress as usual.  We didn't drink tea with our pinkies up, yes, we did spill a little.  Cookie crumbs were in abundance.  

None of that matters.  Our impromptu party wasn't about all of the fuss and frills, it was about a special memory that we can always treasure.  As parents, especially with Pinterest and the internet, it is so easy to get sucked into making everything magazine cover worthy.  Children's parties are extreme these days.  A simple playdate is now a carefully planned event to connect our toddlers with the right friends.  We have lost sight of the simple joys of childhood.  On this quiet afternoon, B and I discovered that joy again.  It was a moment away from the craziness of life.  When all that mattered were B and me.