Family Matters,  Niece-com-poops,  party party,  the sticks

A SuperChic Tea Party!

November 23, 2008 /

sssssssssip!

I forgot how crazy this time of year is. From November on we have: my niece SuperChic’s birthday, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas and then Bug’s Birthday in January. I guess that’s only four things but it feels like it all happens in the span of three days. I think it goes by so fast because of all the planning that goes on in between. But I love that.

tea cups

Some people like to talk about politics and hash out the details of history and economics. And some people, like me, like to hash out the details of birthday parties and family get-togethers. Both are important. Whether macro or micro, the details are what make up our lives. You guys can go solve the economic crisis and I’ll be over here making sure there are games to keep the kids occupied and the petits fours are iced. I know in some people’s opinions I’m putting women’s rights back 100 years but I argue that these things are important. You don’t realize how much the little things add up and in the end create a warm happy environment for making memories with your family.

Anyway! Enough about that. Who really cares what I think?

petitefores

I only bring it up the subject of details because SuperChic’s sixth birthday party was yesterday and it was filled with many many small details that made my happy little heart sing. As usual, my sister-in-law pulled out all the stops. It was a tea party with all of SuperChic’s favorite finger foods. Cake balls disguised as petits fours, pickles, celery with cream cheese, black olives, carrots, bell peppers and broccoli to dip in ranch dressing. That kid likes her veggies which is a good thing because I think each petit four had about four pounds of sugar in it.

the lady and.... STITCH

The kids drank hot cocoa in their little wee cups and ate their crudités on the floor, picnic-stye. Bug actually managed to sip her cocoa daintily and only spilled about four drops on her red tutu. I was amazed. We’re still using sippy cups at home a lot. Not because she can’t use a cup; she can, but she likes to play with her drinks. She likes to swish her fingers around in them and dip everything in them. It’s a battle we’re working on.

Mommy!

I wish I’d had my camera on movie mode and had filmed that. It was quite the feat. What really cracked me up though (and I don’t think the photo quite captures it) was how SuperChic sat next to Bug so calmly and politely eating her food while Bug devoured her celery and cream cheese like a snarling spitting bulldog. I know that is nothing to be proud of. I need to teach Bug some manners stat. I bring it up to point out the contrast. SuperChic is quite the proper lady and Bug is still very two.

kid pile

Anyway, we had a lot of fun. Games, food and dogpiles on the floor. What more could you ask for? I even made a movie!

You can read more about it here. You did a great job CC!

17 Comments

  • lynne

    November 23, 2008 at 9:30 am

    Looks like a wonderful teaparty. I don’t think your setting womens rights back 100 years by admitting to enjoying domesticity, as you know their is a huge wave of woman reclaiming back their rights to knitting, crafting and baking as well as being able to use power tools and manage businesses alongside raising children (which you do too ma’am).

    Wasn’t womens rights about being empowered to work alongside men and be paid the same amount, so we could go off and be fighter pilots and business executives if we wanted to… but it was ok too if we wanted to follow more traditional female careers such as school teachers and nurses, we just didn’t have to give up our jobs the moment we got married ?

    One of my favourite books of all time is Little Women. The message I read from it is four young women who may be limited in choices by their sex and position in life but who change the world around them for the better beginning at the domestic hearth and extending outwards to influence others. I think it’s too bad that Louisa M Alcott’s books are mostly out of print as so many of them had wonderful messages about raising boys and girls to be equal, schooling them to have healthy bodies in outlook and mind instead of stuffing them with facts and avoiding the traps of superficiality.

  • Sonja

    November 23, 2008 at 1:29 pm

    Give me tea parties over politics any day!
    We have two November birthdays, four December birthdays, and three Januaries. One of them is mine and I always have to share my party. Sharing my party is not one of my favorite things to do.

  • Jennifer

    November 23, 2008 at 1:46 pm

    Who doesn’t love a good tea party? I love seeing contrasts between ages too. It’s so funny. Happy Birthday to SuperChic! I love the first picture of her. She looks like a little princess. Great dress.

    We have hectic end of the year schedules too. Thanksgiving, nephew’s 1st Bday, Christmas, Audrey’s Birthday, New Year’s…… I’m going cross eyed thinking about it.

    I need to come up with some sort of theme for Audrey.

  • BeachMama

    November 23, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    Tea Parties are awesome. I can’t wait to hold a few of my own.

    I, for one, totally agree with you on the small details foster a healthy and happy environment. And, it does matter what you think, that is why we drop by and visit you, because you matter to us.

    CC did an awesome job again! And Happy Birthday to Super Chic.

  • Gayle

    November 23, 2008 at 4:18 pm

    I don’t think you’re setting us back at all. I totally agree that the little things matter so much. If we’re going to have warm caring adults in politics in the future, we need their moms/family to cultivate that in them now when they are little kids!

  • comfortablycrazy

    November 23, 2008 at 6:49 pm

    You forgot my 30th is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That gives us three weeks till the party and then 12 more days until Christmas.

    Luckily I don’t plan on having another party for me until I’m 80.

  • bethany actually

    November 23, 2008 at 9:24 pm

    Baby Bug wasn’t eating like a snarling spitting bulldog. She was just eating like a hungry 2-year-old! Though I will admit the way she ate the petit four and got chocolate all over her fingers and face was pretty funny.

  • Kuky

    November 24, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    Ooh a tea party, how fun! :)

    Isabelle likes sticking her fingers into her drinks too. And pouring them back and forth between whatever container is readily at hand. And sometimes it’s hit and miss with her using a cup. Sometimes she does great and sometimes it spills all over the front of her shirt and then she complains and wants a new shirt.