Tea Party

April 2

We set the table for tea and oh what fun we had! It was a beautiful spring day with a little chill in the air. After school my little one and I packed a basket and headed to the back yard. We sipped our tea water and discussed the details of our animal crackers. "Where are the legs?" asked my little one upon pulling out a camel. "Tucked under her, I think the camel is sitting down," I replied and fished for a tiger. I brought out the sugar bowl and we spooned in heaping teaspoon fulls of sugar watching as it dissolved into the tea water. There were spills and slowly the tea set became covered in sticky sugary goo. But we were outside, a quick shake and the mess fell into the grass. Sure to make some ants very happy.

When my first grader arrived we flagged her down and she came directly to the back yard. We seated her at our cafe' and offered her selections from our menu. She passed on the sticky tea water sludge but enthusiastically finished up the elephant, walrus and two tigers. Our tea table is tucked under the play structure and has the feel of a cozy nook. I'm always amazed at how a table cloth can change the feeling of a place. Tea time evolved into swinging and sliding and checking the potato patch.