“Go outside, find your dog and be a kid. Now!” April 5, 2010

Violet played in her room for awhile – making a new cabin with her logs and pretending like there was a cougar off in the trees.   Then she decided to make a fence and let all the little logs be cows, and move them from one pasture to the other.  She was having so much fun and was so lost in her imagination that time passed very quickly.

When her mother came in to tell her it was time to go have tea and practice manners, Violet felt like she had just finished lunch a few minutes ago.  She picked up all the logs like she was told and then she went downstairs to the kitchen.

Tea party for fun, was fun; but tea party for manners was not very fun.  It was hard for Violet to see and reach when she was sitting nicely on her chair and every time she scooted forward she was told to sit back and sit up like a lady.   Finally her mother was so frustrated that she came and pushed Violet’s chair up to the table, very tight.  She could feel the back of the chair on her back and the edge of the table on her front.  Violet wanted to cry, but knew that would only make things worse.

Finally they were almost done, and her mother was quizzing her on where do you put your napkin when you are finished? How do you ask to be excused? When is it acceptable to ask to be excused? Just then her father came in.

He walked over and pulled out Violet’s chair and said firmly “Go outside, find your dog and be a kid.  Now!”

Violet looked from her mother to her father and back again and then hurried very quickly to the back door and outside.  As she was closing the door she heard her father saying “For the love of everything in heaven what is wrong with you? She is five years old and…”

Violet was glad that it was warm outside because she had not had time to grab a sweatshirt or anything.  She easily found Max and decided to go to the barn to see Grey but also hoping that she may see Beth.    The barn smelled so good, and she got a treat down for Grey and then walked to the back of the barn and out the back side door to look for Beth.

She had not been allowed to see Beth since the day her father announced they were moving her play area down stairs and she had so many things to share with her. ©

cleaning up January 5, 2010

The girls decided that with such a special guest coming today for tea, it would be best to clean up the play space.  They spent the morning straightening this and straightening that – dusting here and dusting there.  Violet even went to get the broom and sweep up the floor.  When she came back in she asked Beth “Wouldn’t it be fun to get some flowers and put them in a cup on the table?  You know like at fancy grown up parties. “  Beth agreed so out the back of the barn the girls headed to find some flowers.

Soon after they returned with small yellow and white flowers and Violet went to get water for them.  They decided it was best to use the sugar container to hold the flowers, after all the sugar was just pretend anyway and they could pour from the creamer container; as if it was a small tea pot.

Just as they had placed the finishing touches on everything, they could hear voices from the front of the barn.  It was Aunt Grace talking to one of the ranch hands “Yes thank you, I do appreciate that – as you can see I have my hands very full.”  As the girls turned to look they saw Grace and both of them took in a deep breath at how wonderful she looked.

Today Grace was dressed in blue, and her long hair was up in a big loose bun, with a few small silver curls, falling down on to her face.  The pins that held her hair up were beautiful and as the light caught them they seemed to twinkle.  Her hands had big jeweled rings of silver and and blues and greens and in her hands she had a large silver tray.

“Hello Violet, I decided today we would have real tea and not pretend.  I do hope that is ok with you” as she said it her eyes seemed to glisten like the jewels and the smile on her face gave away the fact that she was as excited as Violet and Beth.

“Oh yes! that is wonderful and look we picked pretty flowers for the table, so it is like a real party.”

“Very nice, I like them” Aunt Grace said as she set the tray down on the table and then she asked “is Beth here?”

“Yes, of course she is right there”  as she pointed just behind her Aunt “Beth this is my Aunt Grace isn’t she beautiful? Come over here and sit down.”

“Hello Beth it is very nice to meet you and yes come let us all sit down.  Now let me see what do I have here?”  Grace placed a plate in front of Beth, Violet and herself and handed each of them a cloth napkin to place in their laps.  Then she asked Violet “Could you please place the tea cups and their plates in their places?”

“Now Beth would you prefer the cheese sandwiches or the cucumber ones or some of each?”  but Violet quickly interrupted “Oh Beth doesn’t usually eat very much, she might just want the tea if that is ok.”

“Of course it is, but I will put a sandwich on your plate anyway, just for balance” and she winked at Beth as she set the sandwiches out.  “And now I will pour the tea if that is alright.”   Grace picked up the silver tea pot and poured some of the hot tea into Beth’s cup and then into Violet’s and then into her own.  “Now cream and sugar look fun, but instead I brought some honey from my brother’s farm.  Here let me show you.”

Carefully she took a small spoon dipped it into the honey, gave it a twirl and then placed one in each of the cups.  “You can swirl it around now, it will help to cool the tea and will sweeten it..just so.  And when you are ready to drink the tea, just set the little spoon on the teacup plate.” ©