One Sugar Please

March 29, 2010 at 4:07 pm | Posted in Lollipop | 13 Comments

After our tough week, Lollipop and I were both ready to escape the confines of our humble, laundry-ridden abode on Sunday. So we headed out together. For tea.

The library was having a Louisa May Alcott tea party as part of Women’s History Month — real tea, in real cups, with decidedly real cookies. And they were letting in toddlers!

In my mind, we would both dress up, smile excitedly together for the camera, have our first little mother-daughter shindig. We would enjoy each other’s company. And we did. In a decidedly Lollipop way.

A Nip of the Good Stuff ...

Tea for Tutu
She chose to wear a silver sleeveless dress with gold sequins, her pink tutu, lavender socks, and blue-and-white sandals. Her accessories? A yellow and hot pink purse (to carry her Cinderella doll and a blue stuffed car) along with two treasures from my jewelry box, a red beaded bracelet and a silver pendant on a brown cord.

Next to her, I felt downright boring in my black slacks, white sleeveless maternity top, and plain old silver jewelry. (In hindsight, I could have at least worn my tutu. Next time.)

When we arrived, we chose our table. I explained that we would need to wait for the other guests to get settled before we dove headfirst into the tray of cookies. I showed her the projector screen where we’d learn about Louisa May Alcott and the table full of art supplies where we’d paint our own teacups. I said we’d have to practice being very patient and very quiet.

A Steep Learning Curve
I asked if she understood, if she had any questions. And she said: “I wonder if they’ll have cantaloupe tea, Mommy.”

Turns out, they didn’t. So she settled for pomegranate. I chose lemon. Fascinated by the way the tea bags made the water in our cups turn bright colors, she steeped and steeped and steeped the tea. She tasted it, squinched up her nose, and steeped some more.

She attempted to squeeze a shortbread cookie onto her plate with tongs and lobbed it across the room instead, à la Julia Roberts. She discovered that sugar comes in cubes. And ate two straight from the bowl.

Painting Outside the Box

She looked through a book on tea accessories. An airplane teapot! A kitty-cat plate full of lemon wedges! White tea-sipping gloves! I could see her adding these details to her memory banks for future parties with her rabbits and cars.

She chose red, green, and purple paint to decorate her teacup. And quickly set to work covering the inside of both hers and mine. When I explained we wouldn’t be able to drink from them again because of the paint on the inside, she paused. Then re-dipped her brush with gusto and said: “That’s OK, Mommy, we can put beautiful flowers in them.”

Practically Imperfect In Every Way
Oh, she certainly wasn’t perfect. She pulled off the tiny purple pansies on the silk centerpiece. She had to use the ladies’ room during the librarian’s presentation. (Twice.) She wiggled. She picked her nose. And cried a little when I insisted she use a tissue.

But it was perfect. The day, the party, the time together. Our day, our party, our time.

I’ll raise my cup of cantaloupe tea to that.

What’s one of your most special memories with your child? Ever been to a tea party (and worn sequins)? Like the taste of sugar cubes?