T is for Tea time

Ainsley is learning the letter "T" this last week (we aren't doing the alphabet in order) and I thought we would have a little tea party with real tea, cream, and terrific triangle toast (toast with jam or brown sugar and cinnamon cut into triangles). Hey now, the tea was cold and decaf and the cream was coffee creamer to sweeten it so it was kid friendly. They snarfed it all down.Hunter decided his green shirt wasn't fancy enough and went and put on his costume uniform shirt which looks like Daddy's. Ainsley started off with purple wings and purple sparkled skirt, but at some point she chucked the wings out of annoyance. Also, a tea party is hard with a one year old toast-swiper.I think it's funny how into this Hunter got as well. I think he mostly just wanted the good food and knew where it was at. However, he was NOT sticking his little pinky up when he drank like Ainsley.

A little one year old then swiped my chair. Oh well, my knees were on each side of the table anyways so I didn't really fit.
What's so funny, Tessa?
Oh, Hunter's teasing her as usual.


I thought we might work on manners. What was I smoking thinking that some manners were going to magically rub off just because it was a tea party? Ainsley licked the plate. All over. Several times...making sure she got all the sugar up. So ladylike.It's Okay though, because I may, or may not have, licked my fingers to get yummy jam off before I thought about it. I guess I know where they get some of their manners.

Tessa of course, had to stick her hand in the creamer to check it out.

Growing up and to this day, my mom always had us set the table the right way before every meal with utensils in the right spot and folded napkins. Me? I kinda slap the stuff we need down and hope I get it all on before the kids see me and start trying to sneak food. I try to get them to help set the table, but it's super chaotic right when I'm getting food on, so right now, that's not always happening. I'm letting you know just in the spirit of being real.

And in the spirit of being real about dinner time, you know how they say that families that eat together have good quality time and bonding? I don't think they mean families with all young children. We eat together, but it's not our best quality time. It's training time.

"Eat your food."

"Lean over your plate."

"You're dripping."

"Don't use your shirt, use your napkin."

"Sit up closer to the table."

"Don't tease your sister when we are eating."

"Yes, you have to eat ALL of that."

"Smaller bites, please."

I try valiantly to make conversation that the kids can enjoy, but really and honestly...it's mostly training. I'd love to know at what stage it stops being training and starts becoming quality.

Shoot, maybe we DO need more tea parties.