Tea Time and Teenagers

 

Ode to Good Intentions

Before Christmas I was on the look-out for a pretty tea set. I wanted one for the little girls. So, I was delighted to find a large set at my favorite thrift store (serves 16, and on the other side of the store I also found cloth napkins in blue and pink). And of course I got a cute book about tea parties and manners.

 

What is that quote about paths being paved with good intentions?

 

The "wise" paternal one who co-parents with me here in the crockpot thought the idea of GIVING little, messy, female children anything breakable was an "unwise" idea.

So, a smallish box filled with a large tea set, cute books, and REAL napkins found residence on my closet floor. (We will not mention the pretty little tea set - serves 4 - that I also found and which somehow found a resting place in the bottom of the college kid's desk. Thankfully, he stores a few books there and so I only have to be reminded of it when semesters change).

 

It has since been my INTENTION to have a tea party. With the family, or a group of giggling, fluffed-out, little girls, or a group of ladies . . .

And we've had Spring break this week (just like "real" school). (Partly because I am TIRED. Partly because random children who are not mine have been in and out of my house all week and the phone has rung and rung and rung. Partly because we like breaks from school and schedules.) So, I thought this week would be perfect for a tea party.

 

Yesterday, with 12 children, ages 3 to 15, girls in hats, boys in ties, left over Easter flowers, chocolate oatmeal cookies, and one of my good table cloths, we had a lovely tea party.

 

Teenagers?

It was also a good day to have any kind of party because 14 years ago I gave birth to Miss Ava Love.

Ava Love - 14 years old - playing dress-up at a tea party

We just kinda keep looking at her in wonder and going, "Wow." "Hum." "14?" "Who is this tall kid?"

I realized last night, because Alex asked, "What toy did you get her?" that I didn't get her a toy. Did she ask for one?
She got pretty clothes and sets of PJ's and fancy Nail-doing stuff. Pretty paper, an amazon gift card, some ear rings . . .
And yet she likes to play. A little. Still.

I'm letting her drink coffee with the hope that instead of stunting her growth (it's to late for that)  it will shrink her. But I'm afraid that the shrinking is only happening to me because all my babies just seem taller everyday.

And we, the wise paternal one and I, just get a little ticked with the whole, "Oh NO! Teenagers! Your in for it," attitude. Maybe ticked isn't a strong enough word.
While we know we can't always "control" what they do, and we are well aware of their present immaturity and lack of "perfect" decision making abilities, we also know that we've encouraged them to respect our authority and trust us to HELP them with these decisions. To understand that with age comes a little more wisdom and perspective and we, the loving, devoted, parents, really, truly do have their best interest at heart and pray for them. To understand that they first belong to the perfect Parent, the Heavenly Father, Abba, the Divine Daddy. That they are also our sisters in Christ and that they should trust His perfect plan for every stage of their lives.
They aren't ours. We've only been trusted with their care for a short while.
And, OH, how short it is!
We have to trust that Divine Daddy too.
And His ways sometimes often always surprise us. And are so WONDERFUL!

(sniff, sniff)
Now, back to the fun stuff.

The Papa took a little trip yesterday and came back with Key Lime Pie and German Chocolate Pie from my favorite restaurant, 211. (One day I may do a whole post on 211 - pronounced "Two-eleven" - UMMMM, Ummmmm, Good!)
So, after eating Chinese as the birthday girl requested, we had birthday pies.

And Gene lit ALL the candles.

She blew them all out in one breath.
After we ate pie and the 6 youngest were tucked in (and us big girls had on our jammies) we watched the Hobbit.
What a LONG movie. And its not even the whole story. We have to wait on the ending. They are making 2 more movies about Bilbo's big adventure.

But I still want a comfy Hobbit hole.