A tea party

I started out this week that is supposed to be a break, spring break, feeling frantic as I looked over my to-do list and decided to treat this week like my last week before I head to Korea (though I have absolutely no idea if that is true and most likely is not).  I began to do what I do when I feel overwhelmed, a half a project here, a third of a project there, fold a piece of laundry, oh wait go send an email.  Setting the pace for a very busy and entirely un-fun spring break.

Then suddenly the view outside caught my eye, it was a beautiful spring day, in fact I'd say God was showing off a little, and I realized that 1) this is my last time being a mother to just two children and 2) nothing on my list was really that important, if it didn't get done before we went to Korea, it wasn't the end of the world.  I went upstairs to tell Kylynn to finish up cleaning her room so we could go play outside, and she stood there in her self-made apron (a baby blanket and a belt) and told me how she was going to make a tea party for me and all that it would entail.

I looked at her, really seeing her, when so often I'm to busy to pay much attention, with her bright eyes and her plans she had dreamed up and her desire to be a princess right out of the movies, who puts on an apron to clean and then a party dress for a tea party.  Let's do it, put on your dress, pick one out for me, I'll make the food, you decorate the table on the back porch.

She finally decided on a long summer dress for me, after I encouraged her that her original pick was a little too fancy.  She cleaned her room in record time and was off to decorate.  My daughter has many of my loves and hang-ups, she loves to decorate as do I, but she has a flare to her that I've never had, she mixed and matched and made a beautiful table, although she was sad I wouldn't give her one of my vases for flowers.  We had strawberries with sugar, goldfish, and cookies per her request.  We also had hot chocolate because Jack had been talking about it for days and I'd been telling him I would give him some soon.

Jack had been insisting I call him "Cinderella" all day, so of course he was right at home, as I believe Cinderella loves tea parties.  I have no idea why he wanted to be called Cinderella, he acted his same old boy self all day and really I think just got a kick out of the control of correcting me every few minutes to say, "no, Cinderella!"  It was a lovely tea party and really set the tone for this week.  Now that I've calmed down I'm actually getting a lot more done and realizing that what I need to put at the top of my list is time with my kids.