Grace's First Tea Party (or: Insight Into a Little Girl's Personality)

Yesterday was an interesting day for both Grace and Mommy. Don needed some lumber and tools in order to work on a side-job (while working on a Saturday and evenings isn't great, the extra income is), so Aidan went along on a "Boy's Morning Out," leaving me alone with my little girl -- something that so very, very rarely happens. But it gave me a glimpse into what life will be like when Aidan is in school all day, as well as a glimpse as to who my girl really is.

When the boys left, Grace was in tears. "I want Aidan! I need Aidan!" I quieted her down and the tears stopped, but a new dilemma faced her. She had no idea what to do. Her buddy was gone. She was listless. She wandered around the living room, picking up a Power Ranger and then putting it back down. She shuffled into the kitchen, where I was washing dishes, and she sat down on her chair with a (very melodramatic) sigh. She soon got up and went into her bedroom to lay on her bed. She was bored.

This was new for me. Grace? Bored? Never before. But now she's alone -- we're alone. One-on-one time for the girls of the house is a foreign thing ... but I'd better get used to it. I immediately fell back on the old stand-bys for Aidan when he was two. Would you like to color? No. Would you like to paint? No. Would you like to do a puzzle? No. Would you like to play with play-doh (I was desperate here -- I hate play-doh). No, no, no.

Uh-oh. Now what do I do ... Clearly she is not like her big brother.

"Gracie, would you like to have a tea party?"

Her big eyes lit up, her smile widened, she hopped out of bed with a loud, "Yes!" She grabbed a big white blanket sprinkled with lavender flowers (one of my baby blankets) and spread it on the floor. I brought in her Dora porcelain tea set while she set to work inviting some friends. This is where it really got interesting.

First she positioned two of her dolls. Then she propped up a big teddy bear, after which she found a spot for herself. She sat there for a minute, surveying the scene. Something wasn't right. But what could it be? She sat and she thought ...

There weren't enough guests.

The next time I looked in on her, a few more friends had joined the party: two dinosaurs and an elephant. But still she wasn't satisfied.

A few minutes later I heard her calling from the bedroom, "Mommy! Come here! Come to the party!"

I laughed when I walked into the room, beholding the sight on the floor. My little extrovert, "Daddy's daughter," at last was happy with her arrangement. She had gathered every "friend" that she could find and placed herself right in the middle of the entourage. And she was in heaven.

That's my girl ... or rather, that's Don's girl. I would have been happy with one doll and myself, with maybe a bear thrown in for good company. This little party-going extrovert needs a real bash, the more the merrier. She's got quite a personality, that's for sure. And I'll be seeing a lot more of this in time ...