Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Teacup

This week the ladies of our church are hosting a wonderful tea party.  I am in charge of the decorating, so I have been running around like a madwoman trying to decorate. (Don't worry, I actually have a very sweet little vignette in mind, so hopefully I can keep the madwoman part hidden for a bit longer...)

In honor of the tea party, I thought I would share my daughter's little teacup.  When she was about four, we saw this cup at Cracker Barrel and Nature Girl just had to have it.  It is the sweetest little cup, so I happily bought it for her.

Nature Girl loved having her own teacup.  For the tea at our church, she carried her own little cup and saucer in this sweet little box.  
Most of her tea parties took place at home, though.  Her favorite partner-in-crime for tea parties was her dad.  (Oh, how I wish I had been organized enough to take pictures...)
Dad was a great sport and would try and cram himself into her little chair and drink chocolate milk while wearing a ridiculous hat.

When Dad wasn't around, she then moved on to having tea parties with our various animals.  We used to keep goats, and I will never forget the time she decided our goats named Firefighter Harry and Little Lady Princess Crystal, were going to have a tea party with her.  Harry kept jumping up on the table and Little Lady Princess Crystal kept trying to eat her feather boa.  Needless to say, our goats had very bad manners and so Nature Girl moved on.

One day while cleaning her room, I found Nature Girl's pet worm collection in the bottom of her tea cup.  Apparently she forgot them there and let's just say, it wasn't pretty...


One would think she might give up after the goat and the worm fiascos, but no, that girl not only was very creative, but she had a stubborn streak longer than the Mississippi River.
(And still does, oh, how I love that girl...)


One afternoon while I was preparing a tea party for her in the kitchen, I heard a thump.   Like something fell from my kitchen counter.  Very odd I thought, as I was alone in the kitchen.  I did some investigating, and I found her guest for the tea that day crawling under the kitchen cabinets.
That is Sally, a salamander.  Nature Girl dug Sally out from the pond in front of our house and thought Sally would be the perfect tea party guest.  

Sally was a indeed wonderful guest.  So much so that Nature Girl kept her for a while.  That night when Nature Girl was taking a bath, I walked into the bathroom to find only her head and tummy sticking out of the water.  On her tummy was Sally, happily taking a bath with my girl.


Now you know why we call her Nature Girl!

28 comments:

  1. Cracker Barrel? I am totally going there for lunch.

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  2. Oh my goodness Kate! Your nature girl was sure full of adventure huh? the goats crack me up! Oh yes, and the worms & the salamander.....too cute. I miss those days of tea parties...I really wish my kids would stop growing...my youngest turned 10 yesterday :( No, really I'm fine with it....really....;)
    Have fun at your tea party ~ I'm sure you will decorate it fabulously!

    xo,
    Shellagh

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  3. Good luck at your tea party - I hope you take photos of your decorating to share.

    I just love the stories of nature girl - she is quite the adventurous young lady :)

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  4. I love your stories! That one is too cute, I had all the visions of her having tea with the goats and am sitting here giggling to myself! Those are the kinds of stories that make being a mom the best job in the world! Have fun at your tea party and take lots of pics to share, ok? Oh and maybe Nature Girl can find you a new "guest" to take with you... Theresa

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  5. Hey Sweetie. You tell the most vivid stories. Always full of love and spirit. You must be the writer of the family. I can just picture it all as you write about it. And I just love your photos too.

    MIL doing great. Thanks for asking. I check back in with you soon.

    Hugs...Tracy

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  6. you are too funny! somehow you wove a story that included
    tea cups, worms, and salamanders. what a hoot!

    have a fun tea party.

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  7. Oh, How Sweet ~ What a Beautiful Tea Cup for Nature Girl.... I just got home from "The Messy House" I was just stopping to take a lunch break (4:00) ran thru McDonalds then stopped by home to for the potty (Messy house) does NOT have a working bathroom, so I hardly drink anything while working.... anyway, I sat down to eat my lunch & after 10 minutes, I realize, I am Exhausted, I just can't get up and go back.... if anything, I can go thru the 2 Large Plastic Bins I brought Home (Treasures)

    I was excited that Theresa Won, out of 153 votes, she was the lucky one..... I think she lives about 2 hours away from me, wouldn't it be Fun to all meet some weekend!
    I would Love to get together, Meet in Person & do alittle Flea Marketing & just Hanging out! I am heading to a Big Antique/ Flea Market on Saturday with My Daughters, Just the 3 of us are going (part of My Mother's Day Present)..... I am so excited, Mandy - My oldest daughter (mom of my grands) Loves to do that type of thing, Nikki (middle child) is not into it At ALL ~ But she's doing it for Me..... so that makes it extra Special, plus she is wanting to get her own place, maybe she can find some fun stuff to decorate with..... Ok, This quick comment has turned into a LONG POST, Sorry, I am going to go put my feet up & R E S T
    xox

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  8. what great stories Kate...well, all except for the worm fiasco...yuk...too cute about taking a bath with a salamander...hee hee:)

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  9. The tea party will be so fun! How funny the ladies of my Church are talking about holding a tea soon too! Have fun!

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  10. Oh, what fun. From the dainty teacup to the worms. She is a wonderful joy-I can tell. And so cute too. Great post!

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  11. Looks like this teaparty will be the best! Enjoy every moment and sip together!!
    XO

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  12. Love your stories...enjoy your teaparty...sounds amazing...hugs to you my friend. xoxo

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  13. tea parties sound fun! and your nature girl. & Sally..gorgeous ♥

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  14. This is a great story. I told you before. I have a nature girl as well and she brings home the most exciting (!) guests too! xx

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  15. what a wonderful story... the tea cup is so pretty so is nature girl...soo sweet!

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  16. What a cute story. Determined and sweet all at the same time, what a combination! And that is a really adorable tea cup.

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  17. how absolutely precious! Your little nature girl sounds like a cutie:) I love that dad sat at the tea party with a hat on:) gotta love dads!
    xo
    paula

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  18. Hey BFF!!! You always know just how to touch my heart. You put tears in my eyes and when I feel so all alone I always know that your there. You make me feel special and loved and I love you for that. Lets just have a sissy party! Ha-ha!

    Hugs and love Dearie....Tracy :)

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  19. What a cute story!!! You gotta LOVE ALL KIDS!!!

    Jo

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  20. OK this, is why we have mother's day...It is celebration of the survival of motherhood...I also wore a perpetual smile, whilst raising my delightfully crazy children...have an enchanting tea party...happy mother's day...Rosie

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  21. Your stories brought back so many wonderful memories of my children's tea parties with their stuffed animals, real pets, and some of God's other creatures. Isn't it amazing how free kids can be.
    The little tea cup is so delicate with the scalloped rim. It is nice to see that she takes such good care of it. She sounds like a perfect mix of tomboy and girl.

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  22. What a sweet story! And she has the perfect balance of "girlie" and "outdoorsy" - you'll have to beat the boys away with shotguns :)

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  23. Kate,
    What a great story! I love the teacup, though. I think it's one of the cutest I have ever seen!
    Suz

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  24. What sweet and funny memories! When you mentioned a "thump" on the counter, I was afraid you were going to say the teacup fell off and broke. I'm glad it was just another little friend hopping in for tea.

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  25. Oh, I just love this post! Nature Girl and I would get along swell. Two peas in a pod.

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  26. My Miss M is so similar! She loves tea parties and loves pretty pink things for her pretty pink room, but try getting her into a skirt or a dress...not on your Nelly! I can imagine that she would have wanted that tea set too! Let's hope she turns out as beautiful and sweet as your nature girl!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

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  27. Jerry would have loved to attend one of "Nature Girls" tea parties. I'm SURE he would have behaved himself!

    http://bit.ly/d6wD5c

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  28. How sweet, a girl that loves wiggly things as well as pretty tea cups! You have the best of both worlds.

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