January 19, 2013

Desert Sky

Two years ago, when my mom and I came for a visit, we decided to have our version of an English tea party with my daughter Renee, her partner Deb and my twin granddaughters.  We used the girls’ plastic tea set. 

 

 

                                    

 

 

They took turns serving us iced tea and little fancy cakes.  In preparation for the tea I had taught them how to make flowers from tissues for our hats and for decorations on the table.  During the tea, the adults began speaking in a crisp English accent. 

 

 

 

(I still crack up thinking about my mom, who has a strong German accent, trying to speak like an English lady). 

                               

 

 

                                           

Kennedy actually tried using an accent.

 

 Daphne, who had been very quietly taking it all in, finally said, “You people are crazy.”  She was five years old at the time. 

 

 

But, despite all the “craziness” the girls had a great time and the first thing they asked when Mom and I flew in for a visit the next year was when are we going to have our party and what is the theme going to be?

So last year we had a Hawaiian Luau. 

 

 

 

I helped the girls make leis.  We took apart flowers that we had purchased in the Dollar Tree, and painstakingly threaded them on string.  

 

 

 

I researched our titles in Hawaiian (Grandmother, mother, etc.) and made place cards.  We tried Hula dancing to Hawaiian music (I’m glad no one took pictures of that) and the menu included pineapple chucks, olives, and other assorted finger foods along with a virgin pina colada served in tall cups with straws and umbrellas. 

 

 

The party was a big hit.

This year we opted to do a Western Hoedown complete with cowgirl hats and bandanas. 

 

 

 

While Deb was preparing the food (potato skins, pigs in a blanket, BBQ weenies, corn muffins and cheese muffins),

 

 

 

I placed a disposable plastic covering on the table and had the girls decorate it with western theme drawings. 

 

 

 

The menu also included an assortment of miniature pies.   Renee made our “cactus” punch (crushed ice, lime sherbet and ginger ale).

 

 

 

 Our parties are "girls only" so Grandpa Monte and Pop pop were the official photographers.  

 

We took time out before eating to do a little dancing. 

 

DaphneKennedy

 

Even though the "boys" were not invited, I had to get at least one dance with my Sweetheart!

 

 

 Kennedy & Mommy

 

 

 

 

 

                       Nana & Daphne

 

 

 

 

 

As we sat at the table munching, we took turns telling fabricated stories in a western accent using the words “partner” and “ma’am” in just about every sentence. 

 

 

 

This year, with a little coaxing, Daphne tried speaking with an accent and she was hilarious. 

 

 

 

 

  

When we took off our hats, Renee discovered the dye from her hat had stained her forehead. 

                                     

 Nothing she tried using to scrub it off worked.

 

After the party, while Grandpa Monte took the girls outside so they could ride their bikes, the Skip-Bo championships continued.  We decided we might as well do some facials while we were playing cards.

 

 

 

We ended the evening by watching a couple of my slideshows (September and October, disc 1).  I have been making photo shows of our travels.  We take so many pictures so to make it manageable I have been breaking it down into monthly segments.  Some months we did so many things that I ended up spreading the pictures out over two discs. 

It had been an awesome day and I hope it will be a treasured memory for my granddaughters.  Maybe one day, far in the future, they will look back on our little parties and smile fondly thinking about their crazy Mema and Nana.

    

                         

                                                               Mema 

                                                &

                                              Nana