5th Annual Big Girls Tea Party

It’s that time of year again, time for a big girls tea party.

Each year BFF and I like to have an end of year party for the 5th grade girls in our church.  5th grade is such a tender and strange age.  Not quite as big as the girls in middle school but struggling to let go of the little girl in them.  It’s bitter sweet to watch their transition.  This tea party lets them do something mature and fancy at the same time it has a hint of the innocence they are reluctant to let go.  At least that’s my psychoanalysis of the whole situation.  Who knows what is really going through their pretty little heads.

Typically I like to do this outside but tornado season had another idea.  We didn’t have any strong storms that afternoon but we did have a lot of wind.  Wind and trying to act fancy do not mix.

The menu was pretty tasty if I say so myself.  Tea (obviously).  Strawberries, cherries and blueberries.  Pimento cheese sandwiches and cucumber-dill sandwiches.  Mango spritzers.  Chocolate-peanut butter parfaits (btw-these parfaits made Reeses peanut butter cups taste like prison food, they were that good).  Blueberry scones with lemon curd.  I’m not sure the English do it up this nice everyday but this was more of a Downton Abbey tea service.

I was really proud of all the girls for trying all that was offered them and drinking the tea.  Kids are so picky you never know if they are going to eat anything at all.  One year one girl declared that she didn’t eat fruit.  I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with that.

After tea we made a little craft.  Thanks to my new Cricut Pretty Pennants Cartridge we made banners in no time flat.

Here’s to another successful tea.  To tell the truth I almost didn’t do it this year.  I wasn’t sure if the girls would care or appreciate what we were doing for them.  Kids have so many distractions and activities that this seemed like one more thing they had to fit into a busy spring schedule.  A good friend of mine talked me back into it by reminding me that I would be surprised at how much kids can appreciate the things we do for them.  Especially if it doesn’t involve electronics or Facebook or texting, just showing them a little creative fun can make a big impact.  Who knew?