While we were away ....

While my husband and I were enjoying some celebrating with our friends on Saturday, and my brother and his wife were participating in the Great Urban Race, my parents kept watchful eye on our two darlings and my brother's two sweeties.

There is history between my children and my dad when it comes to tea parties.  Growing up my young ones enjoyed tea parties at the little green and yellow table with matching chairs my parents had purchased from Ikea. Set up in their family room, the kids would put together the tea with cookies they had previously made that day with my mom. Gathering attire from the dress up box, the kids would deck themselves out in formal wear and enjoy a good party.

My dad would be asked to join them.  My dad is a character and quick witted and one day decided to shake things up a bit and come as an ill-mannered guest. Complete with bad manners, my dad pulled off a giggle fest for the kids who "could not believe" who showed up to the tea party.  They. loved. it!!

So when the date was planned months ago that they would be spending the day prior to Father's Day with my parents, the kids created a plan to honor their Grandad.  They solicited my mom's help to create a Tea Party that would go array, but would leave out that detail for their Grandad to figure out.

Scheming all morning and assembling their outfits, while my dad worked in their trailer parked on their driveway (for their upcoming camping excursion), the kids could not wait to pull off this particular tea party. They first made cookies before getting ready.

Eventually, my dad was instructed to get ready for the tea party.  He dressed so nicely and they decorated his place at the table with fine linen, tea cup, and gorgeous chocolate covered strawberries.  The picture is a little fuzzy, my mom could not stop laughing all afternoon.

 But who should arrive at his formal tea but these four!!!

Oh yes, the kids got back Grandad in an all-out-sloppy-attire-and-bad-manners-to-go-with. The rest of the table was set inappropriately for a formal tea with Sesame Street napkins and a checkered table cloth. Apparently the six of them were laughing so hard at each other's improperness, compared to Grandad's polite nature, that it was the perfect plan carried forth.

My husband and I had no idea to what extent their day was going to take hold, until the pictures appeared on my email account. I am so grateful for the silliness and memories of the grandchildren with their grandparents. Keeping it simple, enjoying the little funnies in life, make for great memories.