Claire's Tutu Tea Party With Tutu Many Cookies.

Claire got a Disney princess kitchen for Christmas. We weren't sure if she'd even like it, but there was an awesome deal and we couldn't pass it up. So we got it for her, in hopes that she mights play with it in the coming months.

Christmas morning proved us wrong. She LOVED the kitchen! It makes a bunch of different kitchen sounds and came with a princess cookbook that Claire loves to flip through. The real prize, however, was found in the tea cups and Mrs. Potts tea pot. We got started right away teaching Claire all about "chinks" and practiced pouring tea. For weeks Claire has loved to bring us her tea cups to do chinks with us. I decided she was ready for a tea party trial run.

Claire put on her finest tutu and I set up her toy box as our table. The tea party was anything but dainty, girly, and polite. Claire started as a lovely host, pouring my tea and performing the chinks, but then the dishes started flying.

She also has this little tray that holds a couple plastic muffins and cookies. Those were displayed on the toy box table as well. Claire was even gracious enough to hand me one when I would ask. I'd pretend to eat it and place it back on the tray. Of course, I kept asking for more. She obliged for a few minutes, but then I made the mistake of asking for just one more cookie. It must be frustrating, accommodating a guest with such a large appetite. She took the tray full of goodies and threw it while telling me in loud terms how she felt. (It was HILARIOUS, really. I might have reacted the same way.)
She then decided the tea party was OVER and swept the dishes off of our table with her arms while running to pick up the fallen dishes and throw them again. It was everything I hoped for and expected in sharing our first tea party. Though we'll have to have a few more practice runs before we invite friend's over for a toddler tea party play day.

We've been practicing our manners recently. Claire has become quite the manners police when it comes to saying "excuse me". I'm not really sure how it got started, the gesture was probably something I was doing without realizing it. Whenever I'd burp, I'd look at her, cover my mouth, and say excuse me. Claire picked up on that. Whenever someone burps or "toots" Claire will stare at you with her hand over her mouth until you politely say "Excuse me" Friends and family, you have been warned! However, heaven forbid Claire make some bodily noise. She will proudly laugh and smile right at you. Hypocrisy will be our next lesson.