He and the girls delivered invitations to their guests inviting them to a tea party at half past four on Saturday the 17th, and asking them to dress up and wear a fancy hat. (Thanks to Shawn's Grandma Phoebe, we had plenty of extra hats for those who didn't have one.) First, they were invited into the sitting room where they discussed proper etiquette for young ladies at a tea party. There was quite a long list of rules, but they had fun discussing them. (Didn't realize the camera was on the wrong setting until after the fact, so the photos aren't great, but it's what we've got.)
As you can see, they all sat very nicely in a lady-like fashion while they listened.
You'll notice that Peter decided to join the group although he clearly wasn't dressed properly, nor was he wearing a fancy hat. We had hoped that Jonas would entertain him elsewhere for a bit, but once the party set-up began, Jonas couldn't get out of the house fast enough, saying something about too many girls. He escaped to a friend's house for the duration. So Pete got to be part of the tea party.
Everyone began with cups of hot chocolate and marshmallows. I'm not sure if toasting is a regular part of a proper tea, but it was part of this tea party. The big girls:
This table had so much fun. They were speaking in British accents the whole time and speaking so "properly," it was very entertaining to listen to them.
The medium girls gave it a good try, too. Everyone seemed to be happy and smiling the whole time. And they were so polite. We may have to pull out fancy table cloths and candles more often!
The host and hostess. (One of the girls had asked to trade hats with me at this point.) Who knew that throwing a tea party could be so exhausting?
After the food was all eaten, they returned to the "sitting room" and most of the girls played something on either the piano or harp. This is a very talented group of girls.
Eventually, the tea party morphed into a dance party which probably isn't the norm for the end of a formal tea, but it worked in this case.
The host and hostess survived the party. It is still to be seen whether this was a First Annual, or just a blip on the radar of Christmas memories.
As you can see, they all sat very nicely in a lady-like fashion while they listened.
I took a few shots of the group before they were escorted to their tables.
You'll notice that Peter decided to join the group although he clearly wasn't dressed properly, nor was he wearing a fancy hat. We had hoped that Jonas would entertain him elsewhere for a bit, but once the party set-up began, Jonas couldn't get out of the house fast enough, saying something about too many girls. He escaped to a friend's house for the duration. So Pete got to be part of the tea party.
Shawn then walked each group to their places. Duff and her friends, Avery and Ainsley:
Amelia and her friends, Hallee, Caroline, Katie and Ellie:
And finally, Samantha with Mary, Clara, Emma, Lila, Maren, Abby, and Tatum.
Everyone began with cups of hot chocolate and marshmallows. I'm not sure if toasting is a regular part of a proper tea, but it was part of this tea party. The big girls:
The medium girls:
And the little ladies in training:
Hot chocolate was followed by a large assortment of finger foods to choose from, all served by the host and hostess.
This table had so much fun. They were speaking in British accents the whole time and speaking so "properly," it was very entertaining to listen to them.
The medium girls gave it a good try, too. Everyone seemed to be happy and smiling the whole time. And they were so polite. We may have to pull out fancy table cloths and candles more often!
The host and hostess. (One of the girls had asked to trade hats with me at this point.) Who knew that throwing a tea party could be so exhausting?
After the food was all eaten, they returned to the "sitting room" and most of the girls played something on either the piano or harp. This is a very talented group of girls.
There was some time spent admiring hats and outfits.
And some time spent listening to others perform.
We took our girls to the London Market so they could each choose something to share with their guests. Amelia and Duffy each chose Happy Hippos which Amelia is munching on here.
(And still munching on here.)
Eventually, the tea party morphed into a dance party which probably isn't the norm for the end of a formal tea, but it worked in this case.
The host and hostess survived the party. It is still to be seen whether this was a First Annual, or just a blip on the radar of Christmas memories.
1 comment:
You guys could not get any cooler. What a fun idea! Just one more reason to move a little closer to you...I want to come to a Christmas tea! If only to see Shawn wear that hat again. Only real men do stuff like this for their daughters.
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