Mother's Day tea with Grace

Grace's class invited all the Mommas for tea today.

 Faith and I arrived a little early so we played on the floor while they finished Show and Tell.

 Then the kids got their handmade flowers ready for their Mommas.

 Here is my flower.  Isn't it beautiful?

 And what is a tea party without a hat?  Don't you just love my hat?  Grace made it just for me.

 We had muffins, grapes, orange slices, and cheese. 

And lemonade instead of tea.

 After Faith ate a bit, she wanted to play on the floor some more while Grace and enjoyed our food.

 Then we went outside to play.

 Grace showed Faith the playhouse.

 And I climbed inside to play with my girlies.  Soon we had a few more visitors.

 Quite a few, actually.

In fact, at one time I counted 13 children inside that playhouse with me and Faith.  We had a lot of fun playing restaurant and seeing who could bark most like a dog.  Don't ask.

 Then Grace showed me how to ride a hand bike.

Isn't that the neatest thing ever?  I want one!

And much too soon it was time for Faith and me to leave.  As Grace went to the fence to play with her friends, I noticed that she was heading towards the boys.  All the girls were playing "house."  I took a moment to talk to her teacher and she laughed as she told me that Grace rough houses with the boys just about every day.  In fact, she hardly ever plays with any of the girls.  If she wasn't wearing a dress you'd think she was one of the boys.  She runs and jumps and climbs on things.  She plays in the dirt and rolls around in the mulch.  Just like all the other boys.  She gets that from me I think.  When I was a kid, I was the same way... 

And if this picture is any indication, Grace apparently has a bit of her Aunt Hope in her, too.  I still remember Hope's first day of kindergarten.  Hope got into a fight with an older boy on the playground (and was probably the instigator of it).  Not only was she fighting with him, she was sitting on him pounding away at him until her teacher finally pulled her off... 

For the record, it was obvious that Grace was playing too rough with her friend so I pulled her away and made her apologize.   I most certainly do not condone bullying whatsoever.  Nor do I allow overt rough play where she or another child could get hurt.

And after Grace apologized and gave her friend a hug, they were best buddies again.