BYOO

A week and a half ago, my mini-me made invitations to a tea party she was going to host in her bedroom. She consulted a calendar and printed neatly on construction paper the details of her party before delivering one to me and one to her brother.

At the top of the invitation she printed in marker BYOO. I knew she couldn’t possibly be asking for us to bring our own liquor. I’ve never printed this on any party invitation, so I immediately thought now what was she learning in school. After I questioned her, it turned out she was asking us to bring our own outfit. She began planning her outfit days in advance, and even tried on several to see what fit her best. She added that she didn’t want us coming naked for sure. I’m not sure where she gets this stuff.

Leading up the party, she verified every detail, making cookie and milk requests and reminding Andrew and I that we needed to be ready for her party. She dressed all of the dolls that would be in attendance and counted all the teacups and saucers. She retrieved the fancy teapot from the china cabinet and made cards as gifts.

When tea party time arrived, she had everyone sit in their places before requesting that I serve the milk and Andrew serve the cookies. I must add that though Andrew attended willingly, it came after several incidents. One of those incidents involved his punching his sister in the nose and being punished and only allowed out of his room to attend the tea party, which of course was also the only way he’d receive cookies and milk. He was a good sport though. He even at one point pulled out the largest cookie from the bowl and put it on his sister’s plate saying she could have it.

She began her party by singing happy birthday to her new Build-A-Bear named Princess. She received a gift certificate for Christmas and we journeyed to Build-A-Bear Saturday for her to pick out her new stuffed animal to add to the already plentiful stash in her room.

The lady showed her everything that she could do. The lady began by showing her the bears along the wall, indicating that they began at ten dollars and ran to thirty dollars. Cara immediately went toward the cheaper end and said, “It looks like ten dollars is the cheapest.” She knew she had a $25 gift card and she wanted the whole package: bear, outfit, and accessories. Somewhere in there when she realized that she wouldn’t have enough money, I told her that I would cover the few extra dollars. Somehow that translated to my doubling the gift card.

My lesson was that she’s cheap when it is her money, but not when it’s mine.

So the tea party ended up being a birthday party for the new addition to the million dolls and animals she has accumulated. She closed her party by dancing and cleaning up all of her mess, and then exclaimed that it was the best tea party ever.

She grows so fast. It shows in her creations, her thoughts, and her speaking. Every time I look at her, it is as if she’s grown more in size as well as maturity. The little person with the big personality amazes me. When she returns to me after only a few days, it’s as if she’s learned a million things in my absence.  I know this will not end, but I do wish it would slow down. For now she wants me at her tea parties, but I’m sure soon I will blink and all of this will end.  She will want me to stay out of her room, and I can forget about being invited to her parties.

So though I have a million things to do, and I don’t even like cookies, I will attend every party she hosts, enjoying each one because I don’t know when she will grow out of them.  At least next time I don’t have to ask what BYOO means.