A delightful little ritual that A and I have begun lately is taking afternoon tea together. We get our little tray together complete with our tea cups, tea pots and a snack. She has “angel tea” which is milk darkened by a tiny dollop of tea from my pot. I sit on the couch, she on her beloved bunny stool which is a perfect height for our coffee table. We pour together, add a little milk and a grain of sugar and settle into enjoy. Her whole face sparkles with joy as she carefully sips from her cup and tells me all about her day. No matter that I have been present for most of it, it is the telling from her perspective that I enjoy. At an age that I am loving but finding rather difficult right now, I love this time together. It is so easy for me to get caught up in doing that I forget about just being with my girls.  I know that the tea party is only part of the radiating joy, the rest comes from knowing that Mama has fully entered in to her little world.
(It is also really handy when Daddy is around the corner to take a picture:)