The tea party was a rousing (and rowdy) success. Benjamen insisted on using their flatware from the little wooden kitchen and he and Jonathan put out placemats, saucers, cups, and spoons. It was adorable seeing them so excited and eager to help. Despite my holding back on reading the Mad Tea Party chapter from Alice, they, especially Benjamen, decided that this wasn't to be a formal affair. I should have known by the neon place settings.

So while I breathed airily, "What lovely weather we're having!" Benjamen dived face first into his scone, spraying crumbs like a wood chipper. He didn't appreciate the black currants, of course, and those were tossed aside with not a little disdain. Jonathan was more into the spirit of formality, but couldn't resist encouraging Benjamen with barely-restrained giggles and belly laughs.

I finished first, quite on purpose, and began reading from Alice. They loved it and Benjamen brought it back to me for several more readings.

Today we've finger painted while Nicholas napped, they've been raiding the Ranger Rick collection that I scored on Ebay, we've read this one several times, they've all played with story blocks, we've done Yoga, Jonathan's done the Double Talking Helix Blues several times, Jonathan and Benjamen helped me empty the dishwasher, we did this week's Krampf's science experiment (to which J replied that he already knew that the right side of the brain controlled the left side of the body and vice versa; he read it in a book "quite a long time ago," Hmph.), Jonathan sweeped the kitchen floor, we listened to our daily dose of Blueberries for Sal, and now Jonathan's listening to Just So Stories while doing Ranger Rick mazes and reading RR articles, Benjamen's playing with the Waldorf doll I made him for his last birthday, and Nicholas is having a post-nap snack.

I keep having urges to plant something, but it's not the right time of year. My rhythm's off or something. Maybe we'll decorate some planting pots instead.