...and then she was 3...

It doesn't seem possible...How can she be turning 3...already...

This is a sentiment shared by all parents, grandparents, friends, and family members as they anticipate approaching birthdays.

It was just the other day...we were all at the hospital waiting to greet this little princess.

I had made scones and prepared a lovely picnic basket. It held pretty pink forks, pink toile napkins, a thermos of hot tea, jam and freshly whipped creme for the vanilla scones.
I wore my pink coat and painted my nails a complimentary shade...

We would celebrate the birth of a princess...our very own princess...

December 8, 2010...she made her entrance.
Sophia Abigail Ray...perfect in every way.

Last December...at her 2nd birthday....

We had no idea she would soon be coming to live with us.

This darling little doll would shake up our world on January 29, 2013..

Blessing us...

Challenging us...

Snatching us up out of our simple routine...

Making us better human beings...

All that, from one little girl.

And yesterday...she was 3...How did that happen...where did the time go....
It marches on...

Saturday...
What do I gift her with? What does she need that she doesn't have?
What does she want that she doesn't  need...something frivolous...and tiny...that will fit her 3 year old little hands....
That's it! Something she doesn't need but would love.

I pull out the Make-a-Lilly wooden doll pieces I had recently ordered from Natalie Jo at Piccalilli Patchwork, and began painting, sewing, stitching french knots, ...

A  Phia Dolly.. She was our little Phia Doll... so here's one for her...

With tiny french knots and lazy daisy petals and flower...

..and a pretty little lace lining to peek from under the re-purposed fabric dress (made from a very loved set of pajamas gifted me, from our Tia ...grandson Xavier's mommy)...

I added the tiny heart...as I always loved those old raggedy ann dolls with the red heart on their chest...as this little dolly was from my heart...

It is finished..

I hand her the Phia dolly....she draws her up to her lips...and gently kisses the round little face.

I melt.

Sunday...
We prepare for the party, the celebration of an eventful year. I choose her Laura Ashley dress, in the palest pink, because it compliments her peaches and cream complexion and bright blue eyes. The soft pink angora sweater, ivory tights, and pink ballet slippers complete the ensemble.
She resembles a creme puff...
and we are on our way... with Phia Dolly in one hand and Old Bear in the other...blankie to the side...

A big Happy Birthday Phia smile...

We arrive at Nana and Gran's (Husband Tim's parents) and there is her daddy. She adores him and he adores her.  They work on which fingers to hold up...

"I'm 3"

Auntie Tia has arrived bearing gifts...a birthday crown,  fit for a princess...and a big pink basket filled with treasures.  

Oh, it is just so hard to wait...must take a peek...

and  wearing a crown can get awfully tiring...must take a break...

Auntie Tia scoops her up and loves on her....   Phia and Tia...

Do you see now why Sophia loves hats?  I mean...really really loves hats...of all kinds....?
Her Auntie Tia loves them...
and Tia's momma, Nancy (Sophia's grandmother, who resides in heaven) loved them....
Sophia will know these things.  One day.

Make a wish, our darling Phia doll...

I tuck her into bed. We lie there in silence as she sips on her milk...and then she whispers,
"Atsa bess ... birfday... efver."
And I melt...again.

She enters her deep sleep, and a little giggle slips out, as she dreams.
I am a puddle...

I slip out of her bedroom and quietly close the door.
Husband greets me in the hall...me with tears in my eyes..
"Did you hang that there?"
I answer "Phia asked for tape earlier and said something about hanging her poster..."
Hmmmm....we ponder...she has grown up just a bit more, today...

This morning....

It is gray outside ....

Phia is enjoying her birthday presents ....

...so I build a fire, as it is chilly in the high-ceilinged living room..

And I make my way to the kitchen to prepare our breakfast...

...adding a bit of butter...

...and dishing out a portion for Phia...

I re-enter the living room, and with the Roger Williams Christmas CD playing and the fire crackling,
I find Sophia in repose ...and all is well..

She later enters the room with a basket of Goldilocks story blocks...and it occurs to me...I gifted my Matthew with these, on HIS very special birthday.... It doesn't seem possible...wasn't he just 3?..

.....and I know...time marches on...

******************

I have completed 2 more felt ornaments (thank you Alicia Paulson for your adorable ornament kits)...

...and continue work on #4.... the Gingerbread Girl...

And so go the days at Rose Water Cottage, as we prepare for the celebration of the most wonderful birthday of all...a Prince ....our very own Prince ...of Peace.

May you feel the warmth and magic and joy of this Christmas season....

Blessings friends...

********

Eliza Visits Martha's Vineyard has now been scanned and will travel to the printers on January 15, 2014...My parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary...a perfect day, indeed.

God is so very good.

Welcome to Christmas at Rose Water Cottage

I cannot believe all that has taken place since my last post.
Where do I even begin?

Okay...so let's see....

I finished the bookmarks for sister-in-law, and her ladies' retreat was a huge success...

My book, Eliza Visits Martha's Vineyard, is off to the publisher, Vineyard Stories, on Martha's Vineyard (we should have a wonderful little hardcover book by next Spring)..

We celebrated Halloween by trick or treating with a little ballerina...

...who has a passion for playing the piano...in a hat...

My son Matthew married his Jenny under the Hunter's moon...

in October...
and words cannot describe what an incredibly beautiful event this was...

and my dear husband saw to it that I acquire the most exquisite confection for the occasion...
(a 1900's edwardian 3 piece ensemble of silk, with hand-embroidered detailing....words fail me...)

We were fortunate to have a long-time friend of our family drive our newlyweds off into the moonlit night. We love you, dear Beverly!

....and then Matthew turned 30 in November. Where did the time go?

Mom and Dad arrived home safely from Africa, after a 4 month stay, just in time for his 82nd birthday.

We adopted the sweetest little kitty girl (my birthday present) and named her Lucy Maud (of course, because we LOVE Anne of Green Gables with a passion!)

Here are a few sweet photos...(Susan's Girl Kitty is her hero:)

She has mastered every adorable pose ...We LOVE her...

This was the ride home, snuggled in my arms, after adopting her from our local Animal Shelter...

It didn't take any time at all for her to know this is HOME.
It was so wonderful to have Susan Branch and some very supportive SB girlfriends (Karen, Patricia, Debs, Rosinda, Laura, Belinda, Jane, Cathy, Georgie, Erin, and even a new GF, Jane Hissey ...author/illustrator of the Old Bear books, which Sophia ADORES) along for the journey.
I wore my "Girlfriends" bracelets with SB and Martha's Vineyard charms...

We tweeted, wildly, back and forth, until we were home with our sweetheart, safe and sound...and even into the next few days...checking in on her progress and how she and little Scout were getting on...

And here they are today...continuing to "warm up" to each other, just a bit more each day...

Whew!  Now that you're all caught up...

...fetch your cup of hot tea, hot cider, or hot coffee (assuming it is chilly/cold/raining/snowing where you live:)...

....come up the flagstone path...

Welcome...
to Christmas at Rose Water Cottage....

It's beginning to look like Christmas.  With fresh pine and cedar garland hanging along the gingerbread trim, I feel as if we live in our very own storybook cottage, nestled somewhere in a storybook wood...

Speaking of storybook cottages...and storybook woods...I read a blog post at Natalie Jo's "Piccalilli Days."  She had visited the real Grandmother's House in New Hampshire, the house that served as the illustrator's inspiration of the 1948 edition of Little Red Riding Hood. In a photo she had taken in the cottage, there was the sweetest shelf holding a display of storybooks. (I imagine they were all versions and editions of the famous story.)

I showed husband the photo, he searched the internet, and it wasn't long until we had our very own, 100 year old storybook shelf for our storybook cottage...

It serves as a perfectly perfect spot for those wonderful old books and some sweet little characters...and a Merry message, by way of old alphabet blocks.

Here is our Little Red, a 1940's Nancy Ann doll, her storybook wood (unpainted trees found at Hobby Lobby, painted by yours truly) alongside the sweet old book.  Eliza has loaned her sweet picnic basket she received as a housewarming gift from cousin city mouse...

Sophia, so intrigued by the story, dressed as Little Red Riding hood (using the Tasha Tudor scarf that had recently arrived by post) and acted out the entire story, over and over and over...
Oh, my dear, what big blue eyes you have!

This book, entitled Prayer for a Child (the same author/illustrator as Little Red Riding Hood), is filled with images of Wendt and Kuhn figurines. I loved this page "Bless the lamplight, bless the fire"...

...as it reminded me of how thankful I am for the blessing of a warm fire and candlelight....

I fell in love with those little figurines...  their faces are so sweet.

Also, on Natalie Jo's blog, she mentioned Woodettes... the cutest set of toys from the 1940's...hard to find... I mean..INCREDIBLY hard to find! So when I found this set on ebay, I snagged it...

...but they were in rough shape.  Someone had their share of fun, though, painting away with the watercolors provided in the set. This is Alice in Wonderland (before the makeover:)

and this is Mary with her Little Lamb (who had apparently lost his head somewhere through the years)...

So I had my work cut out for me...but I was so excited to have a few more characters for my shelf.

And because I love the sweet faces of the Wendt and Kuhn figurines, I decided to apply the same sweet features to these two little girls. This was the result ....

I found a tea set for Alice and a little lamb for Mary. Everyone is happy.

(Thank you sweet kindred, Patty, for the teeny tiny silver candlesticks and the hand made teeny tiny beeswax candles)

Next, came Little Jack Horner...who was also quite a mess...but with a bit of paint and a lot of love, he has turned out to be such a darling boy, sitting on his tiny red stool with his yummy Christmas pie (and a big purple plum on his thumb) ....

I had so much fun painting Mary's straw hat...(I suppose you might have noticed I chose not to paint the characters as shown on the box...we sure love our Peter Rabbit colors;)

Side note....Sophia has watched the painting of these characters and has been so curious. It has been a wonderful way to teach the nursery rhymes and songs, while she falls in love with each "story come to life"... She inspects the plum and the pie and their shoes and their faces... it is all so precious!

She loves our new shelf, with all her friends, and all her favorite books...

She loves that Little Bo Peep has found her sheep...

She reaches up to the book stand to gently touch this tiny bit of forget-me-not sweetness...

The British Garden Flowers book was acquired through Natalie Jo's Etsy shop. This illustration is my most favorite....with that wisp of a blossom to the right of the roses.  The little girl reminds me of Phia, always toting a baby doll.

So, here, in our storybook cottage, nestled in an imaginary storybook wood, I hang fresh pine and cedar garland and inhale the fragrance...

and set a table with pink lustreware atop a turkey red tablecloth as Tasha Tudor, did.

The mantel...which is new to our home but formerly resided in a 1920's home in the area...has a length of crocheted lace woven throughout the garland and twinkle lights, mingling with pink lustreware teacups and a gold open-weave ribbon ... and through the antiqued mirror, you see a glimpse of the storybook shelf...

The bird's nest amongst the garland and lights, sits above Take Joy, on the old piano.  The beeswax candles, crackling as they drip, light the room as they lit Tasha's cottage, with such a soft glow....

They're lit atop the table, as well...

...alongside my most favorite Christmastide storybook, Tasha Tudor's Snow Before Christmas.

Now, Bella with Rose Stockings (handmade by Christine LaFever) would argue that The Doll's Christmas is my favorite...as it has been quite the inspiration for the doll's house extreme makeover and festivities...(more on that subject, at a later date)...

I have been the busy little elf in Santa's workshop, these days, so I am unable to show many of the projects in progress...but this is one I am happy to share...

This evening I completed a precious little felt ornament for our precious little Phia...I couldn't get over how much it looked like her...and my hope is that she'll remember this Christmas, always, as the celebration of the year she found that this is HER Home ... and Tim and I are HER Family ...and that THIS is where Love lives....

...where visions of sugar plums can dance in her head...

****************

When I look through the lace curtains of the front window,  I see a lovely log home....

...and when I look out through the screen door, with its gingerbread trim....I see pine and cedar draped around my little porch...

...and I think...
.. this is the next best thing to a storybook cottage in a storybook wood,
 and I am one happy, thankful, loved Grammy.

Blessings, friends....
...Rabbit Rabbit,  SB girlfriends...
..and may you all have a warm and peaceful Christmastide season.

Giddy-Up Little Garden

It is a sunshine-filled, windy beginning to our day....and it feels like Christmas Morning, every morning...wanting to run to the garden to see what package has been opened.
After a large bowlful of my favorite cereal, (known far and wide, as "Grammy's Cereal") and fresh goat's milk from dear friends, I am ready to face the day.

Dew still fresh on the grass, I pull up my wellies, place my hat over my loosely braided hair, and take along the camera...

These days will pass quickly as we proceed to the approaching move.
Thank you for joining me as I document these rich, fragrant days of Spring, at Grammy's House.

I suppose at some point last year, I planted a few petunias...I had forgotten...but they had remembered. They were the softest peachy pink hue...and I can see their little petals yawning, waiting to open soon...

The girls in the hydrangea bed must have had quite a pep talk last night from the Annabelle and the Blushing Bride...for they have picked up their pace and more pretty petals have burst forth..

Xavier declares these to be "the pink ones that my mommy likes!" They will be a vibrant shade!


Make haste little Annabelles...

...they seem to be squinting, in the bright morning sun.
These are some of the sweetest in the garden...it could very well be, that I favor them because of their beautiful name...or because the dearest little children's book, 'A is for Annabelle' by Tasha Tudor, is one of my favorites.

(I recently found this lovely little copy published in 1954...it is perfectly perfect for little hands, as the cover bends easily, and no bothersome dust jacket to negotiate)

(Sweet grandaughter, Baby Sophia, keeps one of her softest of soft pink blankies at Grammy's ...it provides such a feminine little backdrop for this dolly book)

Annabelle's dress, and its soft shade of green, reminds me of the Annabelle Hydrangea's pale green petals.

They are such fragile little girls, requiring daily watering as the heat of the summer wears on them. When I asked my masterful gardener brother what was the best fertilizer for my gardens, he replied, "The water from your sweat, and the shade from your shadow." In other words, be present amongst your growing things...they love to feel your fingers pass over their leaves and hearing your voice praising them for the beauty they produce. Such sage advice...of course, no pun intended...


The Brides continue to Blush, as they open and reveal the palest shade of pink..

Oh!My!Goodness! (or 'ohmagooness' as Xavier translates Grammy's most frequent exclaim) Can you believe this??

I have not one single frock in my closet this shade...but as I step into my garden, I find my wellies  coordinate beautifully with the lovely Spring 'bonnet' of this little miss!

The grapes are swaying in their arbor, begging for their 'keeper' to come and direct a chorus of praise amongst their growing clusters...

The protective prickles are long gone...they are managing quite well, thus far.

Breezes blow...pea-sized fruit is a tiny blur.

This morning in the garden...my heart swells, knowing that God, who created us to tend to His Garden...must be so very pleased. It is His praise and love I feel as His hand brushes over me...causing a desire to please Him as I continue to grow in the shade of His shadow...

Minnie Elizabeth Weatherington Aly...

I have had the most wonderful news...I am going to be a mother-in-law to the most precious young woman I could have ever imagined in all my dreams and wishes. My eldest, Matthew, has asked his Jenny to be his wife.  The ring he has given her as a promise, and as her  future wedding band, is the ring which belonged to my great great grandmother. I would like to share this post from last year, Mother's Day 2011, so that this sweet girl can know the history of this band of gold, given to dear Minnie on her wedding day in 1871.

"Keeper of the Stories" being my unofficial title in our family is a difficult task, but as I share them in this fashion, they are released, and no longer bump into each other in my mind, causing much relief. I want to remember all the special details, facts, who-begat-who, and on and on...
This is where we shall start.

A little car was purchased for Eliza and John Jacob  ...it reminded our friend Diane of a truck her grandparents had...and it reminded me of a photo I keep in my family treasures cabinet...and so the story must begin with Miss Minnie Elizabeth Weatherington.

She is pictured in the photo wearing her fancy fascinator (this is surely why I adore wearing hats). This was taken about the time of her marriage to John R. Aly in 1871. Her wedding band rests on the art stand and is inscribed "John R. Aly to M.E.W" in beautiful script. The tiny spectacles, toddler's shoe, and darning egg have been passed down to me, but no one is quite sure which article belonged to whom. The dashing young fellow in the picture would be the son she would have, Fred R. Aly, Sr.  Minnie would obtain the Testament & Psalms after 20 years of marriage.

Little Fred Aly, Sr. would one day have a granddaughter named Dorothy, and would carve this tiny little chair for her. If he had ever dreamed that his great granddaughter would still cherish this petite piece of furniture and photograph its escapades with tiny mice and dolls and squirrels...He would surely be proud.

This photo was taken of John and Minnie and their grandson, Fred R. Aly, Jr. with the automobile that reminded me of Eliza and John Jacob's new little car.

See the resemblence?

I am so honored to have this Bible, fragile as it is, knowing that my great great grandmother held it in her hands.

Upon opening, the front page bears a faded signature, date, and address....

A closer look reveals the complete date...

Feb. 14th 1891

Pasted on the back cover, I found a poem, "One of Us Two" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. How incredibly gripping are the words...

One of Us Two

The day will dawn, when one of us shall hearken

In vain to hear a voice that has grown dumb.

And morns will fade, moons pale, and shadows darken,

While sad eyes watch for feet that never come.

One of us two must, some time face existence,

Alone with memories that but sharpen pain.

And these sweet days shall shine back in the distance,

Like dreams of summer dawns, in nights of rain.

One of us two, with tortured heart half broken,

Shall read long -treasured letters through salt tears,

Shall kiss with anguished lips each cherished token,

That speaks of these love-crowned, delicious years.

One of us two shall and all light, all beauty,

All joy on earth, a tale forever done;

Shall know henceforth that life means only duty.

Oh God! Oh, God! have pity on that one

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I have never known who passed away first, and who was left behind....

This is how the lineage progressed:

Little Fred Aly, Jr. pictured in photo on the left...grew up to marry pretty Effie Belle Sams, pictured in photo on the right...and they would have a baby, Dorothy, being held by new mommy... Effie...and Dorothy would have Christie (Grammy)....  I find my smiling eyes in my Grandma's sweet face.

My great great grandmother Minnie, holding my mother Dorothy in the photo to the right. 

Thank you for joining me, as I strive to be a thoughtful caretaker and "Keeper of the Stories"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Miss Eliza has requested that Grammy knit 2 more lovely shawls to send to her new friend, Millie Mousekin, as a belated Mother's Day gift. Mama Mousekin has been quite busy these days helping her mistress Linnie (the Butt'ry and Book'ry) sew tiny stitches in her beautiful gown for the Ball they will be attending this week.  A working shawl and a tea party shawl (like Tasha Tudor used to wear, minus the fancy ribbons...little mice have trouble keeping their shawls on their little shoulders) are being sent her way...

...with warmest regards, blessings, and many mouse hugs!

Hoping all who are Mothers, had a most blessed day, and were honored for their love and commitment to their children.

                                                  

Scrandled Eggs for 'The Girls'

It had been a while since Xavier visited with Ava and Andrea M'lynn, and he decided they needed to come to the tea table for dinner.
He began the task of setting their places...dividing the silverware between the two...plates, teacups, and salt 'n pepper shakers followed.

 A hop, skip, and a jump up the stairs to the playroom, and back down again...juggling a mixing bowl with his "scrandled eggs" and two tiny toy cats, one for each. He explained carefully to the girls, "The cats are to wook at, not to pway wiv!"

Andrea M'lynn is raising her hand, asking permission to speak...this goes unnoticed as Xavier scoops little spoonfuls of sugar in their teacups...he believes they will not mind if he put in too much ...
Salt and Pepper sprinkle onto the plates, which hold visions of eggs..."scrandled" to perfection.

I believe our little grandson is learning more and more each day....and how glad it makes "The Girls" to have his most sincere intentions offered on a pretty afternoon in May!

Eliza and Grammy prepare Victorian Cookies for Royal Wedding Day

A Royal Wedding! What a lovely time to bake ...Eliza is ever so excited to learn! She and her mistress are anxious to try a recipe from their dear friend Laura at "Our Scented Cottage." Victorian lavender cookies with Rosewater Icing will be most special for celebration tomorrow as William and Kate exchange their vows.  (Mistress Grammy watched a royal wedding many, many years ago...a bittersweet recollection.)

Grammy and Eliza place their "receipts" (Tasha Tudor used this old fashioned term, meaning recipe) and folders on their new art stands, skillfully crafted by Seth Tudor, and collect the needed ingredients. Culinary Rosewater and Lavender have been special ordered.

Eliza is excited to begin a folder of her own! She is grateful that her Mistress Grammy has taken care to save a dormouse-sized chair, carved by her great grandpa, Fred Aly, Sr. for mistress' mother when she was a toddling little girl ... Now she can read how much lavender to scoop into the mixing bowl.

Sniff, sniff, sniff. Oh, so very ....intoxicating! No other word describes the fragrance wafting through
the kitchen.

Now, the cookie dough must be dropped by teaspoonfuls, for it is very, very gooey!

The waiting begins....John Jacob is very anxious to taste Eliza's first batch of cookies...

Finally, hot from the oven, the tiny cookies must cool completely before the rosewater icing may be drizzled....What delicious smells they smell!

Mistress Grammy has decided the scrumptious cookies will be more scrumptious if they take the shape of miniature teapots. What a splendid idea! (Eliza wishes there was a teeny tiny teapot cutter for her teeny tiny cookies)
Teapot cookies....3 in a row!

This is the little secret: Before the cookies have cooled completely, and while they are still on the cookie sheet...carefully cut them out with your favorite teapot cookie cutter..

When the cookies have cooled completely, and using a fork, drizzle the rosewater icing.. back and forth.. over the cookies...

Patty Patty and Tara Squirrel smell the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. When they peek and see Grammy in her prettiest pink apron, they are now certain it is cookie baking time! They run with their tiny little feet, and climb up to the top of the little black cookstove, to find the tiniest little iced cookies. 

With delightful congratulations to their new friend Eliza Dormouse, mannerly manners are remembered, and they decide to send the tiny cookie-filled cookie sheet to their City Mouse cousin and ask if Grammy will include some teapots for her mistress. (and because they are thoughtful little country cousins, they will dine together with Mistress Grammy, savoring her portion of the delectable treats with a teeny tiny cup of tea, as the Royal Wedding plays on the television) 

How exciting to prepare a package for family...it brings a warm feeling in their teeny tiny hearts. (Eliza insisted that being a City Mouse, her cousin needed a receipt and folder of her own, so one more is created.)

What an exciting time it is...Spring...lovely cookies....wonderful, lingering aromas....and a Royal Wedding!!

Wishing God's best for Prince William and his Princess Kate!

Those who visit Mistress Grammy's House always feel like a prince and princess!

Hippity Hoppity...Easter's on its way

Things are certainly "hopping" at Grammy's House...
Must prepare little "chicks" ornaments for Xavier's preschool class, Key Lime pie (made with fresh squeezed limes, goat cheese, and goat yogurt on a Mary's Crackers crust...mmmmm) for husband, and knitting projects for gifts, almost complete.

Here are a few of the special things I like to set out around the house for this time of year...

I love my little sheep pulling the cart of bunnies and eggs (a Bethany Lowe design, acquired on a visit to Savannah, GA).

Xavier has loved these little porcelain chicks since he was a baby...his Aunt Bonnie gifted us with a tiny Easter banner, bearing identical chicks, and he was so tickled how they matched.  The tiny little lustreware teacup is a new addition this year.

What a sweet surprise when you sip the last sip.
Checking in with "The Girls"... I see they are being on their best behavior and anxious for Easter Baskets..

Our excitement grew, as we heard news of hand-decorated Easter Eggs being made at the Rookery in Vermont...precisely the way Tasha Tudor created her lovely eggs, for Easters past. Upon their arrival, each presented in a sweet, be-ribboned box filled with protective straw, I was in awe of the tiny, meticulous details....dresden gold trims, velvet ribbon, hand cut victorian scrap papers of bunnies, flowers, birds, nests, and sheep. I am inspired to attempt this craft next Spring. Aren't they beautiful?
(They created a limited supply but you may check in to see if any are still available at tashatudorandfamily.com)

One last Daffodil bloom for this Spring....

I wish all of you a very Blessed Easter season....as we remember the precious sacrifice made by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

"Grammy, where are the girls?"

With the door barely having closed behind him, Xavier was making a bee-line for the tea table. Finding its fresh white tablecloth, teacups and extra dishes put away, and the absence of his Ava and Andrea, he looked at me quizzically and asked, "Grammy, where are the girls?" I directed him to the master bedroom, saying, "They're taking a rest in their bed. You can bring them in here." He ran straightaway to the room to find his dolly friends, propped serenely in their antiquated bassinet (circa early 1900's, found at an estate sale).

Emmaline, Lillamay, Andrea M'lynn, and Ava, having widely diverse backgrounds, are happy to have each other's company. If the 'baby girls' are absent from the crib, Ava and Andrea enjoy chatting together about tea parties and wonderful children that come to play at Grammy's house. If Andrea and Ava have been invited to a party in the other room, Lillamay comforts tiny Emmaline, as Lilla is referred to as "Big Baby" and fairly able to cradle "little baby girl."

Meanwhile, Xavier's mommy was becoming quite nervous as he re-entered the keeping room with both his girls bundled up in an awfully awkward position, leaving a trail of tiny leather shoes behind him. I said, "Mommy, look at me...don't look at him...(smiling, I continued)...he is okay...this is what they are there for...play." Trying to relieve her anxiety, I had to continue to reassure her as he placed the dolls in their assigned chairs and proceeded to the hutch to gather the teacups and bowls (spilling china dishes onto the table) and spoons and forks (dropping onto the hearth for sorting)...all the necessities.

Side note to reader: Many years ago, while working towards my degree in Early Childhood Education, I took a course on Play.  Yes, it was in the curriculum to learn how to inspire play, providing children with  "Guided Discovery" (a term which refers to allowing the child to try things on their own, seeking help as they realize they need it, and then gently guiding, with as little assistance as possible, towards a solution.)
You cannot imagine how difficult this was for me...as I tended to want to help, before the pupil knew they needed help. I am learning, slowly, to allow my grandson to play with abandon...without the restraints of Grammy's particular orderliness hovering over his imagination.

This was the result of Xavier's efforts to set his table and his girls in their seats...

To the unimaginative eye, it certainly looks a haphazard, willy-nilly display...but look closer...
Ava's placesetting...

She has a teacup of her own and the creamer to pour a cup of something hot.
This is what Ava sees, and she is most likely quite thankful for a pretty doily, placed so she can view its lovliness..

She has been given the book The Springs of Joy for her perusal over tea, and Andrea M'lynn is given
A Tale for Easter and a cup of her own.

Now, she may, of course, be feeling just a little cramped and uncomfortable, as her dress has not been neatly tucked under the table, but she is quite fond of the little boy who is waiting on their table. He seems so attentive to "his" details...the ones most necessary, assigned seats, a cup for each girl, and a nice book to read . He also receives great satisfaction knowing that his retired 'paci' remains in the basket, along with a baby sock that lost its partner when he was a baby.  Grammy and Big Daddy are sentimental like that.  As time was running out and play would have to cease, he asked one last request as he scooped up his Scouty-Scout (his name for our little yorkie who loves to lick his little fingers), "Grammy, take our picture!"

He and his mommy left for the afternoon, after kisses and hugs and waves.

As I returned to look over the objects of his play, this was the scene I found on the hearth.

Junior sized silverware...placed into ordered groups beside handkerchiefs used as napkins...didn't quite make it to the tea table, as play was stopped mid-stream.

  

Grammy has learned some great lessons along the way. Xavier is a patient teacher.