Tea With the Queen

While Maddie was sleeping this morning, Lily and Lucy asked me to read Tea for Ruby by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Their mommy is taking a break, and the grandmothers get to fill in for her. Their other grandmother Becky will be here tomorrow.

Let me say this before I continue: Kelle is doing the job of seven or eight adult workers. I arrived at her house at 7:15 AM, and for the next seven hours never sat down. Once more I discover that she must be referee (or policeperson, depending on the argument and what follows), laundress, entertainer, caterer, nurse/doctor, custodian, manager, artist/decorator, bookkeeper--and all these positions may be needed at the same time. Lily is learning to use the potty (and doing very well), Maddie investigates every corner of the house as she crawls through, rabbit-speed, and Lucy oversees it all, giving ample commentary as to who is doing their job or not, including me. I am in awe of their mother. I'm here for one day and know for certain that Kelle does more than double what I'm doing; I won't have to grocery shop, or put the baskets of laundry away, schedule and keep doctor appointments, or shop for clothes. I don't even have to give them a bath! I'll go home this evening when Dan comes home from work. When Kelle returns, she'll pick it all up and do it day after day after day.

I can hear someone say, "Well, you did it too." I'm not sure I did. There were four to care for, but when the fourth arrived the first was 12. 1, 3 and 4 year old kids make life different from 1, 8, 9 and 12 year olds. Like a tornado that blows in and out as opposed to a sustained, stiff breeze over 22 years. In some ways that breeze is still blowing.

So while Maddie slept, Lucy, Lily and I sat on the couch in their great kitchen and began to read about a very imaginative little girl who gets an invitation to come to the queen's house for tea. Ruby is so excited and begins broadcasting the good news to everyone she knows. And everyone notices something about Ruby to correct: "I hope when you visit the queen you won't shout," one says. Another, "I hope you won't talk with your mouth full." The list goes on: that she'll sit up straight, say please and thank you, be hospitable, dressed appropriately, and speak politely.

The day finally comes and she's dressed, brushed, polished, and reminded to use all her manners. She looks like a princess as she's packed into the car for her tea with the Queen.

When Lucy and Lily's mommy was little, we spent a good deal of time reading books. My favorite time of day was after lunch when we'd pull out as many books as I could stay awake to read. I think we may have read nearly every book in the children's section of the Dillsburg Public Library. Lucy and Lily have in their possession many of the books Kelle, Kara, Tim, Kyle and I read together, among them books by the Berenstains, Tomie DePaola, Maurice Sendak, and Dr. Seuss. Tea for Ruby is new to me. As I read it to Lucy and Lily, I absently wonder just is this queen she's been invited to have tea with. I often tell Lucy and Lily that their mommy is Queen-- that they must treat her well and do everything she tells them to with a low bow and a "Yes your highnessness*!" Lucy knows this well and happily agrees--at least in word. Lily once protested, "No! I Queen!"

Well, guess what? The queen in this story is Ruby's Grandmother. What a beautiful surprise! All this fuss to have tea with Grandma--the polishing, dressing, rehearsing--the work Ruby and her parents (who did much of the reminding, brushing, buying and polishing) do so that she will be at her very best for her grandmother!

As we read the last pages of the lovely storybook-- as we enjoyed the pictures of Ruby and Grandma sitting in the bright dining room, drinking tea and saying polite things to one another, I pulled those two little girls as close as I could and kissed the tops of their little heads. They and their tiny sleeping sister are little princesses, for sure. Lucy even was wearing her Cinderella dress for the occasion.

Oh, long live the Queen!!

*An allusion, of course, to Star Wars and a very sarcastic remark Han Solo (beloved of Kelle, even with the age difference) makes to Leah. Often repeated by members of my family.