Clarke Family

We read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland this summer, as well as some background on Alice and the story. After finding out that Alice was ten when Charles Dodgson told her the story, and enjoying the coming of age themes in it, Eliza wanted to have her party be an Alice in Wonderland one.

Preparing for the party is always the best part: we make all the plans and purchases together. We made toadstool cupcakes, teapot tarts, ace of hearts peek-a-boo cookies, and we had fun finding unique Alice charms for the necklaces (teapots, bottles, keys, and Alice photo frames). We also made journals with Alice pics on them from England, but I don't think I let the mod podge dry enough and might have pulled some of it off the girls' books! We planned games like painting the roses, flamingo croquet, who stole the tart from the Queen of Hearts, guess the royal guest, and a clothespin drop.

Even though the preparation is usually the best part of party planning for me, last night's party was one of the more fun actual parties we've ever had. Maybe it was that the guests were so great. They were kind to each other, really got into the games, and could do the crafts--without help! When it was time for tea Sam and I sat back and listened to their pre-teen conversation about who had more step-grandparents, how the people at the school assembly last year had them act like they were human bagpipes, and even who looked the youngest ("Some people think I'm in first grade!"). Sam commented, "It's like they really are having tea together." They were in their own universe.

As much as I would love to mother a nine-year-old Eliza forever, it is exciting to see her reach into worlds beyond my own.