~ American Girls ~

Hurricane Sandy (and My Captain’s subsequent deployment) , the presidential Election, the terrorist attack in Libya….all of these negative, joy-sucking events have been overshadowing our past few weeks.  It’s been difficult to find the sunshine lately.

But an old tradition pulled us out of the gloom yesterday.

Every year Grandma Jane takes Varmint to the American Girl Doll Tea and Fashion Show in Bethesda.  It’s a tea that raises funds for a charity supporting blindness prevention.  And it’s a room packed with girly-girl estrogen, I assure you.

This year, Grandma let Varmint invite a friend, and Varmint chose a new friend who recently moved to the area.  Varmint was over-the-moon excited to share both her tradition and her Grandma with her new friend!

Now, understand, this kind of outing requires preparation.  There is no “Let’s hop in the car and go to tea!” mentality in an American Girl Doll Tea.  No Siree!  We began a full week in advance buying material at Joan Fabrics to make a skirt for Varmint, with enough material to make one for her doll, of course.  And then we had a mother/daughter shopping/luncheon trip where we bought both girls shoes and sweaters.  THAT was lovely!  I’ve never done something so girly in my entire life.

And then the big day came and there was much hair brushing and outfit fixing and doll prepping.

You have NO idea how much work drinking tea can be.

When Grandma Jane came to pick up the young LADIES, this is what she beheld:

Remind me again what was wrong with the world?  I seem to have forgotten…..