Tea for Two

Tea Time, originally uploaded by islandj.

Is there much that is more special than celebrating a little girl's birthday? I think not, unless it involves celebrating a big and little girl's birthday, and it involves tea and togetherness.

Siena and I have been celebrating her birthday with tea together since she was two. Our first tea party was in our dining room, and since then we've celebrated at a chocolatier, at home, and at my favorite "tea" house/cafe. This year marks our first foray into a genuine old fashioned Victorian style tea. I have long enjoyed going to proper tea with my girl friends, and have long been waiting for Siena to be old/mature enough to truly enjoy the experience. Full service tea takes time, and patience and a bit of grace, all of which my big six year old sweetie has now.

You might be reconciling some dates and realizing that her birthday was over two months ago... it took some doing to find a proper tea spot, and then to have all the schedules collide. The Tea House at Los Rios perfectly fit the bill for such a special occasion. We had to take the train to get there - something I love to do, and now Siena does as well! A train ride along the coast, watching the marine base, the surfers, the palm trees, followed by an elegant tea outside on the patio, and made only more special by the arrival of Nonna, who picked us up and drove us home... well, tea for two yielded two very happy birthday girls!