Hostess with the Mostest
Lately, with dark evenings and chilly weather, we've had quite of few occasions of entertaining at home. It has gotten to the point where Elsie asks daily "who's coming tonight, Mommy?" In preparation to host, Elsie keeps herself quite busy. Last week, I came home to have her inform me: "Mommy, I already put the beers out for our friends." What she meant by this was that she had carefully arranged some airplane liquor bottles we had tucked away on individual coasters throughout the living room. In preparation for another event, I found them as part of her place settings in the dining room. Each morning, after going to bed hearing her parents up with friends laughing and clinking (what a lovely sound that must be for a child, I imagine!), she would awake a bit disappointed to find that we had not consumed our "beers." There, they were carefully arranged awaiting more company. I felt bad. It was such a good idea--precious mini-bottles, thoughtfully settled like Easter eggs about the house. Perhaps we should serve cocktails in such a way, artfully, suspensefully, and delightedly... I think we should!
The other night I hosted a reception for a job candidate and one of my colleague's children was over. He is five years older than Elsie, and she had him jumping through all sorts of hoops. At one point, I spied them ducking into the pantry and intervened. Elsie told me she was showing Willy the vacuum. I asked "why?" She told me he had asked to see "the vacuum." I turned to Willy quizzically, "the vacuum?" He shrugged as if resigned, "I asked to see the bathroom."
