Queen Mary Tea Room

Queen Mary

Today my Mom, Sophia & I had the most lovely morning at the Queen Mary Tea Room restaurant. Granted it wasn't as exquisite as having afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC, but we thought it was fancy enough. What was the occasion? The recent birth of prince George Alexander Louis to Kate Middleton & prince William of England on July 22nd. I've been following Kate's pregnancy since it was announced & couldn't help but feel happy for the couple.

Ever since watching The Tudors (Showtime), Wuthering Heights (PBS), Call the Midwife (PBS) & the widely popular Downton Abbey series, my Mom & I fell in love with everything British. We dream about a trip to England someday to visit the Highclere Castle where the Downton Abbey was filmed, however, having a royal tea was as close as we could get to England today.

Some of the artful tea-themed decorations inside

We decided to have a girls' morning out, so my husband stayed at home with our 2 boys. Not that boys can't visit & enjoy tea rooms too, but we decided to test the waters with Sophia only this time. Thanks to a reservation in advance, we were seated next to a beautifully decorated window.

The sorbet trio

Whipped butter, cream & marmalade

Sophia even received a miniature tea cup

Our afternoon tea started with Queen Mum's shortbread & fruit sorbet. Then the tower of treats came which included scones, crumpets, tea cakes, cookies, quiche, tiny tea sandwiches, crostini & fresh fruit. We also got whipped butter & cream as well as jam & marmalade on the side. Of course, it wouldn't be a tea experience without a big pot of delicious freshly brewed tea. Even though we saw the Russian Caravan black tea, we settled on Irish Breakfast & Golden Monkey.

The rows of teddy bears on bottom of the windows

My Mom, Sophia & I

Besides enjoying the food, I really enjoyed the restaurant's ambiance. From the beautifully framed photos of the royalty on the walls, miniature teddy bears, English ivy, fine china in flower pattern & silverwear to real dove Princess who could be heard cooing right at the restaurant's entrance & the plush miniature toy replicas of the Queen's dogs, no attention was spared to detail.

The tower of treats

Sophia admiring the decorations

Sophia received her own tower of treats as well as Queen Mary coloring page & crayons. The word search included such words as angel, cookie, cotton candy, crown, dove, England, princess, royal & tea. Sophia also had a chance to learn about Queen Mary's history through answering the following questions: What is the name of the dove at the Emporium? What year did the Queen Mary Tea Room open? & What is the Queen's favorite color?

The teacup clock

Victorian-style pictures on the walls

Sophia & her kitty

The gift items outside

We did see a few women wearing formal hats while at the restaurant & loved the idea. We immediately decided that we must dine at the Queen Mary again while wearing one of those. :-) Perhaps for my Mom's birthday & Valentine's Day? I drank so much tea, I had heart palpitations for a couple of hours. I would recommend to drink weak & decaf tea. As fun as it was, the food was mostly made up of refined carbohydrates so I would also advise to eat some protein prior to your tea experience.

My little princess

Anniversary

Today my husband & I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. How time flies! I can't say our marriage has always been easy. Coming from disadvantaged backgrounds (my parents divorced when I was young & my husband's Dad passed away when he was around the same age, so both of us were raised by single Moms), I am proud of our journey so far. Plus, 3 little ones in less than 6 years are a lot to tackle. We were just kidding that this year we were going to break the pattern. We had a baby in 2007, 2009 & 2011, but not in 2013. We are happy my Dad was able to share this special day with us. I found this poem by Wilferd Peterson to be so inspiring.

The Art of a Good Marriage

by Wilferd A. Peterson

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.

A good marriage must be created.

In marriage the little things are the big things.

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;

the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,

it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

References:

The Art of a Good Marriage by Lusa Organics

Peonies

Early summer is one of my favorite times of the year since peonies are in bloom. Plenty of rain & fertilizer ensured the biggest & most gorgeous peonies in my garden this June. They were so heavy, I had to cut a few to prevent the stems from breaking. I couldn't let pretty flowers go to waste. Thankfully, Sophia was kind enough to pose for me while holding the peonies.

Jacob happened to be in his "needy" stage during the past few weeks, so the photo session almost didn't happen because he was screaming the whole time wanting to be held. It is impossible to reason with a toddler, especially the one who is teething. Jacob's first set of bottom first molars came in about 3 weeks ago, followed by the upper first molars 2 weeks later, followed by canines (cuspid) this week. Why did they have to come in all at once?

Whenever Jacob is awake, he wants to be held by me. He doesn't want Daddy or Russian grandpa. He is not interested in playing with toys or watching cartoons. He doesn't want to try new interesting foods or play outside. He is pretty much next to me the whole time I am at home. I often have to get things done while holding him on my left hip. The only "quiet" time I get nowadays is when I go to the restroom (while Jacob is screaming behind the closed door). It is exhausting & time-consuming. I feel like I can't get anything done.

This is the only way I can get some "down time" to make dinner

So grateful for my Ergo baby carrier

Sophia & Gerritt have been so patient. I am grateful they have each other during this transition period.

"Mommy, can you print coloring pages?"
"....., help me find my lost toy?"
"....., read a book to me?"
"....., help me finish a puzzle?"
"....., take me to the store?", etc.

Unfortunately, the most frequent answer is no. I spend so much time keeping Jacob happy, I have almost nothing left for his siblings. I am probably suffering from young baby amnesia because I don't remember Gerritt & Sophia being this "difficult." The hardest part is coming home from a busy shift at work & not having even a minute to myself. My 2nd shift begins. My Dad tries to help as much as he can & often takes Jacob for a stroller walk outside. Even with 3 adults (my Dad, my husband & I), Jacob still manages to get into trouble. Today, for example, he scratched himself by climbing into a rose bush & dropped a floor lamp onto himself (thankfully, it fell on his arm & not his head).

Jacob feeling better & running toward me to eagerly share a flower

Flowers from Jacob (I am lucky to receive them every couple of days)

The good news is that it has been a week since Jacob started to sleep better. No more whimpering or crying or tossing every hour or two. It is just sound sleep from 9 or 10 pm until 4-5 am. After a few sips of milk early in the morning (sometimes I can hear his tummy growling), Jacob sleeps until 7:30 or 8 am. He often wakes me up by dropping a hand on my face, just to make sure I am there. Then he opens his eyes & gives me the biggest smile. If I don't acknowledge him (I often try to pretend I am still sleeping), he falls on top of me. Our morning "dance" is special & magical. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Gerritt's Pre-K Graduation

Getting ready to perform

Today was a bittersweet day. It was Gerritt's last pre-kindergarten day. It seems that only yesterday he went to his first class. I drove him to the pre-K class at the Community Center near our house & then picked him up 3 days a week for almost a year. I rearranged my work schedule to make it possible. Only a few short hours to me (3.5 hours per day), but it was a whole new world to Gerritt. He learned about letters & numbers, insects & animals, coral reef & the jungle. He made art, learned how to sing, planted seeds & grew a butterfly. He learned about his body & how to make presentations. Gerritt also made many new friends.
With my Dad visiting from Russia, I was focused on getting the kids fed, pottied & dressed (I spent most of the morning chasing Jacob). Gerritt's pre-K graduation was at 12:15 pm, so we left on time to find parking & buy flowers for both of Gerritt's teachers. Luckily, my husband had today off, so I put him in charge of Jacob (Gerritt's concert happened to be near Jacob's nap time). I was in charge of video camera & photos.

Gerritt - the silver fish

Gerritt's face lit up seeing all of us walking into the room. First, the children presented a play for us. Gerritt was the main character - the silver fish. The silver fish was mean to other fish so no one wanted to play with him. When he took some of his sparkling fish scales off & shared them with other fish, he found friends again. The singing followed. The celebration ended with children singing Louis Armstrong's What a Beautiful World.

Singing What a Beautiful World

Cookie time

They were holding beautiful posters they painted to reflect some of the song's most memorable lines. Gerritt held a poster of a rainbow & he proudly lifted it up when he sang, "The colors of the rainbow...So pretty.. in the sky." After concert, the program's director Mrs. Vicky presented each child with pre-K graduation certificate as well as the graduation teddy bear. The celebration ended with everyone having cookies, cupcakes & juice. Gerritt was a wonderful host asking Sophia & I whether we wanted some juice or water. He also made sure Sophia had the chocolate cupcake she wanted.

Gerritt with his preschool teachers - Mrs. Vicky & Mrs. Barbara

I took Gerritt's photo with both of his teachers, since it would be a while before they see each other again. Of course, the teachers encouraged parents to bring the children for a visit. I was so busy getting everyone to Gerritt's graduation on time, making video of the concert & taking photos, I didn't have much time to be sad. The finality of the moment hit me only when the kids went to bed in the evening. It was the first quiet I had all day & I finally had the chance of think about & look back at Gerritt's past year. I wish there was a way to slow down time. The first 3 years of Gerritt's life were so busy, I wished he grew faster more times than I could count. And now my not-so-little "baby" will be turning 6 this fall as well as starting a kindergarten. Although Gerritt doesn't need me as much as he used to when he was younger we remain very close. And even though he has to share my attention with Sophia & Jacob, I have never regretted giving him siblings. I am so proud of the young man Gerritt is becoming & feel so lucky to be his Mom.

The last words of advice from Mrs. Barbara

Russian grandpa enjoying the celebration

Gerritt & family