A "Proper Little Lady" is a wonderful children's picture book, written by Nette Hilton and illustrated by Cathy Wilcox,way back in 1990. The story has been credited with changing stereotypes, particularly concerning girls and how they play.
Annabella Jones decides, one morning, that today she will be a proper little lady and decides to wear her very best pale blue dress, her shiny, black shoes and a long gold chain.
"She turned this way and that.
Swish, swish, swish went the pale blue dress.
Tap, tap, tap went the shiny black shoes.
Chink, chink, chink went the long gold chain.
'There now', said Annabella.
My, smiled Mrs Jones as she pushed a toppling daisy back into place. ‘Don’t you look a proper little lady.’
‘Thank you,’ said Annabella in her most polite voice.
‘I certainly do.'"
Dressed in her very best, Annabella then joins in playing with her friends - rescuing cats, riding a billy cart, climbing trees and playing football, all whilst dressed in all her finery. By the time she arrives home...her dress is torn and floppy, her shoes are scuffed and the gold chain has broken...
Instead of receiving a scolding, which we are all expecting, instead her mother gently advises “It might be easier to be a proper little lady if you wear your jeans and your T-shirt and your sneakers next time.”
At our glorious granddaughter Imogen's sixth birthday party last Saturday, I was amusingly reminded of "A Proper Little Lady".
Just like Annabella, Immy was wearing a beautiful frock, resplendent with a particularly impressive bow. Nineteen of her friends joined her for a (mostly) joyous afternoon of play, food, cupcakes and pass-the-parcel.
Hinckley Park in Hocking was a marvellous location for the celebration of Immy turning six. Sculptures of sheep (?!) and grazing cows (?!) along with the more familiar kangaroos dotted the space. There was a single large undercover area next to one of the playgrounds which Callum, with our help, commandeered at about 2pm. There was a series of 'roadways', complete with signage and a 'Servo', which all the adults assumed would be very popular with the party attendees, who were all invited to bring along their scooters and bikes.
After a brief circuit of the 'roadways', all the children moved to the playgrounds, one of which was almost completely out of view from the covered seating area! Hence began a regime of attending parents watching their own offspring, along with others and I spent quite some time on 'Violet duty'. Violet, Immy's sister is a very pretty little two and a half year old with blonde hair and was wearing a pink dress that had been passed down through the ranks of her auntie and sister. She is also very determined and exceedingly fast on her push along bike. The hem of her dress came down early in the proceedings and she was also obsessed with 'sharing' Immy's camping chair, loudly declaring to all and sundry that it was her turn...Along with proudly showing off HER party dress as well.
As the afternoon progressed, shoes came off, outfits were covered in sand and sweat and carefully coiffed hair became a tad dishevelled. Sight of the afternoon was Immy commando crawling under a net off the ground, with her Velcro attached bow coming adrift in the process.
Needless to say, there were a few tears and the odd tantrum as the party proceeded. But, I haven't laughed so hard or had quite that amount of exercise chasing Violet over the course of about ninety minutes. Being Nanny Kate is full of these fabulous occasions that allow me to enjoy our grandies without any angst.
And being thrilled that neither Immy nor Violet are entirely 'Proper Little Ladies'!
Being the parents of the birthday girl was not entirely stress free!
Uncle Alex and Grandpa Michael at the party...
The 'roadways' at Hinckley Park...were mostly ignored!
