For the past several days, the following conversation has taken place at our dinner table. Repeatedly.

“Annalyn, would you please say the blessing?”
“Yes, Mo – WAIT! I need to put my fork over HERE!”

And then there’s this variation:

“Here’s your napkin. Why was it on the floor?”
“I don’t – MOMMY! You have to fold it like the picture shows!”

Clearly she has taken our recent discussions about manners – specifically table manners – to heart. I wonder how long we have before she starts telling her father to get his elbows off the table?

Last Saturday we had a little get-together for Annalyn and a few of her girlfriends. The conversation for the eight days prior to that were all the same and not focused on manners whatsoever.

“How many days until the Barbie party, Mommy?”
“Five days, baby.”
“YAY! BARBIE PARTY!”

I’m not quite sure why she was so stinking excited. I suspect it had a lot more to do with having friends come to her house, the big box of secret goodies I told her she couldn’t open yet, and the promise of sparkly pink tiaras than it did the actual subject of Barbie: Princess Charm School, a new movie, line of dolls and all the fun stuff that comes with that.

It doesn’t matter, though. Because no matter what got her excited, last weekend’s Barbie Princess Charm School (BARBIE PARTY! BARBIE PARTY!) has re-introduced the topic of manners in our house, and that is a good thing.

The night before the big party, we decorated our non-girly house to be pretty, pretty princess pink – streamers, balloons and all. Then I made some pink lemonade and chocolate pudding and way too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We got the fancy new Barbies out, passed around sparkly tiaras and plastic bracelets, and we were ready to go.

I shared with the girls just a few tips for using their manners at the table, and then they practiced setting the table with the [pretty, pretty pink] table setting placemats from Barbie. And then – as soon as they could politely gobble their lunch – they were off to play with their new dolls!

They loved learning about manners, but I have to admit they loved the new toys most of all. I think they’re really going to love the new video coming out, Barbie: Princess Charm School. The movie is a bit old for my almost-four-year-old, but soon enough, I know I’ll be reinforcing her good manners once again – and probably with a little help from Barbie.

And maybe a pink tiara for good measure.

This post will be linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

One2One Network provided the supplies for our party, but – as always – opinions are my own.

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