Pirate Party!

Tyler had been asking for a dragon party for months, and I'd been researching dragon cakes, dragon decorations, dragon activities...Then suddenly he switched things up and started asking for a pirate party. Since I hadn't actually purchased anything, that worked out well. Long ago, I'd taken my god-daughter, Amber, to a pirate party at her classmate's house, and had enjoyed it so much, I'd always wanted to throw a pirate party myself some day. Here was my opportunity! Sweet! I was able to take an afternoon to scout out Reid Park and map out a scavenger hunt.

I attempted to make a pirate ship cake. Emery was in the midst of her comps (comprehensive exams) so wasn't able to assist. I was left to my own devices. Scary. For some reason, this year I actually had a hard time with cakes falling apart. I don't recall having this problem in the past. I stubbornly refused to give up and buy a cake from a store. Finally, Tyson reminded me that in previous years, I lined the cake pans with parchment paper. Oops. I had to rush the cake decorating as a result.

Tyler's party took place on his actual birthday this year. So his first gift of the day was something he'd need for his party.

Tyler had already outgrown his pirate costume from Halloween. He was so excited to get this one, with so many accessories!

We arrived early to the picnic site. I was relieved that Shawn came early, with his superawesome dog. I'd never met this dog before, but immediately fell in love with him. A Great Dane. Somehow, Shawn and his dog eluded the camera.

Shawn helped Tyson prep the food while I decorated. At Tyler's previous three parties, we've found that whatever time we scheduled the party, most guests arrive at least 30 minutes late, closer to an hour late. Not this year! The first guest (besides Shawn) arrived 10 minutes early! Meanwhile, Tyler had fallen asleep on the drive to Reid Park, and was still crashed out in the car, with Grandma patiently waiting for him to awaken. Fortunately the guest's dad was able to take her to the playground to play until more kids arrived.

Sure enough, most of the guests this year arrived closer to the official start time. By 11:20, we started the scavenger hunt. I used to be a pool party coordinator, and also used to run the activities for Paula's kids parties. But those were in contained environments. I found getting the kids coordinated at the park to be much more challenging. I'd go to the playground to round up kids, but newly arriving kids would follow me, and start playing on the playground, while I was leading the other kids back to the party! I resisted the temptation to ask Tyler's teacher for help - it didn't seem fair to ask her to work on her day off. I summoned my old lifeguarding voice and rallied up as many kids as I could.

The first stop on the scavenger hunt was a tree, with a box full of pirate gear. The kids got to choose from pirate bandanas, necklaces, eye patches, hats, clothes, maps, and even a couple of swords. Tyler stuck with his homemade sword from Halloween. Good call, bud.

The second clue led us to the duck pond. By this point, Emery had arrived - an ally! Between the two of us, we managed to keep the kids on task, and prevented any falls/pushes into the pond.

Deciphering the next clue took some time, and led us to a drinking fountain.

After the water fountain, the kids learned they had to walk the plank, and Noah and Ruby discovered the final clue hidden under the bridge.

You can't see it, but the kids are collecting treasure from the treasure chest - candy pearls,  candy gold doubloons, non-edible gold doubloons, and jewelry.

Meanwhile, Tyson was rocking the grill scene, with Kevin and Tiffany keeping him company.

Tyson has the public park grilling scene down. He wore disposable rubber gloves, and persuaded me to buy heavy duty cleanup wipes, just this once, for food safety purposes. Much more reliable than hoping for soap and running water, let alone warm water, in the public restrooms!

Kevin loves pirates, too. It was especially touching to see Gigima conversing with Kevin and Tiffany while voluntarily wearing a pirate bandana.

I need to remember to take a picture of the cake early, in case it gets hot out. In this case, it got hot, early, and the cake didn't hold up to the heat. But the kids still said it was cool.

With all the excitement, it was difficult to get Tyler to focus on eating food. Gigima and Auntie Paula helped out.

Tyson and I were suprised how much food we served. So many kids, so many families! It was awesome. Finally everyone had been served and Tyler had refueled, so we were able to serve the cake. By that time, it was so windy, we decided to skip the candles.

I made twice as much cake as last year, and yet it was barely enough! I think this is the difference between attending a preschool versus a daycare. With daycare, people are dropping off and picking up kids without interacting with each other. At preschool, there's more sense of community, stability. It was fun to see how well all the kids got along.

Tyler continued to have difficulty focusing on food. This time, Grandpa and cousin Christopher helped him out.

I eventually realized the parents were standing around, looking like they were ready to leave, but were expecting something else to happen. Emery explained it to me - they were waiting for Tyler to open presents. I love how kids always help the birthday boy open presents! Leo and Auggie were so proud of their gift - real tools!

Happy birthday, Tyler! We love you!!! Thank you to everyone who made this such a special day!