When it was decided a few weeks ago that Dash’s party would be pirate themed, Brett suggested we look into one of our local beach pavilions to host it. I drove up to check out the facilities for rent last weekend and called Brett, ecstatic.

“Oh my God, it might as well be called Pirate Beach. It basically looks like a pirate movie scene. Like we don’t even need to bury a treasure because there’s probably a real one already buried there.”

So a pirate party was born, and this weekend we gathered some mateys and celebrated Dash’s six years with sword fighting, plank walking and a treasure hunt led by my dad who went all in on the pirate theme.

Okay, we all did.

We used the beach facilities (Delnor Wiggins State Park) to grill burgers and dogs, and brought chips and cupcakes to keep the food simple which always works out best for kid parties.

And then we dug into our Halloween bins for some skeletons and didn’t need much more decoration because the entire scene already looked like a beach overtaken by pirates.

My dad used painted foam core, a large plank of wood and a roll of blue cellophane to set up a “Walk-the-Plank in shark-infested waters” activity that quickly became a favorite. Dash was so nervous to walk it without someone holding his hand at first but was running across it alone and having sword fights in the middle of the plank by the end of the party.

I found some unfinished wood treasure boxes at Michael’s for the kids to paint. They added jewel stickers and filled them with plastic gold coins (Hobby Lobby).

The pirates battled in a cannonball toss on the beach (black water balloons). We  made a big deal of making sure everyone was super careful to pick up any balloon pieces if they broke, but then they never broke because they were made of some freaky thick latex.

The kids searched for the bones of Blackbeard on the beach and dug them up when they found them…

…and used a treasure map to find three buried treasures along the beach boardwalks.

When I visited the beach last week to check it out, I drew a rough map of the trails with landmarks, noting where I’d bury the treasures. I transferred it on a big sheet of butcher paper (I burned the edges and some holes in it first), embellished it with some pictures and then crumpled it up to make it look old.

The treasure boxes were filled with little trinkets for the kids–light-up bouncy balls and pirate bracelets and rings (these were so cute–and stretchy so they fit adult fingers too!).

Dash’s one major request for his party was a pinata. He has been talking about a pinata for weeks, and he was ALL BUSINESS when he was up to bat. Back up, kids.

I actually had a broomstick-looking bat packed in the car before the party, and right before I left, Safety Dad saw it and said, “WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Is that for the pinata? BIRTHDAY RULE #1: PLASTIC BAT. Good thing I caught that.” Nothing gets by Safety Dad.

We also generated pirate names for every guest, and wrote them on little sheets of paper. This pirate name generator site is fun and includes descriptions of pirate identity: Oscar “Shiny Buckles” Jewell, “The Plague Bringer of Parrot Sands!” Oscar be consorting too much with the locals on the mainland!

So the verdict is: Pirate beach parties are the best. Dash is the kid who talks about his upcoming party ten times a day three weeks in advance, so it was so much fun to see him so delighted that it was all coming to fruition.

When the party was officially over, a few of his friends stayed to hang out with us on the beach, and the boys took off exploring with swords and skeleton remains. One friend was so dedicated to the pirate theme, he kept a hook on his hand for a good hour. Dash was in heaven.

We love birthdays around here, and celebrating Dash this weekend reminded us again of the unique way each of our kids fits our family. We love you, Dash and can’t imagine life without your joy and humor!

A few party sources if a pirate party is in the works:

Pirate flag
Pirate signs (these were so great to hang all around the beach trails)
Pirate hats (or just use red bandanas–$0.99 at Hobby Lobby)
Pirate jewelry favors
Chocolate Gold bars (we had one of these for each little pirate to put in their treasure box to take home)
Dash’s Pirate Shirt
Unfinished Wood Treasure Boxes (or a smaller version here)
Swords & Eyepatch Set 

In a total Rip Van Winkle moment, I woke up yesterday to the stunning realization that nine years have passed while I’ve been sleeping. I mean, maybe hustling through the never ending work of raising a family instead of sleeping, but it numbs your awareness of time much like sleeping, until you wake up at the exact moment a crowd of friends is huddled around your child singing “Happy Birthday Dear Nella….”, and this grown child is smiling, blowing out a candle; and the number “9” catches your attention, and…”Wait—what?!”

Nine years, folks. The first day of her life felt like an entire year of painfully holding my breath; and then the following nine years rushed by, sweeping me away in delight that has felt like one steady satisfying exhale. Tomorrow is her actual birthday which means tonight I will travel back into the abyss of computer folders and journal entries–the portal to that room, that day, those moments. And the moral to the never ending story is…celebration and gratitude for the incredible ways our children surprise us, delight us and teach us with another year.

Yesterday we celebrated with friends with a Mad Science themed birthday party. We’ve checked off so many themes within our family now, finding ways to incorporate our children’s most beloved things (Barbies! Spaghetti! Wands!). Now, I just throw out a bunch of ideas and see what hooks them. Nella loved the idea of making slime and doing experiments, so a Mad Science party it was. The bonus was that I had some party things stashed away from our Halloween parties that I knew would double for Mad Science decor. And since so many things qualify as science (bugs! rocks! chemistry! crystals!), it made it easy to decorate.

The hanging molecules are ball pit balls with dowel rods poked into them (poked a little hole first with the end of scissors–didn’t need glue though, they held on their own) and hung with fishing line (thanks, Pinterest).

Large Test tubes: Amazon. Plastic bugs: Amazon. 

The Dissect-a-Frog kits were just chocolate frogs made with green candy melts and this frog mold (I added sugar eye balls) served in a grill drip pan with a plastic knife, ruler and frog anatomy diagram I printed from the Internet.

The “Bacteria Jello” is lime jello set in petri dishes with some cake sprinkles added just before serving (should have sprinkled less–the dye taste was a little strong with so many).

The Periodic Table is a sheet of wrapping paper from Paper Source.

Erlenmeyer Flask Cookie Cutter and my favorite cookie recipe

And rock candy made the perfect “rock crystals” favor.

This party was such a fun one to host because my inner teacher had the chance to reemerge for all the experiments.

We watched balloons blow up on their own from the carbon dioxide created in the chemical reaction of mixing baking soda (spooned in to a balloon) with vinegar (at the bottom of the water bottle).

The kids each took turns breaking open their own geodes to find crystals inside (we used this set).

We tested the density of different liquids by layering them in test tubes (we used honey, colored corn syrup, dish detergent, oil and colored water).

My dad attempted to make a hard boiled egg pass through the opening of a glass bottle with a lit match inside, but it wouldn’t work. He tried to fudge the results by shoving the egg in with his hand, but the egg broke apart into a mess of shredded eggs, and the kids were all laughing and yelling, “It’s a fail!” Science is tricky.

By far, the favorite “experiment” was creating slime, the phase that seems to never die. We are going on nearly three years, and they’re still completely enthralled.

Lainey led this session because she has, like, 600 hours of YouTube D.I.Y.s under her belt.

She swears by the simple ingredient list of Elmer’s glue, Tide detergent (just a little at a time added), optional shaving cream (to make it fluffy) and a few drops of food coloring.

A little pepper sprinkled on a plate of water with a toothpick dipped in dish soap created another impressive experiment for the kids (see it done here).

But all the oohs and ahhs came from the magical flying wish paper. Each of Nella’s friends was asked to write down a wish for Nella, and they all took turns watching their wish be magically transformed when I rolled up the paper and lit it on fire.

I told them the wish would come true if it lifted into the sky. And one by one, each wish lifted and floated away.

A little drop of dry ice adds the science to any party.

Nella didn’t know if she was supposed to blow the candle out or the fog.

As for Nella’s participation in her party this year and her interaction with friends, it was a really good year for that. Special needs can present challenges when it comes to socialization which sometimes makes things like birthday parties tricky. We’ve invited friends over before and have been disappointed when Nella runs off to her room and wants nothing to do with anyone, and we’ve had to figure out what works best over the years. But we haven’t given up, and I feel like we’ve discovered–at least for now–what works well in keeping everyone connected and happy at parties (perhaps I should dedicate a post to socializing and friendships with special needs?). One thing that helps a lot is hiring a baby sitter Nella really loves to help out at parties. That way, if Nella needs a break from people, her babysitter can orchestrate a small group game  in Nella’s bedroom. She didn’t need any breaks this year though, and our babysitter was so helpful at keeping the kids connected. I also have to give a lot of credit to Nella’s friends and their families. They know Nella so well–they coax her into things she’s hesitant to do, they love and embrace her precious quirks, and they continually astound me with their compassion and ability to speak Nella’s own special language. Their parents do a good job of teaching their children how to be good friends and it shows.

And on this ninth year, that is what I am most grateful for. I could hardly imagine in my cloud of fear, holding that baby nine years ago, that this is what life would look like–this huddle of love that has followed her all these years.

Our little scientist continues to bring so much joy.

…and we can’t wait to celebrate her real birthday all over again tomorrow.

We celebrated Dash’s fifth birthday this past weekend with a Home Depot Handyman party that might go down in the history of Hampton kid parties as one of my top five favorites, but that’s a tough call. It’s just that little boys in hard hats and tool aprons slay me.

Also, my dad and Gary played a huge part in making this party memorable as they designed a building activity for the kids where they got to use tools to create a playhouse together. The sight of my dad teaching the kids how to hammer nails and letting them work the power saw will forever keep this party extra special in my memory.

We did a breakfast party again which I’m loving because it’s easy to plan the food, the moms huddle over brunch treats in my kitchen (which I love–it’s like two parties in one), and we still have the entire day when the party is over. Plus, the kids are happy and well rested in the morning, so there’s way less chance of a party meltdown.

We served egg cups (basically my egg casserole mix poured into cupcake tins), fresh fruit cups and donuts (cupcakes later), and I set up a bagel station where guests could toast and prepare their own bagel concoctions. I’ll totally repeat this menu for breakfast parties to come because it’s easy, and everyone finds something they like.

Dash wanted “tool cupcakes,” so I found these tool candy molds as well as a nuts and bolts one and used colored candy melts to make chocolate cupcake toppers. We found the chocolate rocks at Hobby Lobby (I’ll add a list of all the party goods with links and sources at the end of this post). I’m so happy with how they turned out.

Tool Sticker Activity Book

The Dollar Tree had the best selection of handyman supplies, so each of our party guests got a toolbox filled with safety goggles and a tape measure.

And Home Depot had the little tool aprons for only $.97 a piece. We slipped in two screwdrivers–a flat head and a Phillips, for all their handyman needs.

Free party decor = raid the garage.

Dash began counting down for this party two weeks ago, announcing the amount of days left until his party first thing every morning after he woke up.

My favorite part was watching the handymen go off to work…

My dad and Gary had everything planned perfectly. The first station was a hammer lesson. They set up a 2 x 4 with rows of roofing nails already started, so the kids got to take their turn with the hammer, seeing how many “bang-bangs” it took to drive the nail all the way in.

On the other end of the board were pre-drilled holes and screws ready to be tightened. The boys used their screwdrivers to secure the screws.

Next up was measuring. Using their tape measures and pencils, they took turns marking off assigned measurements…

…then carried the boards over to the saw station to be cut for the playhouse beams.

Once the beams were cut, the kids worked together to add the walls (pre-measured and cut by my dad before the party) and secure them all in place with screws, taking turns with the power drill.

You could certainly use weather-proof wood to build a real playhouse, but since we just wanted a fun party activity, we went with the cheapest building supplies–external siding. It will be repurposed for some signs my dad needs, so it’s not a total waste.

My face hurt from smiling when it was all built. Cutest thing ever, and the kids were so happy and in their element, proud to be given the opportunity to do some good hard work with grown-up tools.

Then there was the crew too little to get their contractor’s licenses, so they stayed in the house and played.

Nella could have assisted building, but there was a baby in sight, so…game over.

Dash was thrilled with all of it and so ridiculously happy to have his friends celebrate his day with him. I told Brett later, “This is the year. This is the one where his birthday means more to him than it probably ever will again.”

Also…no injuries! No flying hammers! Now if I could just put these little handymen to work on my bathroom that needs help. Here, let’s see how you work a sledgehammer. 

Loving so much where we are at five years old…his little voice and daily inquiries and creative mind that does not stop. So thankful for this boy and everything he is.

Party Sources:

Tool Candy Mold: Amazon
Nuts and Bolts Candy Mold: Amazon
Chocolate Rocks: Hobby Lobby
Tool Sticker Albums: Amazon
Toolboxes and Tools: Dollar Tree
Plastic Hard Hats: Amazon
Orange Construction Vests (set of 3): Amazon
Tool Aprons: Home Depot
Dash’s Overalls: Target (no longer available, but these Dickies ones are and are handyman worthy)