PIRATE PARTY

I started imagining this party some time in January. It was sort of a celebration of finally having a house that I could have people over in, using Joachim as my inspiration. That's my acknowledgment that his Birthday party was for me as much as for Joachim.
I think if I'd been really in tune with him, I'd have planned a dinosaur party, but I didn't realize that until I was too caught up in the pirate theme. I think he had fun anyway, but next year I might have to put aside my visions of a tee pee and little headdresses for a volcano and claws.
I was lucky to have a gorgeous day and the boys spent a lot of time outside playing on the "ship". I hadn't anticipated the possibility of nice weather, but the week of the party we had a break in the freezing temperatures so Joachim and I "built" this ship.

We used the pallets from when the fencing was delivered and some of the sections of fence left by the previous owners. It was one of the things we did together that actually worked out really well because he got to do a lot of drilling and hammering.

Two nights before the party I started to panic at the prospect of having 7 pre-schoolers in our little house. I worried Joachim might be overwhelmed or the boys might not get along or nobody would want to wear the accessories I made.

As it turned out there was a born leader who came in costume. He headed up all the expeditions, made it really cool to dress up and to my knowledge there was only one attempt at mutiny which was was peacefully silenced by the captain.
Burying treasure boxes in our abundantly fine dirt.
Here they are decorating their treasure boxes with buttons, gems, and my many crafting things that I've been saving for way too long for I don't know what.