We Went On Safari

Someone is turning six, and he decided he wanted a zoo/safari theme for his birthday party. As it turned out, it may be my favorite party ever! He invited six little friends over, and we decided to have most of the party outside. They only came in to eat:

Mandarin orange tigers:

Lion veggies:

We also had "snakes on a log," also knows as crescents around hot dogs, and kettle corn.

When the kids arrived, they found boxes with their names on them:

And their safari gear:

The best big sister ever was in charge of greeting guests, helping them put on their hats and binoculars, and starting the mask making:

Evan could hardly wait for his friends to arrive:

With everyone successfully attired and masked, it was time for the safari. I had made each child a box with a personal list of plastic animals to find in the yard, and they were off:

With the animals rounded up for the zoo, it was time for the pinata. Daddy decided the boys needed to actually whack it this year:

And everyone got a turn because it was a very stubborn pinata. Evan was less than impressed by this:

But Issa, the Beast Bower, finally got it down:

But it fell in one piece. So Evan took a few swings:

To no avail. So the Beast intervened and just ripped the thing in half to everyone's delight:

The kiddos all headed in to eat and have cake:

Oh the conversation:

This crew is so fun...and funny:

This smile:

He was one happy boy. After cake Evan opened gifts from friends who know him well: a nerf gun, Legos, and action figures. It was almost too much.

The party ended with everyone in our backyard playing and just being kids on a swing set. It was perfect.

I can hardly believe my baby is turning six, but I am awfully glad for these safari memories.