Our Reptilian Celebration

We held Kamryn’s 5th birthday party yesterday. It had been planned for 6 weeks. We rented a bouncy house and had all the arrangements set. I figured it wouldn’t matter all that much how many kids we invited since all I had to do was supervise them bouncing to their hearts content. When she wanted to invite her entire kindergarten class and all her friends from the street I didn’t flinch. It’s summer – half the kids we invite can never make it anyways. We invited 25. 6 declined. That made 21 kids incl. Kamryn and her brother. It was sunny and hot all week. The only day they called for rain … you guessed it. And not just a little rain. “Rain heavy at times”; possibility of thunderstorms” Ya.

So 24 hours before the party I pannicked. I cancelled the bouncy house and then freaked that I had 21 kids under 6 and NOTHING for them to do. Oh I had a pin the tail on the donkey. Ya. So I called a local Reptile Zoo and asked if they could accommodate me on 24 hours notice; oh and their presenter had to be bilingual because the majority of the kids didn’t speak english. Lo and behold they could help – I am forever beholden to this company. The party guest all arrived amid a torrential downpour – there were puddles a foot deep in the street. We took all the furniture out of our family room and stored it in the garage to make extra room. The kids had a blast. There was a python crawling around my family room. Lol

Some pics of Kamryn who I must admit was one of the most fearless kids in the room (braver by far than her mother)

With her cake before the party



Pre-party once again. This wasn’t posed but looked like such an ideal shot I took it and wonders of wonders got a “not-goofy” smile that is so rare these days.



Holding a blue gecko thing named aptly Blue:



Holding a Scorpion (Sam, after asking to hold it screamed his little head off when doing the same):



Holding a Pink-toed Tarantula:




Like her necklace? I can't remember what it's called.



The Python and the kids:



Blowing out the candle. She has a crush on the goofy (very goofy) little boy standing immediately behind her. I don't think he knows girls exist. Then again I don't think Kamryn knows that she's a girl and there perhaps lies the attraction. She doesn't by the way realize this is a crush (thank god!). But she goes on and on and on about him constantly. It's quite cute. She was devestated at not being invited to his birthday party in January. The problem with having friends of the opposite sex at this age. Ah well.