Dinosaur Dig Birthday Party

Sunday was the big day: Oliver's long anticipated DINOSAUR DIG! To follow last year's outdoor party with crummy weather, we were naturally under a heat advisory, the humidity was through the roof and it was hot.hot.hot. But there was a strong breeze (kept us a bit cooler but did make it hard to keep things in place) and we had decided to hold the party in the shade of our front yard instead of our roomy but sunny backyard.

Oliver had a terrific time and I was happy to see that he was more centered and internally organized this year than last -- it allowed him to just be a kid and have a blast!

When everyone arrived they were offered their choice of a dinosaur mask to wear or just bring home. Oliver picked his out while we were setting things up. What a cute dino!

ROAR!

My two favorite guys!

For his cake, Oliver specifically asked for a homemade chocolate dinosaur cake. THANK YOU to my Mother-in-Law who watched Oliver so I could attempt to meet his request. Here is the result:

I used two 9x13 cakes for this, so we have two "hills" and a "valley". He was happy with the result, though I did slightly regret inviting a professional baker who creates the most amazing looking cakes (that I've not had the pleasure of tasting, but I am sure they are beyond delicious). This was made with lots of love, though!

Getting ready for "Happy Birthday"! Sadly the candles wouldn't light in the wind, but he loved being the center of attention.

Now, on to the party particulars. Given that it was a dinosaur party, I figured it wouldn't be complete without a dinosaur dig! The sandbox was full of little dinos for the kids to dig, brush and sift out.

This provided a lot of entertainment for the kiddos, and now Oliver has his own personal dinosaur dig in the backyard!

Oliver had also begged for a pinata, so we found a dinosaur one for his party. We didn't use a blindfold, just had the kids line up and take turns (two wacks for each turn). They had a blast and some kids really got into it!

Look at this effort!

We had a little dinosaur themed snack spread as well. The snacks included:

- Dinosaur Toes (Bugles)

- Dinosaur Bones (Pretzel Sticks)

- Dinosaur Eggs (large Peanut M&Ms)

- Herbivore Snack (Carrots and Tzatziki)

- Carnivore Snack (Beef Sticks)

As a thank you to our guests (and in addition to the dinosaur masks and pinata candy), we had sand pails and shovels for them to use on their own dinosaur dig at home. Inside they had homemade dinosaur crayons, dinosaur stickers and a little tub of play-dough. 

He had a mountain of gifts from his generous friends and family! Oliver was so eager to open his presents he could hardly wait for the rest of us to be ready. I was very impressed with how thankful he was for the gifts -- even after everyone went home. I hope this sense of appreciation lasts as he gets older.

Patiently waiting to start tearing into the presents!

I have to say, I was completely wiped out after we had everything cleaned up, but he was full of energy and excitement. I am so very happy he had a wonderful time!

As I reflect to how last year's celebration went, I am pleased to see how much he has grown and changed in the past year. When we celebrated his third birthday we of course cherished the time, the "finally" part of the celebration. But as parents we were completely overwhelmed; and Oliver was not able to calm himself enough to fully enjoy the party. This year he of course was wild and crazy -- that's part of who he is! -- but he wasn't as overwhelmed and out of control. He just had fun. And we were feeling more balanced, more willing to allow him to just run and to be (and more trusting of other adults to help keep an eye out for all of the kids). It was actually fun. Exhausting, but fun! 

We are now officially tied on birthday celebrations: we have celebrated two without him here and two with him here. I am so joyful for the opportunity to celebrate together. What an amazing kiddo.