Pirate Party

Ok, yes my baby turned six recently!!! 

 I can't believe how time flies.  

Well, at our house you get your first friends birthday party when your four, 

(Because before that you really don't care!)  

(Then you get a party every other year.) 

So this was Branden's party year and he decided on a Pirate themed party.  

So we set to work.  

First up was the invitations.  

We worked up a pirate looking page and wrote, 

"Shiver me timbers and blow me down

 Branden be celebrating his 6th Birthday on (date).  

Your presence is requested at (address).  

Come dressed as a pirate or you'll have to walk the plank."

  Then Branden helped me burn the edges. 

 He was so excited to help work with the candle 

even if it was with such close supervision he could smell my breath.

Next we rolled them up and tied each one with some thin rope.

 I think they turned out great, 

but more important, 

Branden loved them!!

He was determined to dress up like a pirate to deliver them.  

I convinced him just a pirate hat would do.  

He would run up to the door and say, 

"Arghh, here's your invitation!"  

Yes, he came up with that all on his own!!!

Next was the cake.  

A Treasure Chest Cake!! 

 I found lots of versions on line, 

but here's what I ended up doing. 

 For the bottom of the treasure chest 

I baked two 8"x9" cakes and layered them together 

and frosted them with chocolate frosting.

For the top I baked round cakes in what I thought was the right size

 but turned out too big.

(Hey I was making up as I went along)

  So, I ended up cutting them down with a half circle template I made.

I then lined them up on a tinfoil covered piece of cardboard.

Then I frosted the top with chocolate frosting.

I used fruit roll-ups as leather straps on the chest.  

Then I added some ramp like pieces of cake to the back of the cake to help support the lid.  

Then I piled on the edible treasure.

(I like to make everything possible on my cakes be edible.)

Next I gently added the lid.  

This is a heavy cake.  

It really squished the bottom layer. 

Next Branded requested a skull and cross bones.  

So I drew up a simple outline and drew it on the cake with a toothpick.

(Don't laugh at my crude drawing I was drawing in frosting.)

Then I filled it in with white frosting with a star tip.

I added the fruit roll-up straps to the top and a few more frosting details, 

and tada!!

The sand is just brown sugar. 

 It was a fun cake, 

but once again it made Branden happy and that's what it is all about.

All the guests dressed up as pirates, 

ten 4-6 year old pirates to cute!!!  

We played some games but their favorite had to be the treasure hunt.  

Each clue sent them some place new to search for a new clue.  

Until the last clue sent them to the back yard 

where we had literally buried a small wooded treasure chest in the sand that covers the play area. 

Just as they approached the treasure to start digging 

Captain Jack Sparrow 

(a.k.a. Austin my oldest son)

 jumped out to defend his treasure.  

Some of the boys used their toy swords to fight off Jack 

while the other boys wildly dug out the treasure chest. 

 They so totally loved it.

(Austin wouldn't let me put eyeliner on him, 

which would have made him look all the better!)

While eating cake and ice cream, 

the boys one at a time were called over to chat with Jack and get their picture taken with him. 

 (Those conversations were too funny)

Jack also awarded each guest with a pirate necklace.

Here's Dad and Em hanging out at the party.

All and all a fun time was had by all the pirates!!! 

 Happy Birthday Branden!!