Wylie is 9

So I did not mean to be away so long, but the end of last week was a tad busy…

It was filled with things like rush custom banner orders, visits from old friends, decorating projects on a time table, 2 gigs for Nathan, church lunch and most importantly, Wylie’s 9th Birthday Party!

This year Wylie wanted to have an “Archeology” theme party and it was his year to have his party “out of the house.” With the boys birthdays so close together I have devised a system where I alternate which one has the party at our house and which one gets to have it somewhere else. This ensures that I don’t have to have my house party ready two weeks close together AND I don’t have to pay party fees somewhere else for 2 parties. So far, knock on wood, this little plan has worked well.

So for Wylie’s Archeology party we took him and his friends to the Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park about 20 minutes away.
The staff there was really great and helpful in putting together the perfect birthday experience for Wylie.

First the kids got to tour the small hands-on museum inside the visitors center

Then we got a tram ride tour of the mounds (some of which are American Indian burial grounds, others where for ceremonies or the Chiefs House.) The tram ride gave us the perfect amount of breeze and I was so grateful we didn’t have to walk the tour – much “cooler” this way in so many respects!

A cool stroll down the board walk by the lake where there tons of turtles waiting to be fed, and a great spot of a group picture, what a fun group of kids! Golden, each one of them!

Next it was Spear Throwing Practice.
My battery was dying and I hated I didn’t get better pictures of this, because it may have been the highlight of the day!

Followed by lots of cake

This year the sandcastle cake mold was re-interrupted as “ancient ruins” and both the cake and the “dirt mound” cupcakes and toy dinosaur bones hidden inside.

Finally party favors were handed out –

First everyone got to choose an Arrow Head or Bead Ring from the Gift Shop because my experience has always been that buying things in museum gift shops is always fun, and always a treat!
Next I had these little packs made up. They included a Wall Map, 3 World Travel Fact Cards & a Magnifying Glass, wrapped up with burlap and baking twine – things all Archaeologist need right?

Wylie had a lot of fun and I am glad that everything turned out so lovely – I am always a little nervous when we do a party away from home about how things will end up! I cannot believe that next year when he has a birthday he will be in the double digits – how time flies!

OK, I have a bunch of catching up to do today so I better get to it! I will be back soon with more house pictures and some pictures from the decorating project I worked on last week!