“Come celebrate like a dinosaur, ’cause Enoch will be turning 4!”
Last Saturday we celebrated Enoch’s fourth birthday. Because we have been visiting family we invited all of his cousins that could attend and a neighbor boy from down the street. The theme was “Dinosaurs!”
As guests arrived they got to work making their own dinosaur mask
We really couldn’t have asked for a better day for a party. It was his first outdoor birthday party and I was perhaps more thrilled than the birthday boy. We began our games:
Digging for dinosaur eggs. I found this clever game on a website that I swear by for planning birthday parties. Small dinosaur toys were hidden inside these stone-like dinosaur eggs. The kids were to dig out the dinosaur from inside. It was a fun game with a hide-and-seek element.
Dinosaur Fossil Egg Recipe
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup used coffee grounds
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/4 cup sand
- 1 cup water
Instructions:
Mix all dry ingredients together. Slowly add the water to make a stiff dough; you might end up using only half the water – add it slowly or your dough will be too runny!!
Knead on a floured surface until fairly smooth. Break the dough into desired rock sizes. Hide toys and surprises in the center of a ball of dough. Set in a safe place until totally dry. Atleast 3 – 4 days.
Once it is dry, the dough will look and feel like a rock. You can carefully break open the home-made rocks with a hammer to reveal the hidden treasures inside.
Enoch chose the Pterodactyl mask, through which he could see very little but managed to find a dinosaur egg in our archeological dig regardless. Our next activity took place on the grass where each child was given a different kind of dinosaur egg (balloon) which they were to “hatch.” However, hatching takes time, perserverance . . . and apparently some aggressive bouncing, rolling or maybe even some stomping:
What would a dinosaur party be without a little volcano action? I had spent the last two days preparing this beauty for it’s eruption. We discussed how volcanoes are one theory of why dinosaurs are now extinct and had the kids help as we watched on erupt right before our eyes!
It was made out of old fashion chicken wire, newspapers and kindergarten paste (flour and water). I painted and Mod Podged it, I felt like I was preparing for a grade school science fair. I love how Craig wore his triceratops mask nearly the entire time, AND I love how excited my face looks in this photographic gem.
Maddi showed us how an earthquake can effect an eruption.
No party is complete without a piñata.
At Enoch’s 1st birthday party we had a piñata. He cried the whole time as he watched us hit the image of the loveable lion. We’ve had a piñata every year for his birthday and every year there seems to be some drama associated with it. This year was no acception.
It was my turn to swing. I watched my brother Brian, who was manning the piñata rope with a smirk on his face, and tried to anticipate his action. I missed the fake animal and the bat slipped from my hands. I was surprised and everyone laughed . . . everyone but Enoch. He ran to the corner of the yard, sat down and began to cry enormous alligator tears, “DON’T TEASE MY MOMMY! THAT’S NOT NICE!” he shouted. The boy struggled to compose himself through the duration of the piñata game but was able to focus pretty well at gathering his share of the loot. His spirits perked back up at the sound of lunch.
The night before my mom and I had stayed up later than planned to create Enoch’s very special dinosaur birthday cake. I had just watched a television show showcasing cake decorating and I was excited to put some of that new knowledge to work. Presenting the stegasaurus birthday cake:
Everything on him is edible.
After things slowed down and all our guests had gone home I took Enoch to the toy store to choose whatever toy he wanted for his birthday. We walked into the store and there before us was a large display, “Buzz Lightyear, Space Ranger and Defender of the Universe.” This may make it obvious to others why Enoch selected the intergalactic toy, however, he had been talking for months before about choosing this toy over all others for either Christmas or his birthday. I had anticipated this would be his selection. We found his gift in three minutes and spent another 2 hours looking at every other toy. I’d ask him, “Do you want that toy instead of Buzz?” His answer was always, “No, I want Buzz,” and he’d continue on, playing with whatever toy he had in front of him.
When we returned home my mom had her gift wrapped for him which he promptly brought to me with an air of surprise and excitement in his expression. He began to unwrap it . . .
What a perfect compliment to the toy he’d just selected. That night we watched Toy Story 3, Enoch wore his Buzz Lightyear pajamas and held his new Buzz Lightyear toy. Whenever Buzz had any screen time in the movie, Enoch would make his toy imitate it. Pressing a button, flipping out his wings or opening/closing his face shield.
Chase was not able to attend the day of festivities but deeply wished he could. Throughout the day he had tried to talk to the boy over the phone but Enoch wanted nothing to do with the phone. Just as I was about to read him his bedtime stories, the phone rang. “I bet that’s Daddy!” I said with excitement, Enoch grinned and we both ran to the phone to answer it. In spite of all that we did, at the end of the day when Chase called to wish Enoch a happy birthday he asked the boy, “What did you get to do for your birthday?” Enoch responded, “I got to eat a whole vitamin pill?!” (FDA suggests children under 4 years eat half a pill rather than a whole pill).
I guess it’s the little things that really matter.
Happy Birthday Little Buddy!
Fresh lemonade, chicken salad sandwiches, veggies, onion dip, ice cream, cherry tartlets (#2), cake, candy and of course CHERRIES!
There was a lot of planning involved and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire drawn-out process. Yes, I went overboard for a one-year-old . . . I’d do it again too ’cause it was fun! So here are some bigger images of my favorite pics of the birthday girl. We sure love you Tess!
PETERSEN: Vermont Chapter 