Henry and John's Reptile Birthday Party

Last Saturday we celebrated Henry's 5th birthday and John's 3rd birthday with a reptile party at our neighborhood clubhouse. We had about 20 kids at the party. The kids raced in and out of the clubhouse grabbing nuggets and grapes as they played on the playground and threw rocks in the lake. Before the real reptiles arrived, they had fun playing with the decorative ones I put out on the tables. The snake cake was a tedious 5 hour challenge, but the look on Henry and John's faces when they saw it made every minute worth it.  Henry ate the entire head of the snake, tongue and all.  Not to be outdone, John ate three pieces.

The live reptile show was the highlight of the party. Henry and John were braver than I thought. Grandma and Papou were too! The kids faces grew more and more animated with each reptile that came out. The 12 foot python joined us for a family photo, but I only agreed to do it if I held the tail.

After the reptile guy had packed up and left, Gus noticed a box that was left behind. We found a lizard inside! I called the reptile guy, who was already at another party. He assured me the lizard was very docile, and said he would come by the next day to pick it up. Yes, we had an overnight reptile guest. Henry thought he won the lottery! Pa and Henry wasted no time taking the lizard out on our back deck to play.

Later that day, the boys opened a few gifts - legos, puzzles, books, scooters, trucks, and games. They spent the rest of the afternoon playing with their new toys and their new (temporary) pet lizard.