DINO-ROOOOARRR!

I can't believe a week has already passed since this special day, a day we talked about for not weeks but months! The Dinosaur Party. 

Lucy and I both love to plan a fun theme party. We talked about details on and off for quite some time. We started creating the cardboard dinosaurs a couple weeks ago, and she and Polly did quite a lot of "helping" with paint, much to my chagrin. Making and planning for a party is mighty complicated by the presence of unruly toddlers, but also exhilarating because every detail is such a wonder.

She was probably most excited about the "Pin the Tail on the Dinosaur" game we planned. I painted the ankylosaurus and Emmy made five tails for it of cardstock. 

Darin asked why I made a giant rat head, but this was Tootie's reaction to my T-Rex watermelon creation:

Darin made the purple pteranadon, arguably the best dinosaur of the bunch, but somebody's gotta knock them out without such hard-to-cut detail as that tongue!

And my little birthday girl flanked by our creations.

After early naps, well timed on my part I gotta say, both girls had just enough time to enjoy the photo booth props before our guests started to arrive.

Little goofs! They love to laugh more than anything.

Foodstuffs, we had "herbivore fare"such as carrots and celery and peppers with dip, "dinosaur bone" yogurt covered pretzels, fruit and lemon cupcakes made by Nana.

My get up was thrown on a half hour before the party started. I just knew I wanted vivid colors. I grabbed willy nilly from my closet and was pretty happy with the outcome. Plus - that necklace by Milla!

Polly's dress I thrifted a couple days before the party, new with tags still attached. I washed it and it got super wrinkled and I figured, hey, that's how we roll anyway.

Nana gifted these vintage Land Before Time hand puppets to Lucy on the day before, her actual birthday. They were the hit of her birthday, her party, her life. In case you've forgotten: Spike, Petrie, Cera, Littlefoot, and Ducky.

Little dino friends.

And now the wild rumpus begins!

Mikie was in town! He's the best for a dinosaur party, having been obsessed with Jurassic Park since a very young age. He can draw them, imitate them, conceptualize their world. He was our resident velociraptor, and actually kind of made the kids nervous (haha!) until they got to feed him carrots and found out he was friendly.

Joking around with her friends, such joy this kind of little scene gives a mother's heart.

I have to take and post a thousand pictures because seeing everyone having fun at the party I worked on gives me the catharsis I need. the three year old birthday catharsis.

Candle blowing went without a hitch this year! But I didn't get pictures because I was too busy leading the singing, Darin did film it for our family end of the year movie, and there was obviously no short on record keeping at this party. Still. My little girl blew out her three candles perfectly and it was really cute. 

Toot and Alder at the coloring station designing triceratops.

Pool smuggling.

Mary on the tramp surrounded by elves.

Lucy was very impressed at Yarrow's dunking and breath holding abilities.

She got a triceratops backpack from Joey and Em, and dinosaur pajamas, and a Magna doodle from Ade. Among other goodies. She's a happy girl, and I'm a happy mama because we're about to leave on a twelve day trip and new toys will come in handy for entertainment purposes.

Polly got a gift from her Noni and promptly had to put on the little bloomers over her own outfit. Then she marched off to watch Utah try this stunt. a Boy after her own heart.

With Darin's family.

Late into the evening, Mikie was still drawing "girl T-rexes" at Lucy's instruction.

Lingering light, summer night. The way a good party should feel toward the end.

Mikie sat with the kids and together they punched out this dinosaur world from an activity book Lucy got and discussed and set up the figures. It was so cute how long they concentrated and gave us parents a refreshing chance to chat awhile!

This little bundle of pure light makes my life complete. Planning and executing her beloved dinosaur party was a joy because I had her by my side thoughout; her bubbly, curious, happy-go-lucky presence. I am shocked and thrilled that she is three years old already. I can remember all her life vividly since babyhood, since our first minutes together, and all that time together since: three years is really not that long, and yet each moment seems so full of emotion and love and some pure magic when you are with your child. I am excited for every new day with her, for all the stories we will make together, for the way she encounters the world with pure jubilation. For the volcanoes that we'll visit and the dinosaurs whose backs we'll ride in our fairy tales and our dreams,