Isabelle is on the verge of turning 3 years old and was absolutely thrilled to commemorate the occasion with friends and family. And where else to do this commemorating but on a pirate ship in the treasure-filled waters of the Rideau Canal?! But it almost didn't happen.
The family was all set for the pirate adventure of a lifetime (even though that lifetime only consists of 3 years so far!). Loot bags packed to the gills, cake ready for pickup, balloon bouquet inflated, skull and crossbones cookies ordered, costumes laid out, and those were just a few of the logistics behind this big event. 25 guests all set to party like only pirates can. Environment Canada weather forecast was perfect. We went to bed tired on Friday night but all set for a fun Saturday.
Isabelle awoke Saturday with a fever of over 41 degrees. Yikes. Some tylenol and some cuddling calmed her down but we were lucky enough to get in to see the on-call pediatrician by 9:30, an appointment that Isabelle, after having a rough night, fell asleep on the way to. Turns out that within 3 hours the fever had cooled off to 37 and she was starting to feel more like herself, at least enough to ask for french fries for lunch!
Luckily, the party was still on and Isabelle, Oliver and Olan donned their pirate garb and we headed off to the ship. Crazy times running around to get everything set up but all the guests arrived, got their pirate names, face paint, vest and sash, and pirate hats and boarded the ship as a motley crew. Eight 3-yr olds all felt a little trepidacious at the outset but most warmed up as the voyage continued. Many of them were especially excited about the water cannons and the search for gold. Isabelle was more content to sit back and watch the festivities, still feeling the effects of diminished energy. Poor kid.
Once completing their quest for treasure, we piled into the party tent for some much-needed food and drink. Several of the kids continued to re-enact the pirate battle, flogging each other with pirate swords incessantly. The wicked pirate cake was a big hit and had more than enough icing to please any kid's palate. Isabelle was overjoyed to open her fabulous presents and was just as happy to distribute loot bags and thank yous to her many guests. And before we knew it, it was over. Seemed so quick but we were mainly just happy that everyone had a great time and that Isabelle got to spend the day with her friends.
What will we do for an encore next year? And with 2 parties to plan? Give us a week to relax before bringing it up.
Special thanks to Meg and Olan for making the trip and for all their help in the planning (plus great photos!), as well as to the Andrews crew, not only for coming, but for all the help with the little ones as we ran around tending to guests and performing last-minute tasks. We can't thank you all enough.
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