Catching Up--Hyrum's Birthday Party

I can't believe I never posted these pictures from Hyrum's birthday! It's been almost a month . . .

Hyrum waffled back and forth what he wanted to do for his party this year, but in the end, he opted for an epic battle of capture the flag, Percy Jackson style.

For those uninitiated to Percy Jackson's version of capture the flag, it's the same game, but with swords. The kids each made their own weapon out of a PVC pipe covered with a pool noodle. They personalized their sword with duct tape, and then they were ready to battle.

They boys in our neighborhood run in a pack and there's very little distinction by age, which I love. I tried to split the big boys up between the two teams, and then they all battled for dominance.

Heidi's family was here, and Nathan tried to hang with the big kids a few times, but the battle got a little intense for a three-year-old guy.

Hyrum recaptured the flag and rehid it.

The rule was this: if you were hit with the sword, you sat down until someone from your team rescued you. This kept the teams evenly matched.

The girls got into it as well.

Don't you love his face? It was an intense game. You'd think it was for the Queen's jewels!

Trying to prevent the invading team from returning with the flag. They stopped him.

Time for a new strategy.

And Jonah. He was happy to wander with his sword and hit it on the ground.

Sam taught Nathan how to defend himself. That's an important skill in this family.

After a 25-minute detente where neither team could succeed, we called it a draw and started a new battle. The red team lined up on one side of the retention basin . . .

. . . and the blue team lined up on the other.

When I said, "GO!" both teams sprinted for their own weapon in the middle.

This was capture the flag, Hunger Games style. And there was no rule about getting out if you got hit, and the winning team had to get their opponent's flag to me.

I was hiding on the other side of the park. This version went a lot faster, but it was too brutal and a little too lawless.

The kids didn't like it quite as much. It was good for them to see that the rules that had frustrated them so much the first time were missed the second time. There's a life lesson in there somewhere . . .

And my cute grandkids. Jonah is so pigeon-toed that he often trips himself when he's running fast. I love it!

And Nathan was trusted with the winning flag!

By the end, all the kids were red-faced, sweaty, tired, thirsty, and thoroughly satisfied with their afternoon's escapade. This was a great party--a good way to bridge the gap between ages, and after all was said and done, they left as buddies (even if they were a little banged up).

We took the entire family to dinner that night, and the best place I could think of for that many crazies was Golden Corral. It's not my favorite, but it is Hyrum's favorite, and it was his birthday!

Lily with her nieces. She works hard to be their favorite auntie, and these two sometimes are selfish with their affection.

But not little Thomas. He just sits and looks at the world, happy with whoever will hold him.

It was a fantastic day, and as I tucked my littlest boy into bed that night, he hugged me tight and said, "Thanks for the best birthday ever, Mom. I love you."

That makes it worth every second.