Sound The Alarm!

Sound the alarm - Sam is turning 3!  The big day is actually Monday, but today we celebrated with the Fire Party that the birthday boy requested.

We've been talking about his birthday on and off because I really wanted him to understand what we were celebrating this year.  It was so fun to watch him anticipate it, some days with more grace than others.  It has been a bit of a lesson in the passage of time.  Chris even taught him what 3:15 looks like on the clock today so that Sam would know when it was time to leave for the party.  

I made his cake again this year - it turned out OK.  Don't go comparing it to anything you'll find on Pinterest, but it looks like the Fire Truck that it is supposed to be.  And this year Sam helped!  He is excellent at dumping ingredients into the mixer.  It required a disturbing amount of food coloring to achieve that red color, and I'm not going to lie, it had a strong after taste.  But the kids, and their pink mouths, didn't seem to mind.  I may be retiring after this one though...we'll see what next year holds.

Given the presence of an 8 week old in our home, and the amount of formerly-productive time that I now spend nursing, I knew that a "location party" was in our best interest this year.  So after a bit of asking around, the Houston Fire Museum seemed like an excellent option.  All I had to do was show up with food, plates and favors.  And you know what, it was a really great place to have a third birthday party! 

The party room at the museum is complete with mock fire truck cab, the back end of the truck with hose hook-ups, a fire pole and a house to practice escaping from.  While we were setting up, Sam saw the lights on the fire cab go off for the first time and yelled that we had to get out.  Poor boy thought it was all a little too real and that there might be a real fire.  Chris had to tell him about 4 times that it was all pretend, these were toys, before he relaxed.

 

Once the room was full of his friends (13 by the time everyone had arrived), he had a blast.  The comfort that the familiar playmates brought to him helped me to see that these really are his friends, not just the kids of people we know.  As Mommy, it was so much fun to see him have such a ball at his party.  To watch them all play and pretend together was priceless.  Yells of "We're almost to the house!" and "We have to hurry!" filled the room.  There was crazy climbing up to the fire pole, each one gaining a little more confidence to slide down as the party rolled on.  And of course, the dress up.  They were all in and out of the fire outfits countless times - one little boy wore the mask for the entire party, and it was warm in there!  Most people had never been there before, so it was great to see them all entertained by something new and different.

The kids also got a little fire safety talk from the museum party coordinator.  I feel like this was a bit of a look into what preschool must be like.  But it was fascinating to watch the majority of the kids sit on the mat as asked to listen to the "teacher."  What a difference a year makes - two-year-olds would never do that!  And, to be honest, what a difference a "teacher" makes.  Not sure Sam would have sat so still if I had asked him to.

I wish I had captured a few more pictures, but trying to host, juggle a baby and enjoy the party proved to be a bit much for the two of us to balance in addition to the camera!  I wish I had a picture of Leo (who dislikes loud voices) holding Sam's hand during the presentation.  I wish I had a picture of Sam in full get-up.  I wish I had a family picture.  I wish I had a picture of all of the red hands and mouths after the cake was consumed.

It was a wonderful party, a great way to celebrate with Sam's friends.  Stay tuned for more on his actual Birthday...