Bayou Bash

We celebrated Grady's 5th birthday early this past weekend with a big "Bayou Bash". About 25 friends were there (not including all of the parents!), and Grady had a fabulous time. The highlight of the party was definitely the "Critter Keeper", a man who put on an hour-long show where he introduced the kids to about 15 different animals. The kids got to hold or touch many of them, and Grady got to assist with many of the animals. The rest of the party was fun too, and included a bug hunt, lunch, and cake. The kids also just had fun running around the yard and playing with all of our outdoor toys. It was a nice day but quite windy so some of my plans for decor were ruined, but I realize that is about the least important thing to an almost 5 year old boy!

The critter man arrived early to set up and then let Grady see a few creatures that were not in the show!



He almost got away!





Friends started to trickle in and the show really got going!























He also made the kids laugh a lot!



Lots of dads were there! Anson watched from Dada's shoulders



Hissing cockroach







Grady says this guy was his favorite



Grady helping with a magic trick









At the end they held a huge snake!







I held it too!



Bug hunt



Some of the littler ones playing



The dessert table (which I was able to decorate since the house blocked the wind) - I made the cake, cupcakes, and dirt cups. And the Swamp Water Punch was quite a hit!





Grady opened his gifts later, after a rest







Thanks to the many friends who came and made the day such a special celebration for Grady!