Jude has been nothing short of obsessed with “Jake and the Neverland Pirates” for the better part of the past year or so. Truth be told, I don’t mind it that much. It’s Disney and it’s cute and there could be much worse things to watch. So when he wanted a pirate party this year, I jumped on board.
We invited only family and a couple of close friends this time. I know everyone has her own ideas of how to do birthdays, and that’s fine. Whatever works for your family. But for us, it feels like the first couple of years are all about the parents in a way. I mean it’s obviously about the baby or toddler, but at the end of the day, parents and loved ones are the ones celebrating the milestone. The one or two-year-old has no clue what’s going on. But as kids grow older, it seems best to ask what they want and how they want to celebrate. Jude wanted a pirate party with a few friends, so that’s what we did. It was fairly low key and laid back, and with my being back at full-time work, that was a good thing anyway.
We had party sandwiches (these simple ones) with pirate flags I found on Amazon. I added fruit and cheese, chicken tortilla soup from the slow cooker, cupcakes, and the apple cake I’ve blogged before, plus I threw some chocolate coins on the table as well. And of course, I copied Pinterest with some pirate bananas.
The weather was perfect for soup, and it really feels like fall finally arrived here in Georgia. Actual sock weather and a real need for a jacket! Jude had a blast and was really excited about every little thing with the party. He really understands birthdays in a way he didn’t get last year, I think.
The cupcakes (with toppers I found on Etsy) were the same chocolate cake with buttercream that I do for every single birthday party since the dawn of time, but he loved them… and had way too many of them.
On the whole, it was a great time, and a perfect party for our little pirate.
Mama the Reader 