Shiver Me Timbers!

...Can you believe it (mommy says she can't), I'm 3 now?! It doesn't feel all that long ago that I was embarking on my blogging enterprise and welcoming you into my world. And yet three years have passed since then. Most of it has been marvellous, with a few sticky moments (e.g. landing up in A&E when dropped on my face on concrete by an older playmate, and the like).

You've been with me all the way, holding my hand and smiling your encouragement (I say 'smiling' because while quite a few of you drop in on my blog fairly regularly, very few of you say anything; but I can understand that, I'm shy myself:-))!

I'm certainly not complaining, it's been a wonderful adventure with my family and friends (both real and virtual). I wouldn't call it a roller coaster ride (everyone's favourite life-metaphor); I couldn't possibly call it that, as I've never been allowed on one, but it has been the merriest carousel round ever! So, thank you, thank you, for tagging along with me through my toddler years and adding that extra dollop of fun only a blogging baby can have.

To mark this milestone (my 3rd birthday, and not my long and heartwarming association with you my blog-buddies, though we shall celebrate that too, one day), I had the bounciest, jolliest pirate party ever! I've posted a slideshow so you can see for yourself, but there are things the pictures won't tell you (mostly because my parents missed some V.I.P's- Very Important Photos!)...

It was a lovely, sunny day for a shindig and when everyone had gathered and thrown on the pirate paraphernalia (skull and crossbones hat, eye patch and cutlass!) we'd got for them, we kicked off the festivities with an easy-peasy treasure hunt that even the tiniest tike (aka. Sis-sis) could enjoy. Grandma and Grandad had hidden the little packages of chocolate doubloons very cleverly 'round the garden so that it would keep us canny Corsairs busy just long enough for Mommy and Daddy to serve the first round of my buccaneer's banquet!

Once we'd each found our share of hidden treasure, we trooped into the dining room for a mouth-watering Mediterranean morsel or two (a morsel is a misnomer because at our house, it's never a 'nibble' but a 'gobble' with the vast quantities of food we dish up) courtesy of Daddy!

This was followed by a sumptuous spread of sweet treats; wibbly-wobbly jellies with our names on 'em, chocolate crunchies with nautical stars sprinkled across, ice cream and strawberry gateau, gingerbread pirates with chocolate chip eye patches Mommy and Daddy had painstakingly iced on the previous night, but best of all was my favourite chocolate cake sitting in the middle of the Corsair-cloth draped table with a huddle of ol' sea dogs atop it, caught in the act of discovering hidden treasure!

The birthday candles were pirates too ( with a couple of wax galleons as backdrop). It looked splendid lit up for that split-second before I blew it all out and carved up a very big chunk (for myself, I'd hoped, but alas)! Despite the amazing amount of chocolate cake I quaffed I managed to keep my beautiful, blue pirate top and shorts (a much loved gift from Ma-sheep) in tip-top condition which my Great-great Aunty Nellie was quick to notice and commend!

Then, all the kids and some of the adults tumbled back out into the sunshine again to set sail on my bouncy galleon. As the adults sedately sipped their drinks, we weathered mighty storms, routed rival gangs of rovers (armed with water guns and looking suspiciously like Aunty Michelle), quelled a perilous mutiny (engineered by my sister, no less) and more!

When we'd had enough (or rather the adults had had enough, because we kids can never get enough of the bouncy castle!), we sat down to look at the treasure-trove of gifts my friends and family had lavished on me for my birthday.

I snagged skittles, and a golf set, sweets and smart clothes (Wu-wu underpants give me wings! Wings, I said, not wi..!). I also got some great reads,a fun board game and cracking creative toys like Lego cars (perfect in every detail, G&G will know what I mean!), engrossing jigsaw puzzles and spacescapes (and my favourite 'naughty' toy- a water gun!)

Mommy & Daddy gave me an awesome castle with knights, dragon, Trebuchet et al, a hobby horse I've named 'Button' (Sis-sis got one too), and much more! I loved it all so much, I've even persuaded Mommy to keep some of the ripped-up pirate wrapping paper that G.G. Aunty Nellie thoughtfully bought me!

And before you knew it, it was going-home time. As I handed out the buccaneer balloons that had decked the hulls (hoho) and the loot bags, I thought to myself- what a wonderful, wonderful party, I could do with having another one very soon!

P.S. Thanks also to those who couldn't be there for my party, their wishes and long-distance kisses made my actual birthday (a couple of days later) very, very special!