My son has been anxiously awaiting his birthday party. Every night before bed he would count the days. This year he requested a reptile themed birthday. I was thankful for this because we had never done a reptile themed birthday party.  Between the three boys we’ve done four dinosaur parties, two camping parties, three pirate parties…along with a few of Deacon’s stragglers like Star Wars and Ninjago.

What made this party truly special was the surprise guest. Logan didn’t have a clue that Grammie and Papa had made arrangements for Dave from Animal Experiences to be there with his arsenal of reptiles and a few furry friends. He’s seen Dave at preschool and still obsesses over it. I really thought he would figure it out or one of his friends would say something. They didn’t. He was so surprised.

What surprised me was how well the kids behaved. They all immediately sat down in silence. They raised their hands and asked questions. They even shared their own knowledge. They waited patiently to hold each of the animals and helped each other. Sharing and trading. It was wonderful. My son was in his glory. Turtles of all varieties, an alligator (his favorite), snakes of many sizes, lizards, and even some furry friends. I personally loved snuggling the chinchilla.

It was one of the best birthday parties ever! I even held the snakes. It was funny to see some of the kids really open up to holding the animals. Some of the were a little apprehensive and then just relished in the moment and were holding everything.