The year my daughter turned eight was a magical year for us. She finally got old enough to have sleepovers, and I finally got to know the other parents enough to build strong relationships in the community. But I’m not sure anyone was ready for the birthday party to end all birthday parties.

I wanted to do something different, something that hadn’t been done before; I don’t mean never, but at least in recent times, or at least in our community.

We loved Seattle and we loved the sea. How could I take advantage of the beautiful city? So I had it. I sent invitations to all the children and parents (my daughter helped, of course), and the day came. She should probably tell you that I used a very peculiar style of writing on the invitations. Well, there at the gathering place, the local park, was a beautifully ugly and dilapidated large pirate ship that had previously been the site of the tours. , but had recently been reduced to just part of the park. My daughter and I handed out eye patches, hats, and swords, and we were “on the go”!

Before everyone arrived, and while my daughter was distracted by mom, I hid “treasures” all over the park, with directions to said treasure on maps; the maps were also hidden INSIDE the pirate ship, among friends and certain parents. What were they doing? They were inside the ship, in their full costumes, acting like real pirates.

The children had a lot of fun and felt like they were part of something magical, just like in the old pirate movies. And the parents had a great time getting to know each other, creating even stronger bonds. What a day, Matey!