Bottles being shot with bb guns, kids riding horses and jumping in a chicken coop, and discussions about the best plan of attack for jumping over a bonfire. These were the sounds of ETE Birthday Bonfire Bash 2009.
Before the guests arrived, I filled holes in the yard with the only “dirt” available: horse poop. You don’t want anyone stepping in any holes.
Then Aunt Kati got things started by getting the kid dizzy:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzi1_QFCnGM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]
ETE Birthday Bonfire Bashes bring people together. Nathan bonded with James, even asking to be picked up at one point.
Then he and Maya dragged him upstairs…
…where Maya talked James into doing this:
Maya was a bit more graceful:
This year the sacrifices were shoes and baseball cards.
The in-progress chicken coop was a surprising hit:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syT2L8-D6ww&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]
Maya wishes chickens would fall from the sky. Also she can ride a horse with NO HANDS.
Every year James jumps the fire. I keep making the fire bigger but he is fearless:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNtMVQfMyg&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]
Nathan didn’t hang out for the afterparty.
Which is probably good because things got crazy.
Next year I’ll try to make the fire even bigger…