We celebrated our daughters birthday this Saturday. It was a festive pirate themed party. My wife did an excellent job preparing the fun. On the top of that list was a scavenger hunt. With a little research by browsing themes online, she was able to put together a cool hunt using photos. She took most of the photos from around the backyard, front yard and home.
The party had ended, we were chatting with a few parents who stuck it out for a little while, and we heard a knock on the door. I got up, checked the door, opened it to find no one there. I looked down, noticed a piece of paper lying on the doormat. I noticed some writing on it, picked it up and read the three lines. it read, "Dear Gabby, I want to mary you!" (spelled according to note)
I turned to the gang inside with a look of - oh my gosh! - written all over my face. I thought several things. One was how cute and adorable is this, but my fatherly instincts also swept through me. I thought, who is this from and my daughter is only 7 years old!
I read the note to the few who were left and we were all thinking - we know who it came from and ah!, how sweet! How neat is that, to have a mysterious boy leave our daughter a note like this with a "knock-and-run."-
As I say quite a bit, Oy!
I'm not ready! I'm not ready!
In the middle of the party, we gathered all the children in the backyard, broke them into two groups and instructed them, giving them the first piece of the hunt - a photo.
Each chest was filled with goodies for each kid. I was taking lots of pictures. All the young ones, and a few fifth and sixth graders, got right to it, seeking out the first clue. The kids in the backyard struggled with the first clue, but with a little help, they found it and breezed the rest of the way.
The other group started in the house. They were quick to find clues. I met up with them inside to capture some photos of them hunting for clues and I noticed that a young boy was still sleeping on the couch He was a nearly 2-year-old of child of one of the parents, still sleeping on the couch after his parents placed him there to finish his nap when the party started. About 10 children, rummaging for photo clues in the room could not wake the young man. He laid there, all peaceful, head rested on a pillow and hands on his chest.
The noise and rustling of children could not wake him, but a quite room, with just a couple parents left chatting in the kitchen nearby, woke him. All the children and many parents had gone outside to work on dismantling the pinata treasure chest. I assume it was that feeling that stirred him awake. One of the moms, aware of the child waking, made sure he was returned to mom and dad.
