welcome to camp luca

luca turned eight years old on st. patrick's day and we celebrated with a backyard campout party the night before.  it was a simple gathering of friends using things we had around the house and yard.  but oh so memorable.

printing in block letters with a permament marker on a fabric strip + a few staples into wood posts = a "welcome to camp luca" sign
 made just before the party started, it was a last minute addition that rounded off the look of the backyard.  all of the prep was done the day of, which is an approach that works well for me.  i thrive under the time constraints.  plus it guarantees i won't spend any money on decor.

 we gathered all sorts of seating around our campfire and stocked up on firewood.  comfy blankets, a basket of smores fixin's and chalkboard art drawn by luca help set the stage here.

as the campers arrived, they made up two bags of trail mix - one for their favor packs and one to munch on around the campfire.  they were able to choose their own ingredients, helping me with allergies and such.  plus it is just fun to pick exactly what you want.  we offered various nuts and dried fruit, along with pretzels, sunflower seeds, chocolate and marshmallows.  the marshmallows were the most in demand.

the burlap covered board hung in my studio in illinois but has yet to find a home here, so i brought it out for the food table backdrop and draped it with a string of lights.  the plaid bunting was reused from enzo's tailgate party and the pinned up signs were made from fabric strips, permament marker and an arrow stamp.  the yellow plaid tablecloth is a thrifted wool blanket.  i used galvanized buckets, brown paper bags, and baskets to hold the food.

they munched while jesse built the fire.  he made it instructional and the boys had fun sharing what they knew.  and throwing bits of trail mix into the flames was a hoot.

next up - roasting hot dogs and drinking root beer by the bottle.  and playing with carbonated fizzies.

 

corn on the cob seemed like a good idea and most of the campers enjoyed it.  but the former illinoisans of the group were mega disappointed and unable to eat more than a bite.  i had been warned of the taste difference between the sweet corn i grew up with and that of everywhere else.  now i know.  yes, i am a corn on the cob snob. 

that is a lot of boys for two adults.  next time i for sure ask a friend to stay and help.

because the enzo-boy alone needed one on one attention.  he broke at least 2 mason jars and created much mischief throughout the evening.  he lived out his little brother role quite nicely, i suppose.

our gigantor tent was filled with pillows and blankets to provide a comfy chill zone.  it also served as the present opening zone.  and present playing zone.  the camp counselors (aka jesse and annalea) had a brief break from the chaos while the boys sequestered themselves in there. 

i baked up a giant gooey smores brownie to hold eight candles.  the wind was picking up, but we managed to keep them lit for the happy birthday singing.

smores brownies: crumble graham crackers at the bottom of greased pan, pour brownie batter on top and bake as usual.  when done, sprinkle chocolate chips on warm baked brownies and spread as they melt.  top with marshmallows and stick under broiler until puffy and browned.  (watch carefully so they don't burn or catch on fire.) voila! you have decadent smores brownies for days.

and of course we also had to make some regular smores around the campfire.

two very tired camp counselors at the end of a long fun day.

the favors turned out pretty neat.  i'll share a close up of them and their contents next week.

brave, brave jesse led the boys down the street to an open field for an end of the night game of flashlight tag.  they survived with minor injuries!  i think that part felt particularly adventurous for this group of campers.  and a way to work off some of that sugar before pick-up.

 the only thing missing from this night, was a group of boys from champaign, illinois.  our luca was homesick for his friends leading up to the weekend, but our goal of creating a positive memory of his first new mexico birthday was met.  he celebrated with new friends in our new home.  

the birthday boy deemed it a major success which is all that really matters to me.