"To Live Will Be An Awfully Big Adventure"

Last summer our family started a tradition. I'm a big reader and wanted to help Josh's kids get excited about reading since it is something they struggle with. I decided that I would read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to them last summer and then we could have  a "party" when we finished it. By party, I just planned on getting them Willy Wonka bars to enjoy during while we watched the movie, but seeing as how one of my dream jobs is to be a party planner, I tried to add a few details to make it more special:

 

Willy Wonka's Hat

Themed Table and Assigned Characters

Breakfast for Dinner theme with blueberry pancakes (in honor of Violet) and chocolate gravy

Then we finished off the party by watching the movie with some Willy Wonka bars as planned. The kids loved it so much I decided to do a second book for the summer and we chose The Secret Garden.

Themed Table with assigned characters

Dirt Cake

 

Garden Fruits and Veggies 

This summer I decided our first book would be Peter Pan. It's my favorite children's book (and one of my favorite Disney movies) so it was an easy decision. Not to mention, it's the theme of Asa's nursery so I knew I'd have decor to use without having to buy too much since I do these on a small budget. Josh read them the book and even acted some of it out to teach them how to use their imagination. They finished this week so we had our party tonight. I did a little more this year in getting us all a hat or accessory for a costume. Then I told the kids to go put the rest of their costume together and they did a great job! I had a tough time coming up with themed food this year with the whole no bread thing, and lack of food in Peter Pan. I told the kids we would just have an imaginary dinner like the Lost Boys did ...lol. In the end, Josh and decided to do some pirate themed foods for dinner along with a few food items that we could tie back to the book. We even taped the kids fingers together on one hand to make "hooks" that they had to eat with. (Thanks for the idea, Kristine!) Here are some pictures:

Themed Table and Characters

"Children know such a lot now, they soon don't believe in fairies, and every time a child says, 'I don't believe in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.”-Peter Pan

I realize there was no parrot in Peter Pan, but in following the pirate dinner theme, I cooked chicken legs and called them parrot legs

Ditto with the "octopus"

One of the few food items I remembered from the book. Peter brought them peanuts after they had their imaginary feast

Tink's Wands, fruit kabobs with marshmallow stars

I froze candy fish in the ice, but the food dye in the fish stained the ice so you couldn't see them inside like I planned. However, when they melted the kid's loved to see the fish "swimming" around inside. Gotta love Plan B. :)

I couldn't leave Asa without a pirate drink now could I?

Dessert

Jaleigh as Tink

Brandon as Peter

Aidan as John

Love them

The host of our pirate dinner, the feared Captain Hook!

Their reaction when seeing their Dad as Hook for the first time!

Hook was terrified of our little crocodile

Enjoying dinner together. Hook had to be extra creative to eat

I was Tiger Lily

I can't think of a better first picture of us 3 than this, can you? ;)

We had a great time tonight! The kids are enjoying the movie as I type this. Next week we plan to start our next book for the summer, Alice and Wonderland. If anyone has any ideas for the party, I'd love to hear them. Also any ideas for future books are welcome (ones that have movies are ideal so we can watch it afterwards). Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our fun. I hope the kids have great memories of how fun reading can be and how fun it is to use their imaginations. No better place to do than than Neverland. :)