Critter Keeper Party

Joshua turned 8 on Saturday and celebrated with a Critter Keeper birthday party!

He decorated his own cake with licorice strips and Skittles.

(Any pictures where the color is a little funny came directly from my phone and were not edited.)

The Critter Keeper brought more than a dozen snakes, lizards, and bugs.  He came a little early and started right away for the birthday boy and any early arrivers.  He had Joshua get right in this lizard's face in an attempt to get it to put its frill up.  Apparently Joshua wasn't scary enough, because the lizard didn't comply. 

(I realize now that I should have taken notes on the various creatures, because none of us can remember what some of them were, including this guy.)

 Charlotte, Indonesian blue-tongued skink.

 Mr. Beasley, bearded dragon:

The Critter Keeper had stopped at a reptile show earlier in the day and bought fresh butter worms, so Joshua got to feed one to Mr. Beasley.

It was interesting to watch the kids' reactions to the various animals.  Apparently the lizards were the least threatening, because notice how close up the kids are sitting.

(I don't know if Jeremiah is asking or answering a question.)

Once the bugs came out, the kids scooted back to the edge of the couch.

Madagascar hissing cockroaches:

I think this might be the vinegaroon:

(I love the look you can see on Joshua's face despite being out-of-focus.)

I'm not sure what he has in his hand here, but notice that the kids have climbed up on the couch to get away from it. : )

As the birthday boy, Joshua got the first opportunity to hold pretty much anything that could be held.  The emperor scorpion was the one thing for which he was not interested in being first.  The Critter Keeper wisely chose Joseph, the oldest kid at the party, to break the ice.  After that, almost everyone (but not Jeremiah) held it and was rewarded with an "I held a scorpion" sticker.

There were quite a few magic tricks as part of the presentation.  Joshua reached into this bag and pulled out a rubber snake, then reached in again and pulled out Leche, a (live) Pueblan milk snake.  Joseph was amused at the snake's name.  No one else got it.

Gladys, crested gecko

I don't remember what kind of snakes these were, but there were two and the guests who wanted to got to wear them.

Joseph was the only one who got to hold both at the same time.

Check out the expressions on the Critter Keeper's face in the next three pictures, and you'll get an idea of how good at his job he is:

Everyone except Jeremiah held the ball python.  Since it just stayed curled in a ball, it wasn't quite as scary.

While Jeremiah did touch several of the creatures, Julius Squeezer, the albino Burmese python, was the only one he "held."  (If you count holding the tail as holding.)

The final creature encounter was everyone getting his picture taken with Julius.  I printed the pictures and mailed them in the thank you notes.  (The woman in pink is the mom of one of the kids.)

Oh--Joshua did open some presents, too.  : )