The Merits of the Merritts: The Amazing Race to 9 years!

It's here. The cool stage. Ben's 9. Closer to double digits. Way cooler than last year. Presents now consist of a knock-off i-pod and super fancy running watch to time Ben's running "splits" and a stylin' guitar and basketball outfits from Nana and Grammy respectively. Look out 'tweens here we come.

I am the queen of the budget birthdays. I love birthdays- everything birthday. And I love to plan and craft and well, this year was tops. Ben decided that he wanted an Amazing Race party- a glorified scavenger hunt. While looking for additional ideas where every Mom planning a party does- google I came across this definition in the Urban Dictionary...

Amazing Race Birthday Party: (def.) Special event in which well-meaning housewife attempts to put her creativity and organizational skills to test in order to expand her child's peer group. Her realization that the TV show is highly edited and actually combines days of footage into a tightly packed hour coincides with her forehead-slapping self deprecations about not ordering an on-line plan for the party and trying to save 10 bucks to do it herself.
Now there WERE moments. And it took an incredible amount of time. But was it ever worth it.

We picked the kids up from school. Weather forecast: downpour. Not just showers. Downpour. Luckily all our adult super helpers were game and the show went on!

Each team had their own packet and a notebook with a map of the neighborhood. We went over the rules. Each clue was a riddle and each destination had an obstacle to clear in order to earn the next clue. Each team was SUPPOSED to be routed to a different station and I read and re-read to be sure each one was in order at each destination, but smarty-pants Ben blew their first clue!! And Mom to the rescue on the bike. It all worked out.

Some clues were harder than others! The clue for Auntie Jamie's station at Hart Track was :

Circle? Oval? Rectangle? Square?
How will you know when you get there?
There's a special place with lots of lanes

Pass through the fence that's make of chain...

Hope that you are feeling fast.

Because this clue is a tough one to pass

Each of you must take a lap

Write each time behind your map

Someone is waiting there with a clock

Hurry- time's wasting tick tock tick tock

If the task you should record and meet

The person will "clue" you in for the next street!

Amelia was a whiz with the stop watch! And a trooper in the rain!!

Our neighbor Emily was in on the fun. Her riddle seemed to be the hardest to solve

Hey diddle diddle

Here is your riddle

There were how many pigs... or even blind mice?

Write it down, you'd better think twice!

Take that number, then write an 8

Keep on thinking, you're doing great!
What is 3 x 3 x 3?
There's a lot of math, don't you see?
Put these numbers all together

And hop over to it while there's still decent weather

A neighbor friend is jumping and bumping

To give you a bounce or maybe a thumping~!!

If you jump for joy in the air...

You're next clue awaits you there.

Did I mention how hard it was raining? Emily had it all set up for how many jumps each kid had to do... so fun! The math puzzle was to her address (noted in small print on said map!)

Unfortunately- the pics of Nana's station- "the BEST one" didn't turn out and/or were erased in my constant quest to minimize the 1,000 pictures I take... but her clue to the 'spiderweb' was a tricky one:

There's nothing itsy-bitsy about this clue

An A-MAZING obstacle is waiting for you.

Think of a place where you'd give a kick or throw a ball...

And think of an arachnid that's very small.

Next to this field a not-so-itsy-bitsy friend

Has built a web to trap you in!
But if you're able to make it through

There's another clue waiting for you

It's hidden under something heavy and round

Watch out for spiders though- they'll lurk underground!

Nana and Micky wove yarn around a clump of trees near Hart Field and the kids had to figure a way to all get inside the web without touching it! Smarties used sticks to prop it... again the BEST one I heard!

But not to be outdone, Miss Jess our super Nanny was chillin' (literally) on Sky View Boulevard and held the keys to the last clue.

Auntie Jamie is a property manager and has tons of extra keys lying around. This key relay was her idea- Note to self-don't let kids look too closely at the padlock! They were so fun to watch.

Knock Knock

Who's there?
A key

A key who?
Here's your key to your next clue.

Go to where the view is nice

Of grass, trees and perhaps blue skies

This clue is tricky to unlock

And how to open it might be a shock.
There is someone there to guide you through.

A relay that is waiting for your.
Take your turn... hope you pick the right one

If not you'll have to run and run and run!