It's such a regular part of everything we do, sing, play, say, eat, and breathe that I realized that I rarely write about it. So to honor my son's uncanny zeal for scurvy dogs and scallywags I am hosting PIRATE WEEK here at Zach Aboard.We kicked off the week with a bang by attending the local Pirate & Wenches Weekend here on the Chesapeake Bay. Even the land lubbers got in on the act.
Sea shanties being sung on every corner and we were those loud people in the back who knew all off the words by heart.
Big boats, little boats, and always a cannon and crossbones.
But the best part were scores of large, hairy men in layers of leather and linen in the 96 degree heat wearing copious amounts of jewelry handing out gold coins and skull rings to the little ones out of the goodness of their pirate hearts.
It's natural that pirates would be a part of our world living on a boat, but as a mama the world of pirates presents many dilemmas. Bad people who did bad things and carry weapons don't make for good playmates and role models. So we've tried our hardest to seek out the good in pirates, which we hope to share with you this week.When it comes to books, we have really tried like crazy to pick ones that are funny or have a larger message of good in them.
Here's some of our favorites:
How I Became A Pirate
Pirates, Ships, and Sailors
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC's
The Jolly Mon
Nicole's Boat
Puzzle Pirates
Uncle Pete's Pirate Adventure
And don't forget the rich variety of salty dog poetry that's out there. I remember my grandfather was one of those guys who could recite poems at the drop of a hat (and did whenever he had the chance). Long poems with challenging language that danced off his tongue while his eyes twinkled with the pure pleasure of sharing with the next generation. Wynken, Blyken, and Nod is a favorite for children. And our family favorite is Sea Fever by John Masefield.
I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
Stories and poems and the oral tradition are our favorite aspects of a pirate's life. So go ahead, read them in your pirate voice. :)
7 comments:
My 5 year old has suggested, very loudly in my ear, that he needs to live with you. LOL Looks like a ton of pirate-y fun!
fun stuff!
I remember doing a ton of pirate-y fun with dd when we pulled into Key West a few years ago! Good stuff can be found at Pat Croce's Pirate Soul Museum, there's even schooly pirate stuff online at his website.
Yo Ho Yo Ho...a pirate's life for Zach!!
I love pirates too. 'Specially when they look like Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean! lol!
Tybee Island has a pirates festival where the ship sails up, they 'capture' the mayor and a weekend-long party starts! It is a huge hit with the kids! They send a pirates flag up the flagpole at the lighthouse and everything! It's so much fun!
If you sail around this way, stop by the Pirates House in Savannah, Zach would LOVE that. There is an animated pirate in the lobby! The food is great too!
Zach and Philip (my middle son) would get along swimmingly. He loves all things pirate as well, although just in the last few months I've noticed an ever so slight shift toward castles/knights. Anyway, Philip's favorite pirate book is a pop-up book...a VERY elaborate pop-up book. You can check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Castaway-Pirates-Pop-Up-Sharp-Stinky/dp/0811859231/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1249952888&sr=8-2
Ahoy, Zach! Can't wait to hear about more of your pirating adventures. :)
My son would have a fit if he could see those pirates! He LOVES pirates. I can't wait to show him these pictures!
LOL -- my husband is 47 and a Puzzle Pirate addict!! love your blog...
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