Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The letter of the day is... aaaaaaaaaaargh!

When I have spare time (when?) I like to scrapbook about all of our adventures.  There is a store locally (Archiver's) that has a wonderful selection of scrapbook paper and decorations.  Walking into that store is like instantaneous inspiration.  I pick up paper that I am going to use right away, but sometimes will grab something just because I like it... and then I find myself on a mission to find a reason to use the paper.

Case in point: several years ago, there was an adorable pirate paper that I HAD TO HAVE.  I began researching pirates on the east coast.  After learning about Blackbeard, the Graveyard of the Atlantic, and all other things ACTUALLY pirate... voile.  Pirate Adventures of the Chesapeake.  #1 Trip Advisor activity in Annapolis Maryland.  Good thing we have adventure-loving family and friends in the Annapolis area!



So this past weekend we headed up for Memorial Day.  I packed shorts and t-shirts.  The weather didn't top 60 degrees, so on our way to the pirate ship we made a mad rush into Old Navy to find some cheap pants.  We met our friends, scarfed some lunch, and checked in for our sailing time. 

Its not easy becoming a pirate.  First things first, you either get a tattoo or some battle scars, and raid the chest of pirate clothing.  Pirates are tough. 



Next you learn some pirate lingo (scream AY! for yes, scream ARGH! to be scary) and some pirate mannerisms (scream don't whisper, finding treasure is very important, etc).  You learn to squeeze your fist and look scary.


And finally, you are a pirate.  You sneak through the parking lot and board your pirate ship.  Thankfully this pirate ship has a flat deck and a strong crew!


Before you go any further, you'll notice that there aren't a lot of photos of Matthew here.  That kid caught sight of those pirates and didn't want anything to do with them.  He didn't leave my lap or Nate's arms for our entire adventure.  He wanted nothing to do with face painting or dressing up like a pirate.  NOTHING.


Once everyone got their sea legs, the crew raised the pirate flag and we left the dock.  We traveled a random path around the Annapolis waterfront, waiving un-pirately at people enjoying their lunches at cafes and aboard other boats.  The crew kept the kids all incredibly engaged and involved, all the while keeping the parents entertained.  The whole thing was superbly done!  The crew clearly love kids and love playing pirate!  They didn't break character at all, and they were hilarious.



Luke was excited at the opportunity to check out the treasure map.  He helped Captain Rusty roll the map out, and tried to help find the treasure.  Along the way, the crew told them the story of the dastardly Pirate Pete, who always stole their treasure.  As we sailed along the harbor, we came upon Pirate Pete hanging out in his dinghy in shorts and a t-shirt.  Remember the temperature I mentioned?



As Captain Rusty commanded, the kids all took their spots at the water cannons along the side of the ship.  And with 4 successive passes, the kids each doused Pirate Pete with water, and knocked him off his little boat.  That dude must have been freezing.



After we stuck it to Pirate Pete, we found a black buoy with a white X painted on it.  Crewmember Boots raised the treasure chest out of the water, and everyone got a handful of treasure to take home with them.



All in all, a great adventure!  And now I have some scrapbooking to do... gotta dust off that beautiful pirate paper now that I finally have a reason to use it!

1 comment:

Schatzi04 said...

Sounds like lots of fun! Can't wait to see the scrapbook pages.