Arrrr....

Today, my 4 year old is home with a nasty cough and a little fever.  Poor fella is missing a field trip to see Disney on Ice, but has decided to make the most of it since he is home sick.  He has decided that he is a pirate.  He has his hook, eye patch and pirate hat on.  He certainly looks like a menacing pirate.

Pirates are everywhere these days, even the Wiggles have Captain Feathersword!  We live in Charleston, SC, where there actually were pirates.  Yesterday, I went on a field trip with my 7 year old.  We went to the Battery and the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon.  Pirates were there too.  At the Battery, there was a monument to the hanging of Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate.  Stede Bonnet was also imprisoned at the site where the Old Exchange now stands.

Anne Bonney, a famous female pirate who sailed with Calico Jack Rackham, lived in Charleston before her life in piracy.  Even Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, was docked in Charleston Harbor.

There is even a great restaurant here in Charleston called the Queen Anne's Revenge that has amazing pirate artifacts!

So with all this pirate history and lore, we have a love for all things pirate in this house.  In November last year, we sailed on the Disney Wonder to the Bahamas.  In Nassau, there are tons of excursions that you can take including going to Atlantis and swimming with the Dolphins, but those aren't for us... we wanted to see pirates!!!  We took our own excursion to The Pirate Museum.

The kiddos getting their first view of the Pirate Museum

The Museum is awesome.  Those pesky pirates that raised havok in Charleston centuries ago also raised cane in the Bahamas too.  Talk about getting around!  It was really awesome to be able to relate such a different place to your very own town.

Well, there is a funny story about this visit to the Pirate Museum.  See that stinkin' cute little blonde haired boy?  See that sweet little girl?  Well, that little boy loves his big sissy like nobody's business!  Did you notice the guy dressed up like a pirate?  He was not only dressed like a pirate, but he was also in character. He engaged the kids and really played the part really well.  The kids loved him and really enjoyed his antics, until he took it a bit far for little brother's taste.  We had finished up our Pirate Museum tour and bought some fun pirate things from the gift shop.  As soon as we stepped out of the gift shop and onto the sidewalk, the pirate grabbed big sissy's bag and said, "Arrrr, me take your booty!" and started walking to the end of the building.  Little brother took off after him and began to yell, "That's my sissy's toy.  You can't have it!" and hit the poor actor in the leg!  Needless to say, the booty was returned to the lassie and knew that she would have a protector for the rest of her life!  I pity the poor fella that takes her on her first date in ten years!

Well, I guess I need to see what plunder my pirate is getting into as I type away!