For Matt's 32nd birthday, Gavin and I planned for a high adventure at sea! Gavin has been into make-believe pirate play these days. He even gave himself his own pirate name: Scardo. (Not sure where he came up with that one.) So we thought a pirate birthday was mighty fittin' for the occasion.
You may ask, "Why Bead Beard?"
Does this pre-birthday photo answer your question?
On the day of Matt's birthday, Gavin helped me get ready by making his own treasure map...
and keeping a lookout for Daddy to get home from work. (He found an attachment to our vacuum which made the perfect spy glass.)
Once Bead Beard got home from work,
he found this on the garage door.
Ahoy
there, matey! What be this?
It’s a
treasure map for birthday bliss!
Follow
the clues and you will find -
A treasure
that be one of a kind.
Captain
Pearl will be yer guide.
With
Scardo’s help, ‘twill be a smooth ride.
Peg Leg
Laynie will come along too…
Just
carefully read each an every clue.
CLUE #1
All the
land lubbers are too scared of the ink,
But we
sea-farin’ folk – we don’t even blink.
Find
yer way to the parlour of tattoo
For a
skull and some cross bones, then read the next clue.
Every true pirate needs a tattoo, right?
Peg Leg Laynie
CLUE #2
Arrr,
me hearty – be on yer way.
Find
the Jolly Roger and set sail at the bay.
Go to a
place that sells a hot dog.
Enjoy
yer grub and yer favorite grog.
(grog =
a pirate’s favorite drink.)
The Jolly Roger
Eating hotdogs at a gas station! (The plan was to take them to a park, but it was cold!)
Laynie didn't seem to mind.
I had brought along pirate sails to stick into the hotdogs, but since the park idea got nixed, we stuck them in the fish 'n' chips instead.
CLUE #3
Now fer
the fun! Can ye hear the cannons
BOOM?
Keep
yer eye on the target or you’ll meet yer doom!
For if
ye miss, ye must walk the plank –
Blind
folded and hand-tied, a scoundrel of low rank.
The plan was to play a quick game of Boche Ball (cannon throwing) then the person the furthest away from the target had to walk the plank - a piece of playground equipment. But this all got foiled due to the weather and me forgetting to pack the Boche Ball. So... onto the next clue!
CLUE #4
Shiver
me timbers! I almost forgot!
About
the big X that marks the spot.
Fer
once ye get there, I hope you’ll recall
That
spendin’ time with yer family is
the
greatest treasure of all!
Happy
Birthday, Bead Beard! We sure do
love you!
We went to a part of the Provo River where a company puts on a pirate show as you float along the river in a boat. By the time we boarded, the weather was perfect! Clouds had set in and it was the warm before the storm. We had bundled up our kids really well, and along with the life jackets, they were... poofy and plenty warm!
Our family with our Captain after the ride.
