Pirates, We be Six.

A-hoy mateys!  Today be "Talk like a Pirate Day." 

Just in case you didn't know, today has been unofficially declared around the world (or maybe just in North America) "Happy Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day."  We found out about it last year when we got a card in the mail from our family announcing the upcoming day and we celebrated just a little bit.  You can see that blog post here.  But this year, we really got in the spirit for sure.

I am not entirely sure how the whole thing began, but maybe it was a really cool pair of cufflinks with skulls on them?  From that point on, at least one (or two or three) of our Christmas presents contain some form of skulls and crossbones, everything from socks, birthday decorations, dress up stuff, a bib, a dog tag, a mug, napkins, cards, cufflinks, a bracelet, etc.  I mean, it sort of is getting a little bit out of hand, don't you think.  But it's all in good fun.

But it does mean that we are all decked out when it comes to "Talk like a pirate day."  The kids had Seaweed Pirate Soup for lunch and we had a fine bit a fish for supper with my parents who are here for the week with us.   I didn't get my own cutlass and I didn't make a crocodile Dundee cake.  I'll save that for next year, I guess.  But we did have plenty of pirate booty and we all sported our most menacing faces. 

 And just in case you didn't know, there is a little song about our family.  It goes something like this:

“Potter-Davey’s Privateers”

By Stephen Strople

With thanks from: Stan Rogers, “Barrett’s Privateers”

The year was two thousand and twelve,

I think I was in Squamish then.

When a letter of marque

Came from the stork

And the first little pirate did spring forth.

Ahoy-matey! I am told,

We’ll cruise the seas for American gold.

We’ll fire no guns, shed no tears.

Now, I’m a baby pirate, tender in years—

The first of Potter-Davey’s privateers.

Now here I sit in my very first year.

I think I am in Washington.

But what it won’t be long ‘fore I sail away

In my blue rocking dory from Maine, olay!

Ahoy-matey! I am told,

We’ll cruise the seas for American gold.

We’ll fire no guns, shed no tears.

Now, I’m a baby pirate, tender in years—

The first of Potter-Davey’s privateers.

 

(And there are a few more verses now that Magdalene has joined our family).  We promise to get a good recording and publish next year!

For now, may the wind be in yer sails!

You might also like:

• Oh, I'm a baby pirate of tender years.... 
• Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day.