Pirateology

We’ve had something of a theme running through our days for the last week.  Pirates.  We’ve been reading about them, pretending to be them, making ships on the deck, running around with authentic treasure maps (which may have been slightly singed during Mummy’s attempts to make it look authentic) as well as making pirate cupcakes and pirate cookies.  Yes pirate cookies, I was tired after all the piratey action ok?  And even scurvy dogs need something to go with their grog.

I’m really enjoying the fact that Huwyl is now of an age where he will generate his own ‘themes’ and interests.  Instead of me introducing ideas now he is looking for pirate books at the library and asking (and asking and asking) to make not just ordinary cupcakes but pirate cupcakes.   So despite the permit related madness of last week we still managed to crowbar in some pirate baking.  And what makes a cupcake a pirate cupcake you might wonder?

Flags!  An ordinary cupcake with ordinary icing, minding it’s own business.  But in the other room unruly pirates are chopping up pieces of paper into (suspiciously neat) squares, decorating them with a wild variety of skulls, daggers and, well, squiggles.  Using a teeny tiny saber (also known as a paper knife) their fearless and frankly ruthless leader (aka Mummy) made two small holes in each flag, allowing for a mast (cocktail stick) to be inserted.  Then those cupcakes were transformed into the most lovely of pirate cupcakes.

Unfortunately, despite being beautifully decorated some of the cupcakes fell victim to the machinations of Pirate Baby who, well, poked big holes in them with his finger.  Hence this week’s baking project being cookies which are slightly more toddler resistant.

I don’t know how much more pirate love we have in us (Huwyl is now starting to flick through a book on knights and castles) but I’m happy to ride the wave as long as it lasts.  Tomorrow, our craft is pirate spyglasses.  And for snack, what else?  Pirate cookies of course.   Gaaaaaar!