Pirate Parenting on Miss Cellania

Ahoy matey!

There be a column about GUIDE TO PIRATE PARENTING on the Miss Cellania Blog today. Sail over and plunder the site.

Happy pillaging,

Cap'n Billy "The Butcher" MacDougall
Author, GUIDE TO PIRATE PARENTING

Me virtual book tour

Ahoy matey!

I'm going on a virtual book tour, which is kind of like sailing without ever leaving the dock. The good news is there'll be no rationing of rum, so hide yer valuables.

You can find information about the tour here.

Starting on July 7, you'll find each day's tour stops here.

Feel free to drop anchor at any of the ports to learn more about GUIDE TO PIRATE PARENTING and me co-author, Tim Bete.

Happy sailing and don't let the bilge rats bite,

Cap'n Billy "The Butcher" MacDougall
www.PirateParenting.com

Pirate wine

Question:
Dear Captain,

I usually drink rum but would like to start drinking wine with meals. What wine goes best with salt cod and hardtack? And no jokes about a pirate's favorite wine being, "Me gun powder's wet and I can't fire me cannons!"

Hugs,

Mrs. Jane Smith

Answer:
Ahoy Mrs. Smith!

I don't know much about wine, so I contacted me good friend Gary Vaynerchuk, host of Wine Library TV. Gary suggests the Denner Theresa 2006 or the Magellan Grenache Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2006.

The description of the Magellan (which be a fine name for a ship, too) also describes me: Rich, decadent and distinctive, with a finish of smoke, usually from me cannons.

Happy sailing and don't let the bilge rats bite,

Cap'n Billy the Butcher

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Question:
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Robert, who has a woodchuck in his yard

Answer:
Ahoy Robert!

Pirates hate woodchucks -- at least pirates with wooden legs, like me, hate woodchucks. They always be sniffing around our legs with a hungry gleam in thar eyes.

To answer yer question, the last woodchuck that came near me wooden leg didn't chuck any wood because I stabbed 'em with me dagger. Then I served 'em to the crew. Yum.

Happy sailing and don't let the bilge rate (or woodchucks) bite,

Cap'n Billy the Butcher

My pirate sleeps too much

Question:
My daughter won't get up in the morning. No matter how I try to wake her, she always falls back alseep and is late for school. What can I do?

Signed,

Fuming in Florida

Answer:
Dear Mr. Fuming,

I used to have the same problem with a crewmate of mine. He was always late for his watch. So we made him sleep in one of the cannons. If he didn't get up on time, we'd just "fire him up," so to speak. The unfortunate part was that we used too much gun powder one day and shot him clear across the horizon, never to be seen again. So use a cannon but keep an eye on the amount of powder you use.

Happy sailing and don't let the bilge rats bite,

Cap'n Billy the Butcher

Sucking on a pirate hook

Question:
Dear Cap'n Billy,

My child recently got her first pirate hook. She still sucks her thumb, so she now sucks her hook. Should I be concerned?

Signed,

Worried in Wisconsin

Answer:
Dear Mrs. Wisconsin,

While sucking on one's hook may seem fine, your child may wake up one morning and find that she's pierced her tongue during the night. She would have got her tongue pierced when she was older anyway, so it will save you $30 bucks! So you're not only a good pirate parent, you're also frugal. Just don't let your cat or dog sleep with your child. Pets are awfully difficult to remove from hooks.

Happy sailing and don't let the bilge rats bite,

Cap'n Billy the Butcher

How much gun powder?

Question:
Dear Cap'n Billy,

How much gun powder should I put in my cannon? Also, what should I aim at?

Signed,

A confused parent

Answer:
Dear Ms. Confused,

Your two questions are related. If you're shooting at something big, say a dinosaur, use more gun powder. If you're trying to keep a squirrel off your bird feeder, you should tone down the amount of powder a bit.

I can't tell you what to aim at. Just be careful about shooting at things that can shoot back, like bigger ships or a royal navy fleet.

Happy sailing and don't let the bilge rats bite,

Cap'n Billy

Selling pirate treasure on e-Bay

Question:
Dear Captain,

Me little powder monkeys keep selling me booty on e-Bay. How can I prevent them from hawking me treasure?

Signed,

Losing my dough in Scranton

Answer:
Dear Mr. Dough,

You could try taking away your kids' computer privlidges. Or you could bury yer treasure, so they can't find it. Or you could threaten to put the home video of them picking their noses on YouTube. Personally, I'd do all three.

Happy sailing and don't let the bilge rats bite,

Cap'n Billy "The Butcher" MacDougall
Author, Guide to Pirate Parenting
www.pirateparenting.com

Gold or a role in a pirate movie?

Question:
Dear Mr. Pirate,

Which would you rather have: a merchant vessel full of gold or a starring role in your own pirate movie?

Signed,

The Captain of a merchant vessel full of gold

Answer:
Ahoy, Captain!

I'd rather star in me own pirate movie. I don't care much for merchant vessels full of gold, like some pirates do. Some pirates might try to steal yer booty, but not me. But just to be on the safe side, you should tell me where yer located, so I can protect yer ship from those pirates who aren't as nice as me. I could even help you bring yer ship to a secluded cove where no other pirates can find you. Then you can have a long, well-deserved rest on the island while I sail away with yer ship...I mean keep yer gold safe.

Yer pirate pal who doesn't care about yer gold...honest and for true,

Cap'n Billy "The Butcher" MacDougall
Author, Guide to Pirate Parenting
http://www.pirateparenting.com/

A pirate's hook shot

Question:
Dear Cap'n Billy,

Do you play basketball? I bet you have a mean HOOK shot. Get it, HOOK shot?! See you have a HOOK on your hand, so EVERY shot you take is a HOOK shot. Get it?! I'm cracking myself up.

Signed,

A REALLY funny guy

Answer:
Dear Mr. Guy,

You are soooooo funny. I'd like to show you my hook shot. Please meet me behind the Crow's Nest Tavern tonight at 3 a.m., after the bar closes when it's dark and there's nobody around. That's when my hook shot is at its best.

Happy sailing and don't let the bilge rats bite,

Cap'n Billy "The Butcher" MacDougall
Author, Guide to Pirate Parenting
http://www.pirateparetning.com/