I tell you, it has been busy around here and I have beengetting behind in my writing. Oh well…
A month ago we had our Son’s 8th birthday party here. Usually he invites his whole class and we endup having some 40 kids, parents and siblings running around our house. I was relived this year when Chancellorproclaimed he wanted a simple “Boys only sleepover”
At first I was relived, “Ah, a few boys at the house,simple.” Wait a minute 7 Eight year oldboys running around my house full of energy and hopped up on cake andsoda???
I quickly devised my “Legacy Dad” plan…
Our son has been really into pirates and the whole JackSparrow/Pirates of the
Caribbean thing, so hewanted a pirate birthday. My thought wasgreat, let’s have a treasure hunt. Wherewe live in Italy is out on farm land, we are on a one lane road that is flanked by fields on allsides. We also have a river runningthrough our yard and around our neighborhood.
So I devised a plan to have the boys run around in the nightwith a compass and flash lights going from point to point (lit by chemlights)and then ultimately finding the treasure (A large box wrapped in Gold andfilled with candy and prizes)
To add to the aura, the fog is thick in Italy atnight and this would create a spooky look that would keep a bunch of 8 yearolds a little paranoid and also make them feel adventurous.
So at about 8:00 PM, after watching Pirates of the Caribbean 2, the boys grabbed a pile of fake swords andsabers and ventured out into the foggy Italian night. I gave a quick class on shooting azimuths ona compass and walking a pace count and off we went. After about 45 minutes of running through theItalian countryside, the boys found the chest buried under a pile of leaves andwood.
They hoisted it on their shouldersand carried the “booty” back to their Pirate Ship. They ran in the house and ate candy andplayed with the prizes until all hours of the night.
The best part was as the boys were leaving the next morning,many told my son that this was the best party ever and the treasure hunt wasawesome. A proud Legacy Dad just drankhis coffee and smiled smugly.
Mission accomplished.