Alex's Pirate Cove

Well, this last month has been an exciting ride! First of all, yes, this is Mike posting. I am laid up in bed recovering from having my tonsils removed, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to provide a status update on everything McLean.

We worked really hard the last part of January and the first half of Februrary getting Alex's "big boy room" all put together. With our baby girl set to arrive in April, it's time for Alex to move into his own bed which will free up the nursery again. This project required a complete overhaul of the guest room in our house. Don't worry guests, there is still plenty of space for you. Although you will notice we have combined our home office/guest room into one living space. :)

Since Alex has been absolutely obsessed with pirates since last August, we decided to go with a pirate theme. He's had a blast shopping, picking things out, and helping us hang, assemble, and install things for his new pirate room. We searched and searched eBay as well as various other online and in store retailers and his room is now pretty much complete. Enjoy the pictures below!

Genevieve's mom has been visiting since last Sunday. I went in for surgery on Tuesday morning, so she has been a major help watching Alex while Genevieve takes care of me. This also included a short relapse that occured Thursday night where I had to go back into surgery at the ER and spend the night in the hospital. It's nice to know we have family taking care of Alex while Genevieve and I are out getting things taken careof. Plus, Genevieve always enjoys spending time with her mom. Unfortunately, her mom leaves tomorrow, but my mom is scheduled to fly in on Wednesday for a full week. It is great to have the extra help!

After this recovery time in February, it's on to March where we are looking forward to having Meghan come visit for a weekend, and are trying to coordinate all the family visits for the new baby girl.

Alex's big boy bed configuration: captain's bed with 4 drawers and a nice storage compartment in the middle. Matching nightstand and dresser

This room is in the corner of our house. It has 3 small windows on one wall and 1 large window on another wall. These are Roman shades made of sailcloth which help regulate temperature/light while adding to the "boat" feel with their texture

Side view of adjacent wall. We painted the room light blue with a dark blue accent wall

Genevieve found a matching step stool since the bed is so high. It actually has a secret compartment in the top stair for Alex's pirate booty

This wall contains some of the items Alex likes. We'll probably eventually end up putting a bookshelf in that open space

Matching dresser

Black cargo net used to hold his stuffed toys

I found this treasure map on eBay. It measures about 22" x 28". I had to cut it down to size and mount it in the frame.

This is an old oil painting we've had for years and finally have a good use for it!

I also found this wooden pirate wheel on eBay. I was going to build a deck for it until Genevieve found a great deal on a better set up. The clock was a wedding gift and matches the rest of his furniture

This is his pirate trunk. It's the closest thing I could find to a treasure chest without spending over $200

Here's the pirate with his sword, pretending to be asleep

3' x 5' Jolly Roger flag above the bed

Treasure Island "book" that is actually a secret box

Shot of the other corner...his pirate ship

The curtains here match the Roman shades courtesy of Genevieve

This ship has some sweet features and better than anything I could build. Built in periscope, dual canons (that actually fire and make noise), a wheel that turns and makes ocean sounds, a pirate flag, and secret compartment in the back

Also includes a compass and two small storage areas for more of Alex's pirate booty

View from behind the pirate ship