The Puddles

Steady. Steady. . .

Ben has a fascination with guns.  Chris and I vowed (when the children were babies and we could dream big) that our children would not have play guns in our home. (Since Chris doesn’t come from a hunting family and eventhough I had, it was just easier to say no guns at all.)  Then Ben got to about the age of three and everything he touched turned into a gun. Sticks, legos, broom handles, his fingers.  There was no avoiding it.  So Chris found a double barrel shotgun and we told Ben he could only shoot at vermin (a word that we had to constantly explain in Nebraska) and if he ever pointed the gun at somebody, even in play, we would take the gun away.

So now several years later, we have been through at least five guns because he has “loved” on them so much that they have all been destroyed.  It has taken me awhile to find another gun (we try to find one that is a double barrel like Daddy uses for trap shooting).  This Christmas I happen to have found another one.  Ben has played with this $8 toy more than all of the other toys put together.

Part Two . . . Papa Grace gave Ben a hunting shirt for Christmas.  This totally thrilled Ben.  He wore it the rest of Christmas Day.  The next morning I  wake up to the sound of the backdoor closing.  I go downstairs and Ben is standing there in his underwear, hunting shirt, and gun.  I asked Ben what he was doing.  He said, “Mom! I needed my gun to go hunting.  And the gun was in the truck. And I needed to get it.  It was important!  I needed to go hunting.”  But you went outside in your underwear?!  I sent Ben upstairs to finish getting dressed.  He comes downstairs with his camo pants, camo shirt, future deer hunter tshirt, and gun in hand.  He says, “I’m goin’ huntin’ mom.”

He comes inside later and says, “Mom, Uncle Will says that you have to eat whatever you shoot.  I shot a bear. So guess what we are havin’ for lunch?”

“What?”

“Bear!”

So we ate bear for lunch that day.  Uncle Will gave Ben some great lessons on hunting.  To stay still and to be quiet.  And to aim carefully.  I only heard about all of this later, but I love this photo of them together.  And by the way . . . Ben wore the shirt again today to church!  So Ben has worn the shirt for three days straight now!  Luckily I pried it off his body tonight before bed and was able to throw it in the wash.  My mother pointed out tonight that it wouldn’t be a hunting shirt if he didn’t wear it for a week without washing it.  Still . . .  Ewww!