BB Gun Fun

All S3 wanted for his birthday was a BB gun. He was so excitedly wanted one that he was afraid to even say he wanted it. I'd ask him what he wanted and he would start to giggle. "If I tell you, you'll say 'no'," he'd say.

But the week of his birthday I called my local TSC, told them I was coming in with my four boys and needed them to have a BB gun at the front so that I could easily purchase and walk out with it before the boys knew what I was doing. I asked them if I could leave the boys looking unattended at the rabbit cages while I purchased the gun. My local TSC rocks and helped me pull this off so that there was a BB gun safely hidden under a blanket in the suburban so one little guy got to have the happiest birthday ever. (Thank you!)

He could hardly wait to go out and shoot something.
He had to wait until the next morning when S1 set him up a mini shooting range and strictly went over ever rule to follow for proper BB gun safety.

One day S1 will be teaching a gun safety class for kids, I am certain.

Anyhow....S3 spent the day with his big brothers learning to shoot his BB gun. S4 tagged along with a nerf cross bow.

My house looks well protected when you pull up, I guarantee you.

They headed off to "put meat on the table" and I was worried they might actually shoot something and I would actually have to cook something icky. I've cooked squirrel before...it doesn't look pretty no matter what plate you put it on.

Since he didn't get anything, S3 thought he should maybe practice with a moving target.

Enter his birthday balloons.

S4 thought this grand plan with him and together they headed out with a BB gun and a balloon. I was on the phone about a car with the insurance company...ironically...and watched them walk excitedly out the door and thought "this could be bad."

So, here i am in the house craning my neck out the windows to keep a sharp eye on them as they take the balloon down to the "shooting range" and....

Let the balloon go.

On a very unusually windy day.

I watched the balloon quickly drift off toward the house and since S3 knew he can't shoot toward the house, he just took off full force with S4 trying to grab the string on the balloon. It was a lost cause. S3 held his gun protectively as they jumped and leapt and finally realized it was gone.

Until it got stuck in the walnut tree right next to the house.

I thought we were gonna just be glad it has stopped. But apparently S3 realized this was his moment to shine.

He must shoot the balloon out of the tree.

He brought his bb gun up to his shoulder, aimed, and then aimed again.

Straight up.

"NO!" I hollered! "Don't shoot that gun straight up! You'll shoot your eye out!"

I had become that mother.

And that is when the insurance girl came back on. To her credit, she kept her cool...and when she asked me what my email was and I answered "life with four boys" she sorta snickered and said "Well, that explains the never a dull moment at your house!"

Why, yes, yes it does.

It's why I love my boys so.