It's Not Like Fortnite

TJ has been doing really well in school lately.  His grades are up, his poor behavior is down, he made the Track Team(!), and has been good to his brother. This new level of maturity was rewarded with a chance to go shooting with his sister, her boyfriend, Mitchell, and me.  

We own a lot of Nerf guns. Our house is littered with Nerf bullets and parts of guns; silencers, bi-pods, butt-stocks. A good Nerf war is never out of the question as long as it is outside (no guns in the house). The boys are master snipers, gun-slingers, and are experts at magazine exchanges - thanks to watching YouTube videos and playing Fortnite.  However, taking a real gun, with real bullets is a whole different experience. 

I remember the first gun I ever shot was my uncle's 357 magnum revolver; a massive gun in the hands of a 12 or 13 year old boy. The gun jumped in my hand and I was more then happy to hand it back after about six rounds.  My hand hurt afterwards.  

TJ has handled guns before.  Both boys have learned the basics of firearms safety; weapon on safe, finger off the trigger, and always pointed away from people (down range). They know the basics of how to take a weapon and make it safe.  They have even started to learn how to take apart a gun and put it back together.  They have fired .22s and shotguns at camp and with our friends but the guns we shot yesterday were "big".

TJ was apprehensive.  All of that bravado in running around with Nerf guns was appropriately humbled on the range.  We had a few guns; some are mine and some are Mitch's.  After the mandatory safety briefing, we donned our eye and hearing protection and entered the firing line.  

TJ did not want to shoot first.  He was happy with sitting and watching. Indoor ranges enhance the pressure waves of gun fire and I think he was very surprised how big this invisible force was.  

I finally got him to the line with five rounds in the pistol.  He took his time and fired.  Then he took even more time and fired again.  Yes, I told him to go slow between shots but this was glacial.  The good news is that he did everything correctly even if the gun jumped in his hands a little bit.  

We moved on to the M-4.  Both Mitch and I own one but in different configurations.  TJ favored Mitch's because it was lighter and had a red-dot reticle as opposed to my iron sights.  He followed all of our instructions and did really well.  It turns out that shooting is NOT like the movies, or video game, or Nerf guns at all.  TJ clearly has a new respect for guns.

However, in an ironic twist at the end of the day, we learned that the video game developers from Epic, the makers of Fortnite, use this indoor range for their weapons research!  The range rents all of those exotic weapons to anyone who wants to try them.  So the illusion of gun-slinging met the reality of shooting a firearm.  

I have not heard TJ talk/ask about the next time we can go to a range. If he had the desire I'd take him and let him improve his knowledge around guns.  Instead he is more like me; he knows how to be safe with them and he knows how to use them but he is not so enamored with them that he MUST have them.  

Next - time to clean them!  

Snow Day, Snow Way!

We had a short day this week and I didn't have to take my math test today!  This is the biggest and only snow storm this year.  We didn't even think we were going to have snow this year!  

Dad says that this snow is nothing and that when he was a kid that he would definitely have school on a day like today.  Dad said there would have to several inches of snow before school would close.  We even had a three hour early dismissal yesterday. A decision they made on Wednesday before the storm even came.  He and mom complain because they cancelled school yesterday before the school district even knew how bad it would be.  Dad says that when he was a kid he would have to wake up early in the morning and listen to the radio hoping to hear his school called.  This was BTI (Before The Internet). He says it helped teach him anxiety. 

When we woke up this morning the road were clear and it was hardly even freezing.  The snow was just barely good enough to make into snowballs or go sledding on.  Instead we watched Disney movies with Caroline and Austin Plummer.  

Happy long weekend!

Kindness Matters

TJ told me a story the other day about our time at Disney that really warmed my heart. I do not think he knows the impact that it had on me as his mother; he told me the story in passing-- kind of a "oh mom, this funny thing happened the other day I forgot to tell you about" moment. But it speaks to the kind of person TJ is growing up to be and that somehow he understands that kindness matters.

The story? It all took place at the swimming pool in our resort at Disney. TJ and Grant were playing on the water slide. Going up, going down, and then going up again. Repeatedly. Lots of fun and lots of energy. Boys.

TJ said that there was a little boy wanting to go down the water slide too, but he seemed kind of scared. So he stood off to the side watching TJ and Grant hurl themselves into the tube and moments later be back to do it all again. In all the fun, TJ stopped to acknowledge the little boy and his hesitation. He said "Hey, you wanna go? It will be lots of fun. Here, go before me!" And he moved out of line gesturing for this little boy to seize the moment.

TJ explained that after his invitation, this little boy stood in wonder. His eyes got really big and full of surprise. As he approached the slide ready to go, he said. "Wow. You are the first big kid that has been nice to me. Thanks." And away he went. Fear gone. Heart full.

I told TJ that this story speaks volumes for who he is as a person-- his CHARACTER and that even in the little things, TJ is not only aware of others, but he is kind. Even to the little guys.

I am proud of the person that TJ is becoming. He has grown a lot in this past year. Taking on more responsibility around the house, being more focused in school, helping out for helping out's sake, and making good choices, and now an other example to add to the list.

Thank you for remembering to share that story with me, TJ. May you always remember that kindness matters!