Jason closes his journal... Thanks!! I love you!!

[Beekissed]

To put this in perspective, on my son's drill weekend at the Guards, they wouldn't allow the soldiers to engage in air soft battles because it was too dangerous!

I felt that was somewhat ironic........but it shows just how closely these things need to be monitored, especially by children.

 

[modern_pioneer]

I was able to deal with this problem today in a more adult way than I was feeling this morning. It seems the kid had took the 800 FPS gun out while Dale was working on his lawn mower. It was fully charged, and wasn't on safety. He had pointed the weapon towards DD as a joke (yeah right) and he pulled the trigger thinking it was on safe.

So Dale agreed to pay the hospital bills, we have insurance, so what ever they don't pay he will. The gun was destroyed, and he won't be getting another one. It'll get worked out.

Other aspects of the problem have also been dealt with swiftly, I am not one to spank my children, but I can hurt them in other ways. DS, 13 y/o should have been the one to stop this from the start. The kid did say that DS told him not to point it at anyone, when I asked DS why he didn't do more to stop the problem or get the weapon he said he was afraid he himself would he shot. So I threw the book at him anyway just because I expected him to do more at the time. He earned his rifle merit badge in scouts this year, and when I am cleaning my own weapons hes around and I preach safety/safety/safety.

I took his MP3, PS, xbox, doubled up his chores, added some more hard chores, and full house cleaning including washing. On top of that, I also put him on full room restriction until Sunday, and bedtime at 2000hrs. Some of the lot of you are saying why punish DS? Look folks, I preach a few things to my kids, we don't have much family, and we are all we got. So I expect him to protect himself and his sister when away from home. He failed in this case, and now was a good time to teach to be a better person by standing up himself and his sister.

If a bear attacked my DD, I expect him to pull out his pocket knife and stab the bear, beat it with a stick, if he is close to home run and get me. I don't expect him to just be idle, he was idle in this matter, hence why he got my fatherly wrath.

I feel like I have dealt with all the worst parts now, my anger has been replaced with serous concern. Dale isn't in the hospital, I'm not in jail waiting to be bonded out, and DD is going to be okay.

Perhaps, coming here and posting allowed me to see others points, its very hard to look in from the outside when something so emotional happens. I like being the better man often, and I to have short comings, but that just means I am human. So thanks for your advice, perhaps it was the advice that help me pull this thing back into prospective.

Thanks ss friends.

 

[Wifezilla]

I think son will survive his punishment

Glad everything worked out!

 

[Dace]

I agree with Wifey...your son will not only survive but he will be wiser for it.

Good job Dad

 

[FarmerChick]

good job
all will survive and move forward. but yea, kids are slow on the uptake thinking about things and then putting it into action. just the way it is!

I am so glad all is well and calming down for you! Cool heads in a terrible time....best we can hope for!

 

[justusnak]

Wow, I just found this thread! I am so glad your DD is ok, altho scarred for life. I think the lesson you are teaching your son is a great lesson....FAMILY FIRST, not SELF first! GOOD JOB dad!!

 

[big brown horse]

 

[FarmerDenise]

Thank goodness your daughter is ok.

When I was a young teen, we were playing around with bb guns. We had run out of bb's and started using small nails. We were running around shooting and at some point we were shooting at each other's torsos. I missed my aim and shot a friend in the temple. We were lucky, I was too far away for it to break the skin. But we all immedialtely realized how stupid and dangerous our play had become. And I never, never pointed a gun at another human being in fun again.

 

[lorihadams]

Good grief darlin'! I'm so glad she was okay, I just caught up on things with you. I constantly preach to my children not to point a gun at a person. Now they are just playing with sticks and pretending and stuff but when we have our guns out we always preach about safety. I'm so glad it wasn't worse than it was. I had a bb gun when I was a kid and my 4 yr old has already been given one but he is soooooooo not allowed to have it. We used to shoot cans but we knew that we would get the beating of a lifetime if we ever pointed it at a person, much less actually shoot someone. When I turned 15 I was made to take a hunter/gun safety course and that really helped me a lot. It still sticks with me. Even now, when I go deer hunting my family kids me cause I won't load my gun until I am safely in the stand and settled. My dad always says "what are you gonna do if you see something on the way in, throw the gun at it?" I just know how easy it is to trip on something in the woods and fall and God forbid, shoot yourself or someone else.

You just keep on keepin on, sounds like you've got a handle on things!!! Glad DD is alright!

 

[modern_pioneer]

I really can't wait till deer season this year, I got my extra tags in the mail today.

I scouted some of Marks land out for some really good small game hunting this year. I saw several bunnys and in another location kicked up a Golden Pheasant. I saw where the Grouse have been hanging out, my loud approach (going through some thickets) I saw three of them run into a field area. Seeing so much small game in such a small area I remember Mark told me last year that he hasn't hunted small game for 9 years.

Not a big fan of tree rat meat, if I need to I have lots in my own woods as well as turkeys.

I will wait till after harvest season to do all my cat fishing for the year, the meat will be better tasting. Last year, we caught over 70lbs of meat in two trips. I like to eat river cats and don't eat cats from a pond, pond cats taste more like mud to me. I still haven't decided if spending some of my ss fund money to go Salmon fishing is going to happen. I'd rather use the money towards a fence around my garden, thems going to be some good tasting deer this year.

I will enjoy licking the juices from my plate knowing I grew the veggies that made those deer so fat. I decided I will be taking two smaller deer and one large doe for canning. I am not a trophy buck hunter, thou I admit if one should come within range, he will be on my dinner table.

I am heading out for the weekend, stay safe, and hope you all have a great weekend. Jay