Schooling has been great for the Boy these past two months. Where writing has been a sore spot (okay, does hair-pulling count as Language Arts or PE?) and math has taken 2 hours per lesson in the past, either some magic maturity level has been reached or I have finally found the fountain of motivation! It's a good thing too, because there are only so many hours in a day that can be dragged out into an eternity of sighs and pencil chewing, sneaking off to the kitchen, racing to his bedroom when the phone rings...you get the picture. The Boy was about to get some 'ol fashioned learnin' whupped into him if things didn't improve soon...
And then he wanted something really badly. No more complaints from me!
Had I have known that his love for weaponry would spur him on to greatness I would have signed his mustering papers years ago. Now, you have to understand that I was raised with Quaker virtues and guns have never been allowed in my home under my watch, in any form; water, rubber band, sticks, etc. I used to think I was a pacifist...but then I just realized, uh no, I just don't want any accidental shootings!
Enter the miracle.
We were visiting Grandmama at the antique store and there it was...a Christmas Story moment...a single bolt-action 1940's toy rifle made out of REAL metal with a REAL wood stock. His eyes were like saucers, he may have even been drooling, as it was placed into his sweating palms for inspection.
Bolt slides and locks into place easily....CHECK
Stock fits securely against 14 yr old shoulder....CHECK
Right eye will align with badly pitted sight....CHECK
CLICK!
"Mom!!!! Mom!!!!! Did you hear that? The trigger works just like the real thing! If I do all of my schoolwork can we possibly afford this? I'll do extra lessons, whatever you think it's worth. You just don't find these kinds of guns for sale. It's a piece of history that I'm preserving. Grandpa just told me that he had a gun like this growing up and, and, and, since he doesn't have his anymore then I should get this and pass it down to my kids so they know what Grandpa had!"
Well, what is a parent to do with such a gift?
Duh! I bought the gun! Boy, is he schooling like crazy...I'm hoping to get another month or so out of him. Bribery you say...oldest trick in the book? Not for this child, he's never been moved by bribes for money, xBox games, or anything else money can buy (on the store shelves), but find him something that's one of a kind and could be gone the next day and he's all yours.
I'll have to wait a little while though before I school him in the lures of used car salesmen or I might just lose my edge!
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