1-2-3-Shoot!!!

SPEAKING of boys and weapons: I confess there is a veritable arsenal of war toys in my home. We have plastic guns, swords, holsters, shields, helmets,costumes of every type of warrior and on and on.

It wasn't always like this, I promise. I started out like every other new mom...mostly against anything that resembled a gun or weapon. But the more I tried to keep my boys away from those toys (that's what the mom magazines were telling me), the MORE they begged! It didn't help that Uncles were giving them pop guns, cowboy sets or water guns for birthdays. (Nick: "Uncle Jon is the coolest! Look! He gave me a shotgun!!") I knew that my cause for a peace-loving home was over when Nick sat at the breakfast table and bit his toast into the shape of a gun and pointed it at his sister (he was only 2, OK?) Not only that, my other friends who had boys around the same age as my boys...were starting to see that their efforts were failing miserably as well. We all succumbed to what the world already knew: boys love to battle and nothing you do, can change that...(although it does seem like the world is trying to feminize boys these days....blurring the gender lines.)

I should have known better though...I mean, I was raised in Texas and cut my first teeth on a BB gun. My brother and I would run out into the cow pasture in front of my house and hunt Armadillo in our free time. Get along...little doggies!!!

So if you ever pass my house on a beautiful Spring day, there is a good chance that you'll see numerous packs of boys running around home-made forts and battle zones. Drive slowly though, they may use you as a moving target.