Kids: Part - I lost count.

[sm]

Well...

We are supposed to start kids young...
There is that part about passing forward...

I was at Harbor Freight, I needed something to fix a computer related problem. Radio Shack did not have what I needed. Yes the Big Hammer was tempting at Harbor Freight...I went with the Velcro Wraps as one is supposed to. I reserve the right to go back to the BIG Hammer just in case

I met Jeremy. Jeremy is this many years old. Grandpa- whom Jeremy was instructed to "keep out of trouble" - said the young man was Four.

Jeremy shook his head and now I understood why 3 fingers from one hand and the bent one from the other hand. You try using fingers to indicate your B-day is not until January. See, ain't easy is it?

Grandpa made a comment about how the Heavy Utility belts worked great for his Ruger SA in .44 mag. In which Jeremy just had to step into, pull up to indicate he needs to eat a bit more before the belt fits. Must be nice to just drop a belt and step out of one.

Now Jeremy informs me he has a gun. You tell him Grandpa. Grandpa wants Jeremy to tell me. Mr. Teve
"Jeremy, you don't have to call me Mister, just us guys here and Steve is okay if Grandpa agrees"
Teve, I got a wenty two riiifle.

Now just how well did you pronounce "Steve" and "rifle" when you were 3 years and 10 months old? I thought so.

Seems Jeremy was not doing a good job of keeping Grandpa out of trouble. Harbor Freight has various ammo boxes.
Coloring boxes for those of you 3 yrs and 10 months old.

So Grandpa get his ammo boxes, leather belt, "C" clamps for something in his reloading room - and remembers the real reason he was supposed to go into Harbor Freight, dispoable propane torch, bottles and such. Whew! that was close.

I said I had to head over to the Dollar store next door. Jeremy gave Grandpa "that look" - so we head to vehicles, drop off packages from Harbor Freight.

Now Grandpa is from a smaller town nearby. Jeremy has never been into this Store. He makes a beeline for Colors, and Coloring Books. Then spies the Cookies and Candy aisle. Jeremy does not have to say a word...Grandpa is "trained" and these ALL get put in a basket.

Outside is Soda machine. I get a Coke, and of course Jeremy wants a Coke. Grandpa is not supposed to drink Cokes, then again his wife and Jeremy's mom are out doing Girl Stuff...they won't know.

So at Grandpa's truck, parked near mine...Jeremy gets behind the seat of Grandpa's truck...he knew where the Plastic ammo box was back there. By the expression on Grandpas face...glad to know someone knew that one was back there.

We have to do some serious comparison of ammo boxes you understand. Satisfied, he puts ALL the shells back in ( well you cannot very well compare with them full now can you?) and Proceeds to put his new 8 pk of colors into the New Ammo Box from harbor freight. Umm, two holes are left vacant. Opens Grandpa's glove box...only a kid remembers a Putt Putt game and the wittle pencils. Yep, these will do. All the holes are filled and Jeremy is quite happy about this.

Now Jeremy has part of My Coke in his Tippy Cup, I guess mine was supposed to taste better. I was 3 yrs and 10 months old, I used to know this stuff, no matter, good to be re-educated again.

Now, seems time was coming up to meet back at the House and the Women folks.

So in the Spirit of Passing Forward One sack gets tossed into Toolbox of truck, so Grandma won't see, and the one in the cab has the stuff Grandpa was supposed to get. Fingers to mouth meaning - we won't tell.

We shared this with Jeremy. Jeremy shared his mom does stuff like that with Grandma. Of course this gets Grandpa to start asking questions, and Jeremy is torn between loyalities. Had the most puzzling look on his face.

Easy to explain Jeremy's Ammo/ Coloring box, he is a Grandson, he wanted it.
I did present another option if need, just blame some guy named "Teve" they met while in Harbor Freight.

So while Jeremy may not be a real avid shooter at this stage. He has been exposed, has a mentor in Grandpa , and has his own gun. Well he has others he is not aware of yet, in due time though he will.

Someday the Colors and wittle Putt Putt pencils will be dumped for Centerfire rifle ctgs.

I had a box of .22 lr in my truck. Jeremy was so happy, he knew what these were. While I got a hearty handshake from Grandpa...He...well you are supposed to slide the box open and get them all over the seat, floorboard, ashpalt parking lot...I did at that age. Heck I still do.

Uh-oh Grandpa - I sorry

Grandpa and I were laughing as we picked these up, told Jeremy is was all right, we do this too. You think getting X22LRs back into the little box as an adult is hard...bullet up , bullet down, bullet up, bullet down...
Try it at 3 years and 10 months. Gotta admit, little fingers do have an advantage on this...

<waves bye> Thanks "Teve"

Just we start them young, educate best can for their level at the time, pass forward, and well a kid has a right to be a kid.

Anyone know the ballistics of a Smith-Barney Blue? *grin*

Edit: see post # 7...

 

[KriegHund]

That was amusing!

 

[f4t9r]

Great story
I Love Kids and they grow up real fast , Will not be long before he has his own kid at the store.






I aint as good as I once was, But Im as good once as I ever was

 

[Steve F]

Here,Here!Supurb

 

[nfl1990]

Well if we show 'em the truth young enough then when they go for their indoctrination- er school, maybe the liberals won't be able to brain-wash them.

 

[Rupestris]

Steve, Great story.
Try the CCI Blazers. They come in the little plastic container inside the cardboard box. All rounds point south. Much easier to get back in the box when opened upside-down.
Either that or transfer bulk stuff to the reusable clear plastic 100 round boxes that the Federal 810's/CCI MiniMags come in.
Even I like the rattle of 100 .22LR's in a plastic box. I'm sure a four-year-old would love it.

 

[sm]

I have to edit. Where is Jeremey with his fingers?

I typed 3 years and 8 months.. Okay who says CIS/IT studies thru Cisco does NOT mess with your brain.

Let see, this is Nov. Jeremy turns four in Jan. Dec, Jan, that is 2 months from 12 months in a year =.

Jeremy is 3 years and 10 months old. I did that without my fingers, or Using Excel or Access btw- I am so proud of me.

I had September on my brain. All day today I have been in "September ". Doing a sample database with the month of September in it...sheesh.

Life was simpler when I was 3 years and 10 months old reloading
.22 shells all over the carpet, the car, the front porch...

I turned out okay tho'.

pax-
not one durn word from you...unless it is nice of course.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

When my son was that age we were shooting IHMSA handgun silhouette.

Jimmy always shot his play guns from the Creedmore position and they all kicked like a .44 Magnum.

 

[sm]

Jimmy was raised right.

When I was Jeremy's age - I assisted in teaching My Grandma how to shoot my High Standard Sentinel 9 shot revolver.

I was Five when I used my Lever Action to take Gorrilla, Bears, all sorts of game.and even Peacocks on the wing. Now you know why we have a Zoo here.

My lever gun was special. Shot corks, and one could shoot without corks. Which I did often cause without the string ( my knife founded the string) ...well...and then there was that part about the Hardware Store running out of a certain size cork, and having to wait for more to come in.

The corks off the cute pill bottles fit, then someone hid all the cute pill bottles...pill bottle gremlins existed even way back when I was wittle.

Age six, I was helping Gunny teach the Gov't Model of 1911 to Army folks. In return I learned language I was supposed to only use around certain folks. I forgot sometimes...

Like I said earlier, I turned out all right. Seems Jeremy is on the right path as well.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I remember the cork rifles, and I remember begging mom for a new bag of corks when we were in town at the five and dime. Needed some new ones cause all the others were lost under furniture.

Remember the 1911s that shot suction cup darts? They made rings on the fridge so mom would yell at us. We had a cardboard playhouse in the basement and my brother and I found out if you pulled the suction cups off, the darts would stick in the cardboard. Also, bow and arrows with suction cups removed were quite a bit more powerful.

We played cowboys and indians, me in the playhouse with my dart gun, my brother on the outside with his bow and arrow. I was watching him through a hole in the house and he thwacked me right between the eyes with an arrow. Darn near knocked me out.

Somehow we managed to not seriously injure each other, and made it to adulthood with most of our faculties intact.

 

[kudu]

You should of had one of those milk carton .22 containers Steve, they have about 550 shells in them. At least you don't have to stack them in alternating.

 

[sm]

Remember the 1911s that shot suction cup darts?

*ahem*

I'll have know my good friend, that I had a Matching PAIR of 1911 Replicas WITH a Dancing Horse on the genuine imitation Blued frames accented by the genuine imitation GI walnut stocks.

WITH...I ain't through yetwith Two genuine imitation leather Flap holsters, genuine imitation belt , two dozen suction cup darts , and the genuine imitation leather Mags...err...dart carriers.

I upgraded to a real Army Issue Web belt...my darts kinda sorta fit in the GI Issue mag carrier...I adapted quite well.

NOT once, never even come close, did that Injun on the Test Pattern ever get out of the TV set.

Now everbody knows [tm] you are supposed to take the suction cups off, get into the needles, hold the needles with needle-nosed pliers and heat them on the gas stove top burner in order for them to stick into the plastic.

I was only 4 or 5. I wouldn't be attending school until first grade. So that Moth that got onto the wall "could" have been one of them mutant killer moths. Being the eldest male around, it was up to me to defend the home.

Why do mom's actually clean the wall with Lysol? "Honey, some funny looking pin pricks on the wall...".

I pointed at the thumtacked to the wall calendar, "it fell - I put it back".

"Thank you honey, you are such a good boy"

With two dozen darts, moms can't tell, don't know if any have suction cups removed...'sides these fit in the GI mag carrier better.

Do you realize how hard it is for little kid to throw something ceiling high before a mom comes in? Helps to stand on the sofa and toss up. Mutant Moth would have to be on the ceiling this time.
Oh well I needed the training anyway...shooting while lying on back.


Then, Then I got a dozen more darts...Drug Store carried 'my brand'.

*cough* *sneeze* *cough* " sniff, sniff...If I had more darts I could stay in bed and shoot into my box and not have to get up and down so often...<pitiful eyes> *cough*..."

Hey, told to stay in bed, I got the dozen new darts, ( hey I was set up for ammo for sure) a new box and stayed in bed propped up shooting into my box. Boy was mom happy I finally went to sleep. [thwack...thwack...thwack....] I think the Drug Store guy must have spiked my medicine. One second I was shooting , next second I was out like a light. You don't figure they conspired against me do you?...the Drug Store Guy was grinning and winking as he left...

Just what one did - how raised.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

One thing about this passing it on.

My son started shooting at age eight when I gave him a Chipmunk rifle for his birthday. He knew the safety rules, he grew up around them. I set him up with that rifle and he shot it until he had blisters on his fingers from cocking it.

From that time, until he married and left home, I didn't have ammo in the house, period. If I loaded up a bunch or bought a brick, it was gone. Didn't matter where I hid it, he would shoot it up.

But, it was all worth it. I passed it on. I have watched Jimmy shoot and as I have told my friends, "If you get in a gunfight with my son, make sure he's on your side".

The boy makes me proud. Five shots per second out of his 1911, all on target.

I've asked my wife "Should I be proud? I've raised a gunfighter."

Damn right I am.

 

[Rupestris]

It ain't over yet. My daughter is 11 and has finally run out of the 6mm plastic BB's that go in her Air Soft 1911. It hits a little high but she does alright with Kentucky windage. Dad will be making a run to Meijers for another 1K rounds for her. Her Polly Pockets are planning a coup d'état ,I know it.
http://ai.pricegrabber.com/product_images/11142000-11142999/11142349_640.jpg
Of course hers is the genuine faux blued model.

I'll not let my kids suffer with bright green oversized space guns that they sell today. It's kinda hard to let the imagination run wild when all your toy guns do is light up and make terrible noises. How is one supposed to play "cops & robbers" or "cowboys & indians" with this?

http://www.maruzen-toy.com/image/pp/pp-303-1.jpg

Don't worry, I don't limit her to airsoft. She tends to like the Nylon 66 a bit more.

 

[sm]

Re: Nylon 66. You trying to spoil that kid...or is the kid the "excuse" for daddy having a Nylon 66 ?

Of course hers is the genuine faux blued model.

I could do that!

Sigh...

My want list includes - amongst other things ...:

Nylon 66 butt fed. Mine were brown stocks with blue receivers and barrels.

1911 style Spring powered BB Gun.

I think mine were Crossman's. I liked the fact these were not dependent on CO 2 ctgs, not dependent on anything except , me providing the "cocking action" and having plenty of BBs. Granted not all that powerful, or accurate, still a lot of fun and great muscle memory in handling a 1911 style platform. Just I cannot find these anymore. I think I paid a Whopping $10 - 12 for mine.

Earth was changing from flat to a bit of a roundish look at the time...

 

[falconer]

Good post.

I'm already doing my part. My 2 year old "nephew" is slated to get the Red Ryder BB gun I had as a child. I already went out and bought another one for my brother's child that is due on Christmas.

Come hell or high water, I'll have those boys shooting guns, riding 4 wheelers and motorcycles, breaking bricks, and cleaning fish by age 10.

 

[Rupestris]

Re: Nylon 66. You trying to spoil that kid...or is the kid the "excuse" for daddy having a Nylon 66 ?

The Nylon 66 that graces my safe has traveled many a mile. My uncle gave it to me when I was 13 or 14. Because I lived in Detroit and couldn't use it he traded me for a Single shot break action .177 Pellet rifle (RSW type).
When he came up from KY a couple years ago he turned it over to my son. He was 14 at the time. Technically, its his.

Am I Jealous? y'r darn right I am. Its days are numberd here. Soon enough he'll be leaving the nest and I'll be 66-less.

I had one of the Crossman spring 1911's too. Mine came with the little darts with the red feathers.

falconer, you're doin' good. Red Ryder is a good choice. Inexpensive, and tough to boot. Every kid should have one. Especially since "Schwarts said he saw a Grizzly bear down by Pulaski's candy store".