Noisy Eagle

As the eldest of five siblings and mother of three children, you'd think I'd seen it all by now. Will, my five year old, continues to surprise and amaze me.

From the time he started sitting traps in the yard for cats at the age of three, he's been headed at full-speed from one unimaginable adventure to another.

He's been home with me the last two days as he's been running a low grade fever. While he was suppose to be watching a movie in his room he found one of the soft-pellet guns him and his dad shoot, located a container of metal bebes, and loaded the gun. I wouldn't have known about it, but he came out to ask how to release the safety.

I explained that all guns that shoot ammunition of any sort can only be used when he's with his Papa. "Just wait for Papa to get home," I suggest.

He's quite for a moment, an intense look of concentration on his face and then he says, "Why don't you go lay down in your room and read a book Momma?" He gives me a little shove. Subtle he is not.

"No. You are not going to shoot that gun without your Papa."

"I'm not going to shoot the gun," he promises, with all the panache of a veteran liar. "I'm just going outside to play."

"William, if I catch you shooting that gun I am going to spank you."

"I'm not going to shoot the gun. I'm just going outside to play." He's outside for less than three minutes. Then he's back for the next round.

"Why don't you put on some of those ear covers so you can't hear loud noises," he asks me. I know exactly what's he's talking about; headphones for shooting.

"I am not putting on headphones. I do not need them. And you are not shooting that gun."

"I'm not going to shoot the gun."

"Then why do I need to wear head phones?" Again the intense look of concentration.

"An Eagle might fly out of the sky and . . . "