Birthday Surprise

Shane is rapidly approaching his 6th birthday. It is on Monday and he has been counting down the days since, well, I think since Christmas was finished. The boys love their birthdays! It is a day that we try to really celebrate them and their lives.

Apparently Judah had plans to give Shane a surprise birthday present. I'll fill you in on the story. Both the boys have been spending quite a bit of time outside after they finish their school work sledding down a big pile of snow Mark made for them when he plowed the driveway. Interspersed amongst the play in the snow Judah has been hunting with his BB gun (single pump-really no power) and actually killed some poor innocent bird the other day. He was extremely excited and could hardly wait for his dad to get home to show him.

The next day rolls around. He was still flying high (no pun intended) from his kill on the previous day so decided to continue his quest for more birds. His main frustration and one that brought him to tears more than once was the fact that the birds fly away as he approaches them. He just couldn't figure out why they would want to try and escape their demise for one more day. Shane filled him in on the fact that they really didn't want to die and that was the only reason they would take flight. I guess it was supposed to make Judah feel better.

Now....the reason for all this back story. Judah was out once again on a his hunting excursion and came in pretty much sobbing. I was a little alarmed thinking something may actually have gone wrong, which in his mind it did, but I quickly realized in true Judah fashion there was a lot of drama involved. Turns out he hit another bird in one of our pine trees and it didn't fall from the tree. He claims it got stuck in the tree somewhere. (we still don't know if the account of the story is accurate) I assured him that the only thing that really mattered was that he shot another bird - good job, pats on the back- you know the drill. The real reason for the tears though and the sobs was soon divulged: "I am just so upset that it got stuck in the tree because I wanted to give it to Shane for a surprise on his birthday." Uhhhh.....I'm thinking to myself, "A dead bird??!! For a surprise birthday present??? Whose body did this child come from?"

Somehow in my quest to marry a non-hunter, which I did, although I think that this is his last non-hunting year, we have also produced a son who is convinced that being a hunter is one of the best things in the world. Both Judah and Shane would like some 'dead animals' on the wall in their room at the new house. Ewww. But their cousin Tyler (thanks Steve and Sharon) has some dead animals in his room.

So, when Monday rolls around I am pretty sure it is safe to say Shane will be receiving more "normal" presents although in a child's mind normal is apparently relative because to me dead birds seem very gross not to mention rotten!