Tell me about your kids...

[WildcatOne]

That is GREAT news! Congratulations, Jason! You da MAN!!!! We'll be rooting for you in February! Cheers, WC1

[WildcatOne]

Last night I was getting ready to go upstairs, change my bandages, take an Aleve and hit the sack. It was 10PM. The phone rings, it's officer so-and-so with the Missouri City Police Department. They have Nick in custody at the Burger King/Shell station about 5 miles from here with another kid. The kid went in there with a Terminator-style toy sawed-off shotgun which was actually a BB gun, and he was playing with it in the Burger King. the kid pointed it at some lady and the next thing they knew, they were surrounded by cops in full SWAT mode at gunpoint. Nick was handcuffed and held face-down on the floor. I went over there and there were 7 cop cars and 14 cops holding them. I just got Nick and took him home. I didn't talk to the kid with him or his Mom. He won't be coming over for a long time. They could have shot Nick if he had made one false move. He was freaked out but I told him, don't gripe about the cops being zealots, because you should know by now that when they get a call like that lady made to them, they spring into full combat action and are ready to kill anything that moves. I'm just relieved that you didn't offer one ounce of resistance because you'd be dead right now if you did. As an aside, I don't know how it is anywhere else in this day and age, but around here, cops are the most uptight, over-reacting hero-complexed freaks you'd never want to tangle with...not for bad reasons, but they'll bust your @$$ in two seconds flat if you look at them crooked. I'm not saying they didn't have the right to do that, but anyone could see that gun was a toy with the day-glow orange ring around the tip of the muzzle and Nick was sitting there eating french fries...so please don't kill my son for this...He said he'd never had a gun pointed at him before (the cops pointed several guns right in his face...he had his hands up but they soon had them tied behind his back) and he'd never had anything happen to him like that. I said well, you keep hanging out with those idiots and you'll get used to it. But here's the catch: You won't be hanging out with those idiots anymore. I have questioned the merit of their "friendship" in the past but last night confirmed my doubts about them. These guys have been nothing but trouble for us. I felt sorry for Nick deep down, because he's been a great kid who has lived a sheltered, quiet and well-behaved life. He'll be 17 in a couple of weeks. If he was 18, he would have been in jail when the cops called. Anyway, he is retained under case # such-and-such and he will be called into court to testify when his stupid buddy goes on trial. It was an ugly situation but Nick was not charged, he was with the guy, which if nothing else made him an accomplice, which they decided to drop. He's here now with some friends and life goes on. It's a good thing Debby isn't here right now, she's working in Missouri through tax season. She'd have thrown a fit. Cheers, WC1

[draglist]

Sorry about this, John. It sucks that you have no control over what your buddies do and sooner or later, you need to determine if you'll continue to hang out with them or if it's too much of a risk. Glad he's safe, but hopefully, this is the shot of reality he needs. bp

[pro70z28]

Ethan is 11 months old already. Time flies.
He's not walkin' on his own yet but Sunday he learned how to use a chair for a walker. Slides easy on the tile floor. He thought that was purdy cool...... so did we....

[WildcatOne]

They're adorable at that stage...they figure out ways to get going...I remember Kyle doing stuff like that and those are my most beautiful memories of him as a pre-toddler...great looking kid, ProZ! Be proud! (I know you are...) Cheers, WC1

[pro70z28]

Thanks WC & Wheelz'.

I think we'll keep'em.

[draglist]

He looks like a GO GETTER! bp

[WildcatOne]

Weekend before last, Nick asked me Friday if he could spend the night at Jordan's house. Jordan's Nick's oldest buddy and he's a member of the band they have. I said OK. Then I didn't hear from him for the next day and a half. I called one of Nick's buddies and got Jordan's number. I called and Jordan's mom answered. She said one of Jordan's friends was there for a while but she didn't know who he was. She said they went to Spring Break down in Freeport. I was polite but I asked her if she hears from them to please tell Nick to call me. About 20 minutes later, Nick called. He apologized for not calling but he had a long, complicated story that didn't make a whole lot of sense. What I could determine was that they got to Freeport and got pulled over and ticketed when Jordan was speeding on the beach. They were on their way back when Nick called. 6 hours later at 9 PM, Nick showed up. I jumped on his case about all that. He seemed sort of remorseful but he was also miserable that I was mad at him. We didn't speak until the next day when he got up. He came into the kitchen and he said good morning. I said we need to talk. He stiffened up...I didn't have a speech prepared for him, but what I told him was this. I said Nick, I want you to understand that I am having a very hard time accepting the fact that you're not a little boy anymore. You're a young man now. You're going to go out and live your life with your friends and find your way out there. I have to allow you to do that. It would be nice for you to call me every so often and let me know you're OK, though, because I will always be thinking about you and sometimes I worry. He was overjoyed. He told me he'd be careful out there and he'll keep me updated when he goes out. I think it was our first man-to-man talk and it brought us closer than we were before. Cheers, WC1