Don't Shoot Your Eye Out!

Sometimes I write posts I never post... for one reason or another or because I need to sort through photos...  this is from 2010

Guest Post from Kenneth: 

You've probably all seen The Christmas Story.  You know the one where the little boy with big glasses wants a BB gun for Christmas and everyone tells him "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!"  This is one of the few "holiday" movies that we actually watch each year because it is really funny and doesn't overload you on saccharine "Christmas miracles"...  Well, I would never have guessed, but this year "The Christmas Story" came home.

Awsumb has a great uncle who makes sure that he doesn't miss out on all of the classic boy stuff.  For example, last year as he entered Cub Scouts, Uncle pulled me aside and asked if they could give him a pocketknife.  They did, and not a crummy keychain one, either.  And Awsumb really loves Cubs.  He wears his uniform with pride and quickly burns through the achievements to get his rank advancements.  He absolutely LOVED the Cub Scout day camp this year...  especially when they got to shoot the BB guns.  Wouldn't you know?  This year, Uncle pulls us aside and asks if he can give Awsumb a BB gun.

I love the Christmas Story because of the youthful, witty narration that captures the excitement of a big boy (just about Awsumb's age) who knows what he wants and is desperately trying to get it.  It would be easy to write him off as that spoiled kid (you probably have seen before) who throws a fit if he doesn't get what he wants, but you also get to see him in his humble, imperfect, but still functional home.  You get to see him persecuted at school and humiliated in the bunny pajamas from his auntie.  By the time the presents are opened and there was no BB gun, you really feel sorry for him.

 

This year, I listened to the original book and liked it much better.  For example, in the book, little Ralphie puts just as much enthusiasm into getting a really great gift for his parents and brother -- something they will really like.  You know that toy zephyr that his brother falls asleep with in the movie?  That was the "perfect gift" that Ralphie found to give his brother.  It helped to solidify that this was a good boy who really wanted a BB gun, as opposed to the canonical spoiled brat.

So back to our Christmas...  Awsumb never asked for a BB gun...  he probably never considered it in the realm of possibility, I guess.  He did hint strongly about those crazy autmatic Nerf guns this year, but Mom drew the line at having "enough Nerf guns already".  So maybe he automatically extended that to cover BB guns as well...  when Awsumb got to meet Santa?  He asked for Santa to "surprise him".  Santa did...  but so did Uncle!


By request, we recreated the last scene of the movie.  We opened everything else first, cleaned up the paper, and exhaled.

"Well, Awsumb, did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?  What's that over there?"

And over on the side of the entertainment center was one more package.  It did not contain a strange lamp, but an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200 shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock!  (Okay, no compass in the stock, but it is an official Red Ryder air rifle, just like Ralphie's.)

 

And like Ralphie, Awsumb was thrilled.  Unlike Ralphie, Awsumb hasn't shot unattended -- and so far, at least -- he hasn't shot his eye out.

 

Forgive me Auntie!  Early Christmas morning... but I just love this photo of the three of you!

 

Oh, how I love these two guys!