Day 1 of "BB Gun Camp"

Back in January, we took Alex to the Summer Camp Fair at the Palmer Auditorium. We thought it was the perfect way to let him pick out the camps he would enjoy the most. The first one we encountered was Camp Doublecreek.

They had a video showing, and we started to talk to one of the counselors on hand. They discussed the activities available to Alex every day: swim lessons; arts and crafts; horseback riding; sports; music; mini golf; tennis; gymnastics.

And then they mentioned the magical words of "archery" and "BB gun safety." "BB guns?" Alex perked up. Oh yes... they have BB guns, and they teach gun safety and have target practice. And from that moment, Alex was sold. No other camp could possibly compare to "BB gun camp," as he named it and how we have been calling it since January. You can see my attempts to raise non-violent boys in a gun-free household have been a stellar success. (And yes, I relented last year and allowed a few Star Wars "blasters" to enter the home... as long as we called it a "blaster", and not a "gun.")

So we signed up for four weeks at BB Gun Camp, and Alex was beyond overjoyed to go to Spicewood, where the Camp Doublecreek, er, BB Gun Camp, bus would pick him up and take him away for a day filled with fun and BB guns. Everyone I've talked to whose ever sent their kids to Doublecreek raves about the place. One parent went there himself  as a child, and can still sing the Camp's theme song.

We spent a good amount of time Sunday night getting everything ready for his first day Monday morning, checking out the website for the 200th time to make sure we had everything we need, and that we would be at the right place at the right time. To make sure we had the correct days for the lunches we had pre-paid (pizza on Wednesdays, Chick-Fil-A day on Friday). To make sure we were still registered for the horseback riding lessons. Everything was perfect. No way could Alex not have the greatest first day ever at BB Gun Camp.

So despite my misgivings at sending my son off to learn about guns, I was looking forward all day to hearing about how much fun BB Gun Camp was. Carl  was to pick him up, and I must have called his cell at least ten times, "Do you have him yet.. why aren't you there yet? ... Are you there yet?..."

Carl arrives, and Alex is playing with some other campers. And guess what his first words were?  "Hi, Daddy!" perhaps? Or maybe "I love BB Gun Camp!!" 

Um... that would be a big fat NO.

...

Alex's first words are... wait for it...  "Daddy, can you sign me up for BB Gun lessons?"

...

That's right.

Despite all my careful research, all my careful planning, somehow, we had missed the fact that we had to actually sign a permission form for him to operate the BB Guns.

So the first day of BB Gun Camp was not, in fact, the first day of BB Gun Camp.