A Funny Story

So, last week I wanted to go to a funeral on Thursday for one of my great-uncles, and my Mom wanted me to be able to come so that I could also drive her. We were already planning on going down the mountain on Friday morning, but I was willing to go a day early.

Convincing Jake that this would be okay was another story.

I told Jake that after the funeral Gramma wanted to go to the Air Force Base because it had been a long while since she had been able to do that and she just needed her "BX fix". The BX is the Base Exchange, basically a department store with fair prices and no tax. I was trying to get Jake excited about...shopping. At a military store. With his Mom. And Gramma. And little sister.

It wasn't going well.

I told him you could get "anything" there. He asked:

"Do they have Samurai swords?"

To which I weakly replied: "They might..."

We were up and out the door just after 7:00 AM Thursday morning. We drove 2 hours to Gramma's. We changed into our funeral clothes, which is when Jake realized he had forgotten his black socks and dress shoes and would have to wear his white sport socks with his (at-least-they-were-black) skater shoes.

And we drove another hour + to get to the funeral, where Jake didn't know anyone.

viewing-funeral serice-burial-me driving to the old house where Doug and I lived when Nick was born and where I lived when I was single-back to the church for the luncheon.

Jake sort of hung around outside for awhile and when he came in to eat...

well, the food was gone.

I felt pretty bad for Jake. I was afraid he might threaten to move to Australia. I gave him a roll and PROMISED to get him some food later.

We finally made it to the BX at 4:00 that afternoon. I gave Jake five bucks and told him to get anything he wanted in the (little) food court. We all agreed to meet back in an hour, and off we went in our separate ways--Abbie with me.

After a bit Jake found me and with great excitement and gusto exclaimed:

"Mom! Guess what they have here???!!!"

I looked at him with mild disbelief and asked: "A Samurai sword...?"

YES!!!!

What could be done about this? We have now entered the world of lethal weapons.

I am now a mother too old to worry like I used to.

Who knew you could get a Samurai sword at the BX?


Later that night at Gramma's house, Nick and Fred were in disbelief that I let Jake get this.


And Nick quickly let his alter-ego out to play...



It ended up being a pretty good day for Jake, after all.