Researching Knee Replacement

[1jt@atime]

See Doug, you too are crazy! Letting your little boy touch a copperhead snake! It's a southern man thing.

 

[referee54]

I got into so much trouble one time when my son was about 4yrs old.
I took him to the coast to spend the weekend at a friends beach house. It is a very old house in a very dense scrub oak, palmetto treed area.
We went looking for Indian artifacts, and while doing so ,I saw a copperhead. They aren't common in this area so I caught it and showed it to Scotty so he would learn the elliptical eyes, triangular head and coloring as a dangerous snake. To get rid of the curiosity, I let him touch the snake.
The weekend went well.
When we got home, his mother goes what did you have for supper last night? Tater chips and spam...I got a look.
Then he turned loose,"Daddy let me pet a copperhead, I peed of of the dock, and I cut my hand while I was making a bear spear". Then I got THE look. Then the room turned to ice...I did live though.

dougie---did you go into the doghouse?

Tim C.

 

[Doug]

We had to have a serious discussion. I would rather him satisfy any of his natural curiosities with me rather than him get hurt doing it by himself. Just like with my guns. He was born to a father who carried a gun to work. I didn't want to catch him in my closet trying to see what was on my gunbelt. So I sat on the floor with him a number of times and had him handle everything on it. I never had any problems.
With the outdoors stuff, she really had hard time grasping that when males go into the woods, we don't want bagles, cream cheese, and fruit. We want chips, spam, Vienna sausages, and slim jims. And no, we don't wash our hands after we pee on a tree.

 

[beachcomber]

"With the outdoors stuff, she really had hard time grasping that when males go into the woods, we don't want bagles, cream cheese, and fruit. We want chips, spam, Vienna sausages, and slim jims. And no, we don't wash our hands after we pee on a tree."
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I'm with her..... I take my coffee grinder and espresso machine with me when I go camping.....

 

[1jt@atime]

You are right. It's best to satisy their curiosity. My husband, being the Marine and the Southerner that he is, likes guns and hunting. He only has daughters but they all learned how to handle and shoot guns. My youngest actually goes with him and his friends to the NRA to target practice. She likes to hang out with the old guys at the NRA. The NRA HQ is about 20 miles down the road.

 

[Doug]

He loves to go shooting. My mother bought him a .17cal rifle for getting his second degree in Karate. He also loves to go hiking with me. Which was one of my motivators for the TKR. I can't wait for fall/winter this year so we can go into the woods and swamps, and hike. Sometimes we just stop, drop the tailgate, boil water and make hot chocolate. I know in a few years I won't have him so I'm clinging as hard as I can now.
Now my eyes went and got wet.

 

[beachcomber]

Good for you. Treasure these days... they pass too soon.

Best thing I ever did "mom-wise" was to buy a little motorhome when my son was 11 and we went on cross country trips two summers in a row. He was the navigator and read the maps, helped set up "camp" at the KOAs at night and ran off to the pool to make new friends literally from all over the world. It was an amazing time for us. Memories to treasure forever.

 

[1jt@atime]

Ahhh...you'll have 'em Doug. He'll always want to do the manly thing with Dad.

 

[Doug]

That is what I would love to do..I'd have to make a stop in Oregon and see you and Skeet.
But that is one of those things I neve see happening....especially with the price of gas.

 

[Jamie]

When an officer shows up with blue/red lights flashing, it pushes it to another level, and talking just doesn't do it. It's amazing how strong a skinny little guy can get.

Doug, everything you talk about is soooo familiar. Except the skinny little guy thing. Our grandson is 6 feet 2 inches and usually weighs over 200. No small guy there. But like you say, the cops in our town and now in the city where he is all know him and I think do their best to do what they have to and then get rid of him so they can go on with their work. I sympathize....they are not there to babysit someone who should be in an institution of some type. Thanks again for sharing your support. You know, it really makes me feel better to know someone who has been in law enforcement and seen it and understands.

 

[Jamie]

Jamie, I'm sorry the grandkid thing is so (pardon the pun) insane for you and your husband. But you both seem to really enjoy each other's company at least.

Thanks, Jenn.....you are right. My husband raised his kids and he feels that they need to take care of themselves now and our job is to enjoy our life together. We are still available if they really have a big problem, but we purposely try to let them run their own lives and the lives of our grandkids. So far, we have seen positive results from that which were not there years ago when we tried a little harder to be involved and help out more. Kind of a "tough love" deal, I guess, but it is working.

 

[Doug]

Jamie,
It is part of their job. That is what they are out there for. When you can go to a call and settle it without someone getting hurt, it makes you feel good.
It is good that the town is small enough that they know him and can respond accordingly.

 

[Jamie]

Jamie, we've got some mental issues running around our family but nothing like this. I wish you and your family only the best handling everything. I know it's hard to deal with, especially for the younger kids. The three grandkids are siblings or cousins?

Thanks for your understanding. The one grandson with all the problems is from our daughter's first marriage. His dad and dad's father had major mental problems, so I'm sure part of it is genetic. The younger two are also our daughter's children from a second failed marriage. They are going through some problems, but nothing like the oldest. Their Dad is a loser (deadbeat Dad and more), but both of them are normal mentally and doing fine in school. Certainly could never say that about our oldest grandson. They are a lot easier to be around. Years ago when our oldest grandson was only 2, he and his mom lived with us for about 3 months. We had to save her from a physically abusive marriage. I noticed then that he had problems....just didn't act like a normal 2 year old....not much talking, no exploring his environment, wouldn't play much with toys - wanted YOU to play and he would watch. So it's no real surprise that he had problems later. But the shock was just how deep the problems are running. What a mess his life is. It's just so very sad. But if you have some of the same issues in your family, you know what I'm talking about.

 

[Jamie]

You are right Doug. No one in MY extended family has mental issues....It's all on the husband's side! he, he, he

Well, of COURSE!!! MY family is fine....'course I never had any kids of my own to test that....but it's MY story and I'm stickin' to it!

 

[Jamie]

Good for you. Treasure these days... they pass too soon.

Best thing I ever did "mom-wise" was to buy a little motorhome when my son was 11 and we went on cross country trips two summers in a row. He was the navigator and read the maps, helped set up "camp" at the KOAs at night and ran off to the pool to make new friends literally from all over the world. It was an amazing time for us. Memories to treasure forever.

Oh....Beach.....what a fantastic idea!!!! I know those memories you made will be priceless for your son forever and it helped him learn and grow. What a great mom you are!

 

[beachcomber]

Yeah, those were the "good old days" of gasoline--- about 10 years ago.
Wow--- that long? Where has the time gone? But it was great. Worth every penny. My folks thought I was crazy. Just me and an 11 year old and a little mutt dog. We had to call "home" every night to check in. Had the time of our lives.

That is what I would love to do..I'd have to make a stop in Oregon and see you and Skeet.
But that is one of those things I neve see happening....especially with the price of gas.

 

[Jamie]

Jamie,
It is part of their job. That is what they are out there for. When you can go to a call and settle it without someone getting hurt, it makes you feel good.
It is good that the town is small enough that they know him and can respond accordingly.

I guess. But actually both towns are not all that small. Olathe where he grew up is 100,000 and now he's in Lawrence, KS where the University of Kansas is....I don't know the population there, but it isn't what I'd call small. But it's that old Midwestern thing that the police still operate with a small town philosophy. You're right that it's a good thing.

 

[1jt@atime]

Depression and eating disorders run in my husband's family. His sister died from a heart attack at the age of 26 as a result of years of anorexia and bulemia. I've just seen that when one sibling is going through mental health issues, you really have to watch the others because it affects them more then you might realize. It's hard enough for us, as adults to handle things like this but when you are a kid....well...it's even that much more difficult. I don't know how close the younger two are to their half brother, but I think its them your daughter needs to think about.

 

[1jt@atime]

Wow, Olathe is 100,000 now?

 

[beachcomber]

Oh....Beach.....what a fantastic idea!!!! I know those memories you made will be priceless for your son forever and it helped him learn and grow. What a great mom you are!

We met some people in Utah who watched us pull in and set up camp. After Kris took off for the pool, they looked over at me and smiled and said "Let us guess--- you're a teacher, right?" I must have looked flabbergasted--- they just smiled and said "It shows--- we can always tell." and complimented me on what a nice kid my son was.

Makes me smile, just remembering those summers. Great adventures.... I'm glad I was intrepid enough to do it. I am not sure I would be brave enough these days.