Childproof {or Not}

Janell with Joseph, who visited while she was teaching at church to give her a rose (Jan. 2010).

Today my dear friend Janell came over to share a daily meditation from the Magnificat by Saint Francis de Sales, whose memorial is today.  We shared the reflection, a cup of tea, and visited while four of our kids were at swimming and her three young boys played around the house.

Her three year old son, Joseph (aka the Runaway), appeared out of no where with a short sword (one of Peter's collectibles) and innocently asked, "What's this?"

"Oh Joseph, that's probably not safe for little boys, I'm sorry that wasn't put up out of your reach.  Can you show me where you found it?"  I had an inclination that there might be more where that came from.

"Right under here!" he reached under Peter and Joseph's bunk bed and pulled out a pike, "What's this?"

"Oh that's another weapon that's not safe for little boys, let's put that up too!  Look! Here's a Nerf battle axe~ it's safe to play with."

"Don't you have any guns?"

"Here's a gun, it's a marshmallow gun!"

Back to visiting with Janell when I heard a frightening question from Joseph, "Is this for bashing heads?"

"What?" I asked as I quickly walked over to his side of the room, where he was hidden from my view by a tall dining room chair.

"Is this for bashing heads?" he asked again, holding the mace I had failed to find in the boys' room on my first (late) safety inspection.

"Well, I guess that's what a soldier would use it for if he was in mortal danger.  Here, let me put that up, too."

Only a few days ago I had inspected their room, cleaned completely and vacuumed as a (belated) gift for my birthday.  I didn't see a single weapon.  But in just a matter of moments, little Joseph had spotted them all and handled them, too.  I think he's got a built in weapon-magnet, which comes free with many boys!

Why do we have all these assorted weapons/Lord of the Rings replicas in our house?
Why are they in plain reach of our three year old visitor?
I have no idea.  Ask my husband, or ask my boys...
I think it has something to do with owning two pawn shops and having boys who love to outdo each others' collections of interesting and old fashion weaponry.  Or maybe we're just crazy?

At any rate, we have a way to go to being a child-proof house!

Saint Francis de Sales, pray for us!