they changed the story, now they say it was a couple of 30 somethings...

Lori your showing your age again................It's summer time and BOYZ WILL BE BOYZ.........Lori did you do every thing your parents told you to do.................Did you ever do ''wrong or bad'' Behind your mom and dad back or when they sleeping...........Or were you an angel then too. Did you raise boyz? Good to see you back.

Well, of course we all know I'm old (proud of it)  ..... and yes, I sometimes did things I had been warned not to.  Let's see ..... I stomped around the back of the Motor City Speedway which was just a junk yard.  Stepped on a nail - just like I was told would happen.  I walked in front of the swings at the park - yup - got hit in the head, just like I was told would happen.

We did not however, play with dangerous fire producing "rockets."  But we had an aunt who, as a girl, was seriously burned from 4th of July fireworks.  No one had to tell us how dangerous these products were. 

So, sorry Gube - at a very early age, I learned to really pay attention to what my parents told me not to do.  And oh, lets not forget I was not out running the streets at 3:00 a.m. 

Of course, we are assuming these juvies had interested parents.  We may very well be assuming too much.  And - gee - have to show my smart alecky side here - we are also assuming these were boyz that had the ability to learn from examples.  That may be too much assuming also. 

I had brothers - and they protected me from the bullies in the neighborhood and were particularly protective if I came up with some hair brained idea that could very possibly get me hurt or destroy property.  But - they were very smart boyz.

And rm6 - if they were 30 somethings - these "boyz" should be arrested, tried (and convicted!!) and sent to JAIL.  Get them put away because they obviously do not possess the necessary two - that's right, just two -  brain cells to make a good decision.  Most of us have more cells, but you have to have at least two to rub together to get some action.

Just saw the news article about the "boyz."  31 and 36.  WOW - how dumb and drunk do you have to be to do really dumb and destructive stuff?  Idiots -  

Lori the original news article reported two youths started the fire.

I grew up in Wyoming where fireworks were sold everywhere to anyone at any age. We used to have Bottle rocket fights......We would stand about 50 feet apart and shoot bottle rockets at each other.........those were good times. Kids today miss out on so much fun. .............I have two boyz and they are boyz. They play hard and they do boy things like shoot birds and play with knifes.....................Blaming the parents is a cop-out. 

Lori why did you brothers have to protect  you from the bullies in the neighborhood ?????????????

Bullies always pick on the smart girl.  And gube - really? You let your boyz play with knives?  They have guns and they shoot birds?  And they shot rockets off at each other? 

Sure hope no terrible accident takes your darlings from you.  It does happen, ya know - and should something terrible happen, I'll absolutely blame you.  You've told them, and made it clear, that dangerous behavior is not only acceptable, but expected.

And then we may have the good luck of additional young adults who drink too much, shot off illegal fire rockets that will burn down some building.  Hopefully the building will be empty and no one will be burned alive.  It does happen, ya know. 

I'm not sure what to hope for to save you and your boyz from danger:  1)  maybe something just a little terrible will happen to you and yours and you'll all learn a valuable lesson and not play dangerously, 2) maybe your boyz will be put away for burning down a building, but not forever because no one was killed during their play-date, or gee, 3) they grow up and accidentally kill their brother by throwing a knife at him.  It does happen, ya know.

Some families completely escape the injuries received by millions from dangerous activities and the results are just another generation of kids shooting fire rockets, shooting birds and throwing knives. 

I do hope you stay safe - teach your kids to play safe - and goodness, could you just play a game of baseball, or help me across the street when I need it, or go to the fair, maybe a ruff & tuff game of tug-of-war?  If extra aggression must be spent, play football or soccer. 

Lori who said anything about throwing knifes????They both have several knifes in their knife collection.....Believe me Lori it only takes a cut or two and they will respect the knife....I also did not say anything about my boys having bottle rocket fights but I wouldn't put it pass them.....After all they are boyz....I have 3 brothers a 1 sister and all of them turned out ''normal. I was the black sheep of my family. I got into a lot of stuff that drove my mom and dad crazy. when I hear people quickly blame the parents for their kids behavior it makes me laugh.......I had good parents.....a** WHOPPINGS were a daily affair for me.......A belt across a bare a** really hurts but it didn't hurt enough to stop me from having more ''fun' I also have 4 girls but I let my old lady handle them.......the boyz are all mine..........They are good kids..........They are not girlie boyz............

And bullies usually pick on girls with smart MOUTHS............................Oh year soccer is for sissy's

Bullies are ALWAYS the dummies and they pick on the smart kids. You went to grade school gube, right?  This is not a new phenomenon.  But, I'll fess up - I have a smart mouth too, and that got me in trouble with the teachers.  Soccer for sissies?  The teen-age and professional games look pretty rough to me.  And they have no advantage of 20 pounds of padding like the football players.

No Lori bullies don't pick on the smart kids they pick on the weak ones.................................And soccer players don't get body slamed to the ground like football players do........

Gube, Have you ever watched professional soccer, high school soccer, or club/indoor soccer? I'm not talking about AYSO. It can get very down and dirty. There is plenty of body slamming and tackling only these kids aren't wearing protective gear!  Have you ever been kicked in the face, stomach, leg, by a cleated foot? Have you ever been hit by a soccer ball going who knows how fast on your bare skin on a cold day? Have you ever taken one in the throat? Let me tell ya it's not fun!  I suggest you give it another look...it definitely isn't a sissy sport. I know plenty of people who have had broken bones and surgery because of this "sissy" sport.

Oh, and unless your boys are hunters or something and have taken some safety courses I'm going to have to agree with Lori, on the whole gun/knife issue. My husband and I may be over cautious with our kids(they are all pretty young still), but his job revolves around emergencies, and sadly MANY of them could have been prevented if the parents had been a bit more aware and responsible. I for one NEVER want to be in that position.

Also, I have to agree that bullies pick on the weak kids. They usually do this because they have low self esteem and need to boost their egos. It's the pecking order. Chances are they are being bullied at home by a parent or an older sibling, and they take that out on kids that they think won't /can't defend themselves. You know the ones they know they could beat in a fight.......they never go after people their own size or someone that might put them in their place.

countygirl ok you and Lori may have a point with soccer  not being a sissy sport........It may be fun to play but come on it's totally un-American and its very boring to watch..........

My boyz are 12 & 14 and both have been around knifes for years. they also have machete's in their collection. other the the oldest almost putting his eye out once ha ha I can't think of a time that they hurt themselves, each other or anyone else for that matter.

BB guns and Pellet guns are my boyz guns of choice..........Its not like their running around the neighborhood shooting everything that moves......................only birds and a occasional squirrel......oh they shot a Gopher once......then the cat ate it......

Now when it comes to bullies I don't like them.........Some of my kids have had to deal with a bully and to tell you the truth it was all I could do not to go and get in the farce of the bullies father.........Believe me I would want to know if one of my kids were picking on someone weaker then them........They know I wont stand for that......I tell my kids that if they stick up for someone being bullied that I would back them..........Our schools don't go far enough in protecting our kids from bullies but that another blog

Lori I am glad to see you back........forgive me if the jerk in me comes out......

Thanks for the support Countrygirl.    I guess we could agree that sometimes the smart kids are also weak.  But I was active in several sports (swimming, field hockey and baseball) so I don't think I was considered weak.  Because I was put ahead several times during grade school, my classmates were 3 to 4 years older than me (depending on how many times they had been held back!!!!).  Maybe being so much younger made me the target - but I was glad to have big brother waiting for me when I got out of school. 

Oh, and I was also very tall for my age - got my full growth before 12 years old (5'7").  I was taller than most of the 16 year old boys that tormented me - gee I hate thinking back on those dumb punks.  Yeah - they usually had pretty bad home lives - I guess I should feel sorry for them,       &n bsp;       &nb sp;    But, HaHa ... I win ..... I got the education and the good job, married well, which means hubby is smart, handsome, educated and had (has) a good job. 

I'm trying to imagine where Gube's little boyz are exactly, outside playing with knives and have guns in which to shoot birds.   And apparently outlawed fireworks are OK too.  I want to keep my grand daughter far-far away.  Come to think of it, I think I want to stay away too.  And those whoppings you received Gube - apparently didn't have much of a long term effect - because here you are expecting your boyz to behave badly.  I'm trying to get over them killing birds ..... what is that all about?

Lori what makes you think my boyz behave badly?????  Just because my boyz have knifes and shots an occasional bird doesn't make them bad kids....In my book it makes then normal boyz.

I expect this type of response from someone that thinks soccer is a good sport to get your young one involved in.....AYSO SOCCER has screwed up more kids with their ''nobody is a looser everybody is a winner...we don't keep score crap. Its that type of sissy crap that is turning kids into girlie boy's that don't know what its like to really play outside.......Too many mothers and not enough fathers raising Boy nowadays is also a problem.......to many of you wimpy guys that can't stand up to their wives.......

Anyway I have good boyz and I am proud of them........ because I don't baby them doesn't mean I'm not teaching then right from wrong......It's just not YOUR idea of right and wrong...

Gube, I would never have imagined you as a father of 6.  All yours?  or blended family?

Gube, I sure hope the birds you are talking about are quail or something and they are eating them after they shoot them!  I grew up with 7 brothers.......I know all about boys.  My brothers had BB guns, and bows and arrows, I think the knives ended with the Swiss Army knives, BUT they never shot anything they didn't intend to eat,( except for maybe a rattler or two) and the bows and arrows were only used on targets placed on hay bales. Killing birds just for the heck of it isn't sport, it is mutilating small animals and really isn't looked graciously on. I mean come on most serial killers started out mutilating small animals. I'm not saying your kids are potential serial killers, but you can see why that kind of behavior is looked down upon.

I'm curious how much involvement in sports you and your kids have had because your statement about AYSO is ridiculous. Yes, they start out with that "Nobody is a loser", "We don't keep score" attitude but we're talking about 5 and 6 year olds! You want to build them up before you break them down which comes later on with high school sports and even earlier these days. The mentality that winning is everything is what is ruining society. That's why you see athletes getting busted for illegal "boosters" all the time now, that's why young girls are starving themselves and getting plastic surgery at 16, and the list goes on and on. 

I agree with you that kids don't play outside enough these days and I blame that on video games and the fact that parents are afraid to let their kids out of their sight anymore.

On another note....I really hope you do spend some quality time with your girls. A father figure is huge for girls.......you don't want them growing up trying to fill that void. You might end up a grand daddy sooner than you like. Oh, and your statement about wimpy men not standing up to their wives is laughable................but I'll end it there.