An okay start to the weekend.

Last night I asked my older daughter if she was interested in going to the gun range today, and because she is an awesome kid, she said yes.  It was her second trip, and as I have said before, I'm doing my best to keep it stress free, and not push anything on her the way my dad pushed golf on me.

Since moving into the new house, she has been absouletly great, tying to set a good example for her younger sister, who has been sneaky and hellionish since getting a room of her own again(two days after moving in, we found she had sneaked a bar of Bakers Chocolate into the bathroom(eww) where she kept it under the counter, snacking on it during her potty breaks).  Eww.  My wife says that what the younger one is doing is perfectly normal 6-year old behavior after something like a move, but it still lights my fuse. 

So...in addition to going shooting, I brought Bella out for breakfast also, to make it a little more special and rewarding.  Right away, she did her best to make me cry, by ordering her breakfast off the normal menu, instead of the kid specific menu 'because I'm not a little kid anymore Daddy.'  SOB!

That's hot cocoa, not coffee

Nope...I know you aren't a little kid anymore...but did she have to rub it in like that?  At least her eyes were bigger than her stomach, and I got to help eat some bacon and eggs.

At the range, things went smooth.  She was much less shaky than she had been first time...and I did a little less hovering, and more 'standing by'.  Her thumb isn't strong enough to operate the safety on the Walther P22, but is strong enough to work the slide release. 

I even put her behind a few long guns this time...the Marlin Model 700 that was my first gun, and the Marlin 1894C that is my favorite gun.  When loaded with .38's, that 1894C doesn't kick much more than a .22, and is a forgiving gun.  Because of her (lack off) arm length, I had to work the lever on the 1894 for her, but she seemed to like it much more than the Model 700. 

The only real issue she had with the long guns was keeping them socketed into her shoulder.  Because she is attempting to insist that she is left-eye dominant, she wants to either drape her whole head over the gun, OR put the butt of the gun squarely in the center of her chest.  Not a big deal at her age(yet)(SOB!) with a .22 or the .38, but, hey...it's the right way to learn.  Plus I had to convince her to keep her middle finger off the trigger...I don't have that problem...with my sausages, only one can fit in the trigger guard at a time.

Best part, is she made sure to say she would like go again sooner than the 6 months I made her wait inbetween her first trip and second trip. 

Now see, that's your problem...you're eyes are closed!