Heavy Metal Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 (edited) My 11 and 9 year old son went through hunters ed this weekend. Both have been homeschooled from day one which I only say to get across the point that they only take big "tests" once a year at the end of the school year, which is the IN state test. So you can imagine, it's a whole new kind of "pressure/stress" if you will that they are not used to. This being the only test either of them have every WANTED to take and pass, LOL! There were 8 kids, one of which was a 15 year old. He finished fast and missed only two (you can miss up to 30 out of 100 BTW, and pass). My 9 year old finished fast as well right after the teen and he only missed 3!!!!! SMOKED IT! My 11 year old however, who is a very slow reader and struggles mightily with word problems finished almost an hour after everybody else. I was stressing hard worrying the poor kid was gonna fail....and probably gonna fail badly. I was almost tearing up inside as I passed the test to the instructor to score because ALL 7 other kids had gathered around and were watching him check each filled in dot. I looked over at Luke and his face was pale with fear. He had his fingers in his mouth which he has a bad habit of doing when he's nervous or scared (like getting busted) I and him I know suddenly panicked inside, anticipating public humiliation as the only kid not to pass because the whole class including a parent there to now pick up his kid were all waiting for the final result. The instructors also had never had ANY kid or adult, not pass their classes. Well, the instructor puts the "hole punched" answer template over Luke's test sheet, first column......perfect, second column, one wrong, third column, perfect, fourth column....perfect. I started tearing up as I realized even if he got the rest wrong...he passed. Fifth colum, 3 wrong. MY SON GOT ONLY 4 WRONG!!!! I'm crying even now writing this! I'm so proud of both of them! But by far, this was so huge for Luke! What a victory. I swear I've never felt so thankful and so happy for somebody else because I knew he needed this for himself. And man did he come through in the clutch. I'm just........I'm so happy for him. This kid has fought his way through his schooling week in and week out since kindergarden. I could just see the confidence and the sense of achievement (and probably some relief) all over his face. I don't think he stopped smiling all the way home. MAN....awesome day for the Retzloff family! I know I haven't stop thinking about it since! He gets his first rifle (44 mag Handi-rifle) in August for his 12th birthday. THANK YOU LORD! I LOVE YOU ZACH! I LOVE YOU LUKE!! Oh yeah and one more little "bragging parent" thing. Afterword both instructors told me those were the two best behaved boys they'd ever had and that they payed attention intently both days for all 10 hours......which um, isn't there best skill. Edited May 4, 2009 by Heavy Metal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 AMEN to being well behaved. That is an awesome story and congrats to the boys and their proud dad too!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosierbuck Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 As an IN hunter ed. volunteer instructor and a dad, I can totally empathize with you. I am happy for all of you. Congrats to your boys and to you. HB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelund79 Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Congratulations to both of your children. That really was a great story to read, I have alot more to look forward to with my 2 kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 My mother always said to me, if you don't learn something new everyday then you need to clean your ears out and listen more. I was a slow reader as well and had a learning disability, with hard work and understanding material, got out of high school on high honors and went to college. You can do anything if you set your mind to it....!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heavy Metal Posted May 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 My mother always said to me, if you don't learn something new everyday then you need to clean your ears out and listen more. I was a slow reader as well and had a learning disability, with hard work and understanding material, got out of high school on high honors and went to college. You can do anything if you set your mind to it....!! SAME WITH ME!! Well....accept for the "honors" part! LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heavy Metal Posted May 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 ....and the college part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 What a loving story about the days events WAY TO GO ZACH! WAY TO GO LUKE! & WAY TO GO DAD AND MOM !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunt or be Hunted Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Way to go when i did mine 5 years ago i got 1 wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 a big yea to all of you. great story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Congratulations to your sons, and to you too. The instructors here really do well with the classes from what I have seen. My oldest got one wrong when we took the test together back when she was 10, sure makes you proud. Funny though that she did not do so well with the target range and the pellet rifles, she displayed safe handling just fine, but could not hit the target to save her life. My wife and our middle daughter(7 now) need to take the hunter ed sometime in the future, but they used to not offer it to kids under 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OJR Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Congratulations to all of you! Great read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 That was great, Troy! Congrats to you all! Havent heard from you in a while, and was actually about to PM you to see what's up your way and noticed this thread. I remember taking hunter's ed in fourth or fifth grade. We finished the course by going out back to shoot .22s at targets. That's probably something that is unheard of these days in school, but liability and such wasnt what it is today of course. Congrats again, and thanks for sharing that. My girls are nine, not sure when they'll be taking it. It was standard in elementary school for us, then again taking ag in high school, so when they get their chance, it will probably mean i will have to take them to courses outside of school, which is kinda sad really, since they used to be one and the same when i was young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whttlbucksteve Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 I also had a daughter just go through it is a great feeling.CONGRATS to them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doe-ee Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Congratulations! A very heart warming read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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