Spencer's Reward

At the beginning of school last year Gary and Spencer made a deal. We make alot of "deals" at our house. They basically consist of good behavior = reward. When I was little if you were bad at school your name was written on the board. If you were bad again you got a check mark next to your name. Finally, after three check marks, you are punished in whatever way the teacher saw fit. Similarly, many of the schools now use cards. Each of the kids have a set of cards on their desk. Two cards with different colored sides. Each time they misbehave they get their card flipped or pulled. Each color has a different punishment assigned. White - warning, Green - no recess, Blue - call parents, Red - meeting with principal. So the deal was that if Spencer never got his card pulled, not even a warning, he and Dad would go on a one-on-one camping trip. Well Spencer was a model student all year and earned his trip. He and Gary went last weekend. They had a great time. Gary partly packed the camping gear the night before. I just needed to pack their clothes and food the morning they left. Well with the two of us doing separate jobs a few things were forgotten. A few of the things that were "overlooked" were nonessentials like tongs to flip the tinfoil dinners in the fire and utensils and plates to eat them with. My ingenious guys made due with a shovel and their fingers. Just notch it up to a more authentic camping experience. After a super cold night of sleeping in the back of the truck the guys went fishing. We have been a few times with no success. However, this trip was Spencer's reward trip and I guess the fish knew it so he nabbed Spencer's line and Spencer was able to land his first fish! Yahooo! Good Job Buddy! He was so excited. Gary was excited for him too but then he realized he had to get the hook out and kill the thing. Gary is such a great Dad. He was totally out of his comfort zone just worming the hook but he really stepped up by sticking his hand down the fishes throat, hitting its head on a rock and breaking it's neck, it gives me willies just imagining it. Great Job Hun, Way to take one for the team. I have heard somewhere that fish don't have nervous systems so they don't feel pain. Gary jokingly says he asked the fish to let him know if it hurt when he smacked it with a rock and since it didn't move after that he assumes it didn't. When the guys got home I had Spencer clean and gut his fish then I cooked it up and we all ate it. Spencer was so nice to share wit us. Yum, yum, it was delicious. All in all it was a fun trip. One that Father and Son thoroughly enjoyed and won't soon forget. P.S. It has been requested that I disclose the location of the"catch". They went to East Park Res. up Red Cloud Loop. Just 30 minutes from home. We are so lucky to live so close to some of the most beautiful recreation areas in the world.