Slip 'n Hide

Freddie took his first ride down a Slip 'n Slide today. "First WALK down...," I guess I should say. We set up the slide that Mom and Daddy have had in an unopened box since about Camden's early childhood, and Freddie liked to play in the sprinklers that sprayed arcs over the plastic mat, but he wasn't all that sure about sliding. Then "Doodoo" held his hand and walked him down which did him just right. 

Jones didn't spend much time on the Slip 'n Slide. He was put on the DL when his upper lip collided with the crown of Camden's head. Lizzie Gray and Jones starting walking by the end of the slide at exactly the moment Camden started sliding from the top of it. The endgame was bloody, but both boys are no worse for the wear. 

Further proof that he's the greatest 15.5 year old to ever roam the earth is the fact that Cam kept coming over to Jones all afternoon to ask if he was alright. 

He's alright, Cam, but I think your incredible sweetness just made my heart explode.

Hours later, when I asked Jones what had happened to his lip, he said something completely unintelligible that ended with the word "Doodoo" and Jones's pointing at his lip. 

Try as I may, I couldn't get a picture of this outlandishness (it was the biggest busted lip I've ever seen, but it's already all better). Here's one of Doodoo and Freddie on their soggy stroll, though: 

And here are a few more little tidbits to remember:

I've blogged before about Jones's hide-and-seek game. His "hiding" consists of backing himself into a corner and - sometimes - covering his eyes.

Well, when we got here a few weeks ago, he went immediately to his "spot." In the kitchen, I heard him call from that corner, of the foyer, "Mama! Where that Jones?" I guess that was my invitation to play. 

Mercifully, he hasn't uncovered such a spot at our house, but there are several here at Mom and Daddy's, and the house at Pawleys had a good one, too.  Pop and Payton are far and away his best playmates in this charade, as I bore too easily, and Freddie, it turns out, just tries to rat him out. 

Isn't that just like a brother?

When we got to Greenville on Monday, Jones ran to play the game with Pop, who, on cue, started saying, "Where's Jones?" Freddie looked at Daddy like he was taking crazy pills, pointed right at Jones's corner and said, "Jo Jo!" Like, "Duh, old man!" 

Finally, one of Jones's chores at Mom's is sliding his high chair back to its spot against the wall after he's through using it. Since he's started doing it, I'll say, "Jones, put your chair where it belongs, please," and he'll slide it over there, as I slide Baby's beside it. 

Well, in the last few weeks, Freddie's starting pushing his own chair against the wall. He's never been told to. I guess he just feels the need for Jones to know, "Anything you can do, I can  do better." 

(UPDATE: this morning, 6/11, when I asked Jones what happened to his lip, he immediately said, "I crash Doodoo." Kinda adorable.)