Carter the Creative Child Part I - Slip and Slide

** This post is WAY out of date. This actual event happened in September. However, I had no pictures of it and have kept going back and forth about whether or not I should blog about it. I decided that since I am going to turn this into a scrapbook, I really needed to write this event down. So, close your eyes for a little while and imagine it is September 2008 as I relive one of our "finest" moments.

One of the "joys" of working with college kids is seeing your children pick up on things the bigger kids do. Our social club always has a meeting in the fall where they create their own slip and slide with trash bags, dish soap and water going down a HUGE hill. My kids never went on it with the kids (they can be a bit reserved when it comes to some things) but watched oh so closely!! This year we "splurged" and bought them one for our yard. Needless to say they loved it and wanted to play with it all the time! We finally had to put it up because the weather was just not "slip and slide" appropriate. Carter, my hot weathered child, was most upset about this. After some fussing, he used his imagination and, laying blankets out on the floor, formed his own slip and slide. He would run down the hall and then slip (not really much sliding) onto the blankets. This went on for days - weeks, but he obviously grew tired of this because one Sunday afternoon our slip and slide went in a whole different direction!!

I left Damon and the kids home while I went to a wedding shower for a childhood friend. I told Damon I would not be long but wound up taking pictures for her at the shower (how could I say no to that!!). Therefore, an hour and a half later, I came back to a sleeping husband (first bad sign) and a quiet house (second bad sign). Damon woke up when I came in and asked what the kids were doing. He said Laura Beth was asleep (go figure) and Carter was playing in his room (third bad sign). I went back to change clothes and found my 5 year old Carter SOAKING WET! A thousand thoughts went through my head but the reason he gave me for being wet never entered my mind!!


Me: Carter, why are you soaking wet?

Carter: I built a slip and slide in my room.

Me: WHAT!!! (eyes bulging out of my head at this point)


I look into his room and see countless (I do mean countless) plastic bowls and containers that had once been full of water all over his room. I step into his room (with my bare feet) and immediately sank into a pool of water in the carpet. I had found the slip and slide!!! Yes, he had taken who knows how much water and poured it at the door of this room a good 4 feet into his room. He would run and slide into it - hence being soaking wet. It took 6 beach towels and a fan running for about 8 hours to somewhat dry the carpet. At first, I was so mad but moments (and now months) later, all I could do was laugh. My sister in law, Rebecca, has loved telling this story to numerous people. She was the one who convinced me to finally write this down for years to come.

I have always thought Carter was a good mixture of all the guys in our family and I really do not know who this is coming out in him (it is DEFINITELY not me!!). This is just one of those moments we will always remember and, thankfully, now can laugh about!