Jim is gone, Day 3: Memorial Day, Part 3: Enough already!

Really, I wasn't going to post any more today, but when this event happened, I just had to take pictures and post them. And you will read NO wistful poetics about the end of childhood and how this is a metaphor of it. You can thank me in the comments section.

The boys have been bugging me to let them deconstruct, as it were, the swingset in the back yard. It was getting dangerously creaky and nails were popping out and boards were coming loose. The neighbor kid, Jarid, was in on the bugging me too. And he happened to be over with Paul today. So I let them. I supervised them closely, but I only thought of the camera after they had stripped off all the crosspieces and tipped the whole thing over.

Jimmy and Jarid:
Guess what Paul wants to do? Hopefully you'll see a video of him doing it down below.
Jimmy twists off a post. This was not work for them. They WANTED to do this. Then they asked how much I was going to pay them and I said, "You should pay me! You were begging to do it."

It seems like Paul didn't do any of the work but goofed around the whole time. But that isn't true. I didn't get any pictures of him in the initial stages of the tear-down.
And now for the videos:

Comments

Jenni said…
That looked like fun! Although the videos aren't cooperating. Boyhood at it's best - wrecking stuff.
I am sad that the videos aren't working for you! They are vids of each of the boys doing a caber toss with one of the posts. Just very short vids.
mastubz said…
Ah the caber toss. We recently attended some Highland Games in a town nearby and Andrea's son, Sam, got to toss a downsized Caber. It's harder than it looks! We decided Scotsman just like to toss any weighty item they can get their hands on.
Then both of my boys are true Scotsmen. They are all about throwing heavy things around.
Dennis said…
I think Paul may have gotten the idea of a caber toss from our trip to the Scottish Festival. Way to go Paul! Were there any stones to put or seaf's to toss? Did you play the pipes for them while they engaged in heavy lifting?
That is indeed where he got the idea. He tried to imitate as closely as possible the guys he saw and told Jimmy how to do it too. Katie reviewed the videos to "see who won" but she said it was too close to call.
Jen said…
What is it with your family?!? Mike knew what Paul was doing even before the pictures or videos. I have never even heard of such a thing, but Mike, of course, knows all when it comes to obscure, weird things. As does most of your family.

Looks like the boys had fun. And what a relief for you to be rid of that swing set without having to lift a finger or pay a dime;)