This is the kind of post that requires a back story, and for that I apologize. My friend Caroline and I have known each other since high school; one year we double dated to Winter Ball. And then we grew up and found ourselves living in Oklahoma City, with kids who were about the same age. Small world!

Also, Caroline is a year younger than I am. That’s important later. You know, when I get to the actual story.

First, though, there’s a little more back story: a while back (no I don’t remember when but not too long ago) Caroline and I met at the Omniplex or the Oklahoma Science Museum or whatever the hell they’re calling it these days to try to distract us from the director who was stealing stuff and the anatomy exhibit that turned out to be the illegally acquired bodies of Chinese laborers.

Nope, still not to the back story! I’m getting there.

So we took the boys to the science center place which they all love and we kind of tolerate, which is easier to do when we’re there together and not alone with our kids pretending like we care about the echo tunnel and the mirror maze. They’ve recently added a new feature called the Gadget Tree, which is a gigantic indoor tree house, the kind of place where little boys can play for hours while their mommies sit on the bench near the AC vent and gossip. It has a huge twisty slide that is seriously two stories tall and apparently VERY FAST, according to my son. The last time we were there, Caroline — who is a MUCH cooler mom than I am — went down the twisty slide with the kids, and reported that it really was VERY FAST.

The boys thought that was SO COOL. They asked if I were planning to go down the ginormous twisty slide; I believe I said something akin to HELL NO.

End back story. Mostly.

Today I took the boys to the science center place and on a total FLUKE we ran into Caroline and her boys, which may have saved me from trying to kill myself by, uh, I can’t think now but I’m sure the science museum has SOMETHING dangerous enough to put me out of the misery of an entire morning of chasing my kids from exhibit to exhibit while they demand, “What does THIS do?” over and over. Anyway, the boys played and played and played and Caroline and I got all caught up and it was a great playdate even if it wasn’t planned.

And now we’re to the actual story! Thank god.

Tonight at dinner the boys were recounting their day for Wade and Charlie was describing the Gadget Tree (too simple to say “It’s a tree house! With slides!” Oh no he has to lovingly linger over every single nail and piece of wood until we were all glassy eyed and comatose) and eventually he gets to the Great Big Twisty Slide.

Henry says, “Today I went down the big slide with my hands and feet in the air, and JUST my bottom on the slide, like this (demonstrates) and it was REALLY FAST!”

“I’ve heard that slide is fast,” I say.

“It IS!” Charlie says, “The last time we were there, I went down the twisty slide and bumped my elbow right HERE.”

“I’ll bet that hurt,” I say. “You have to be careful on the fast slides.”

“You did NOT go down the slide,” he says, very seriously.

“No, I did not. It’s too fast for me.”

“How do you know?” he asks.

“Well remember when we were there last time and Caroline went down the big slide? She told me it was pretty fast and kind of scary and I believe her.”

“WAIT A MINUTE!” he yells. “You’re going to believe some OLD LADY instead of your OWN SON?”

And then he repeated it about thirty five times because Wade and I were laughing too hard to stop him.