Bringing up baby: "Falling!"

One of my most cherished memories: Tilly learning the word "Falling!"

One night near the end of last year (November?) after bath-time, before nappy-time, Tilly was busy mucking around on the spare bed (inherited, king-sized). The bed has 3 plumped up pillows.

Tilly experimented with the pillows. He flops on one, and chortles "Oh no!" He flops on number two, and chortles "Oh no!" He bounces on number three, and chuckles "Oh no!". Again. And again. And again.

Let's call it five minutes of pillow-play; soundtrack: "Oh no!"

I am sympathetic to this play. What is more fun than full-body bouncing around on a soft bouncy surface?

There's just one permutation he missed out on...

"Tilly, let me show you something-"

I stack the pillows, one on top of the other. Its height equals that of Tilly.

His eyes gleam at the potential.

He throws himself onto the stack. He bounces off. "Oh no!"

"Oh no! you're falling Tilly!"

His alert hearing picks up a new word.

"Falling!!"

He bull-rushes at the stack of pillows. He bounces off. "Falling!!" Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!" 

Naked toddler. Bouncing off pillows. Yodelling "Falling!"

Priceless.