From the sidelines...

Corey, the shy boy from the other side of the crescent is often afraid to ring our doorbell, and will stand on our back step and wait till he's noticed.
We've told him that we don't mind him trying to get our attention...that's what the doorbell is for, but he can't bring himself to actually call attention to himself like that.

Yesterday I was walking downstairs to get something and was startled to find him on the step, visible only from the nose up through the window of the door.
I opened the door and asked him, "Corey, did you ring the doorbell?" He backed off the step, his eyes wide, and burst out..."I didn't touch it!!"

After I finished laughing at the look on his face I assured him again that that is THE socially acceptable way to call on the neighbours.

I also overheard the following conversation between the boys bouncing as high as possible on the trampoline:

Levi: "Do you know you have a normal brain, your civilized brain, which is meant for solving problems. Then you have a brain for dangerous situations and it's kind of like a lizards brain."

Mason: "Ya, and there's also the "vert-a-brain! It's kind of in the back of your head at the bottom!"

Us: ROFL and L and L..."Yes, and it's green!"