My daughter is doing a jig, jumping on her bed in her pajamas, and singing, You know you want to… Uh huh, uh huh. Her arms are flailing around up over her head as if raised in a Hallelujah chorus.
I’m laughing so hard, I momentarily forget how tired I am.
Cait wants me to tickle her. As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve had nearly nightly tickle fights since she’s been a baby. But, tonight, I’m just plain too tired. I’ve been up since 3:00 A.M. Kiera’s been going through a bout of health issues. As this is the third “incident”, and since trouble supposedly comes in three’s, I’m hoping we’re home-free for a while.
But I digress. Cait is desperate to be tickled. And normally I’m happy to oblige her, because there is no sound more beautiful in the world to me than my daughter’s laugh. But tonight I’m ready for bed myself.
This is hardly enough reason to deter my daughter. Not one to give up easily, Cait’s doing her best to entice me, turning her side to me with arms up over her head, so that I’d have a clear tickle strike.
Oh, I am so well-conditioned after all these years. Might as well wave a red cape in front of a bull. What can I do but go for the arm pits?!
Immediately, Cait folds up and collapses into a mere shadow of herself–like one of those tube worms in the ocean that retracts instantly into nothing as soon as it’s touched. We both crack up in fits of giggles. Then I need merely raise my hand and hover it anywhere over Cait’s body to get us both laughing so hard it’s a wonder we don’t pee the bed!
It’s one of Cait’s and my favorite traditions. If you’d like to share it with one of your loved ones here are…
Our Rules:
- Said child must be washed up, with teeth brushed, in pajamas — and in bed.
- Said child must remember to request tickling.
- Said mother must agree to tickling.
- Said child mustn’t, under any circumstances, try to tickle said mother, as said mother HATES being tickled as a result of growing up with two brothers who did not follow the next two rules.
- Said child may request tickling to stop at any time.
- Said mother will stop ticking immediately upon request.
- Until said child catches her breath.
- At which time, said mother is free to resume tickling.
- Said tickling lasts only a few minutes.
- Just long enough for said child and said mother to laugh any tension from the day right into the next state.
Sweet sleep swiftly follows.
Tickle fights are so much fun. What a great way to wrap up the day.
Here via the carnival of family life.
great post – and great rules. i love the idea of relieving some of that tension of the day …
It’s so great to know you guys still like to share a good tickle! It truly is the simple pleasures, eh…
I love reading about you and Cait. I can always feel your Joy in your Mother/daughter relationship. It mirrors my own joy in being the Mom to 3 beautiful daughters and reminds me of how blessed we really are.
Thank you.
I’ve never seen a set of rules, either, but these are good ones. Some ticklers need them because some ticklees need to know they can define the limits. Oh, and sounds like wonderufl fun, too!
You paint a fun picture with words. I still love to be tickled!
How funny, that’s just like our Tickle Game. I’d never written out the bylaws though :)
What a delightful bonding experience for the two of you.
momtocubs, thanks for dropping in! Sounds like you’ve figured out how to help with the sensory issues. Yay for you(and your son)!
Jenn, thanks for the kind words about my book. I should warn you that some very difficult events happen in the middle before there is a happy ending. You might want to read it first to make sure it would be okay for your girls.
I LOVE the rules. I grew up with a dad and two brothers who thought tickling me to the point of pain was fun. Even now tickling hurts me more often than it tickles. I think they tickled all my nerves away. Now my husband doesn’t understand why my oldest and I don’t like to be tickled- that must be a man thing. You’re type of tickling I could get into! BTW I read your book excerpt and told my kids about it and they have requested the book. The little I read on your site brought tears to my eyes. We are on a quest to find shepherd number two, but I don’t want a puppy because I don’t want to deal with accidents and chewing again. I guess we should let fate decide.
How fun :) My middle son, age 7, still insists on me tickling him many times each day, especially at bedtime. I have to tickle his head, his neck, each arm and leg, etc. (Big time sensory issues!)
I heartily support these rules! Especially #5. Yes, Tickling Only By Mutual Consent!