A Mother’s Love Only Goes So Far…

This kid likes to be tickled. A lot. I’ve never seen anything like it! She’s always ready to be tickled. The other day, my husband attacked with tickle bombs, torpedoes and the occasional claw. She is pretty fun to tickle.

This is when he decides it’s a good time to teach her the principles of Justice and Mercy. As he is tickling her, he tells her there is a need for Justice in all things. That we all have to suffer the consequences of our actions. Her actions? Being super cute, thus, super ticklable. Consequences? Getting attacked with “the claw”.

But, he says, there is one who can take your consequences upon herself and take the tickling for you. She can have Mercy and take away the chance of tinkling in your undies. She can fight of “the claw” and laugh till she snorts for you. All the while he is staring at me with a wicked gleam in his eye while I vehemently shake my head ‘no’. And when he attacked, I quickly swatted him away, growling through my clenched teeth, “Don’t you dare!”

You see, I will do anything for my kids. I will be vomited on, change stinky diapers, clean up messes and even play a board game. I would beat up any bully willingly, give them the food off my plate, the Diet Coke from my cup and chase away any monsters in their closets. I would kill for them and even die for them.

But I will not be tickled for them. That is where I draw the line.

Sorry, kid, you’re on your own.