It started with me pretending to be a monster who loves hugs and will do anything to get them.
The boys would stand on our bed and I would try and grab them, growling and snarling waving my arms about trying to reach them, while they try to dodge me. When I do get hold of them I'd give them a big bear hug and shake them around a bit. Sometimes I'd pretend to gobble them up, soliciting squeals of laughter.
Then Daddy brought in "the claw" and they would stand at the head of the bed trying to avoid his tickling claw.
At some point I started to flip them over in a cartwheel or have them lie on their backs, grab their legs, lift and flip them over onto their tummies. Then we introduced "hoopie le" or dogpile, which I believe is the English word for the game, and took turns being at the bottom or on top.
Next came the dip. I would dip them back while their feet stayed on the edge of the bed and then fling them forward. Then one night after bath time we rolled them up in their towels and then flicked them out again. This progressed to rolling them up in the duvet. Leo calls this move "Hot Wheels". At one point Leo wanted to stand on his head and hook his legs over my shoulders, stand like that for a minute and then flop over and land on his tummy. Another move was one where they would come running and I would either catch them, swing them to the side and throw back on the bed or gently push against their chests, causing them to fall over.
Some of the newer moves. Rolling off the side of the bed into my waiting arms, nearly dropping to the floor and then lifting / throwing them back onto the bed. Spinjitzu, were they stand with their hands in prayer pose and then I spin them by the shoulders, and Air jitzu which involves dipping them back (their hands in prayer position) and then they "spin" themselves when I throw them forward.
The latest, and much loved, addition to the game is them lying on their tummies side by side, heads at the far end of the bed. We then point and say "look a snail" and proceed to pull them very slowly across the bed. "Look a racing car or speed boat" results in a fast pull. "Look a bunny" we bounce their legs up and down while pulling back. "Look a snake" slowly side wind them across the bed. "Look a twirly wirly worm" we''ll flick them over by the legs (sideways) "Look a roly poly" they do bollamakieses across the bed. "Look a monkey" they turn around and we pull them across by their arms and then pull them up and try and flip them over on to their backs. And finally "Look a train" we pull and push while making train noises.All the actions need to be accompanied by noises - it's just not the same done in silence.
What I love most is the enthusiasm and excitement the promise of this game still ignites.
Especially with Leo (5), Lucca still plays with and enjoys it as much as before, but I wonder for how long it will last (he is 7 now). It's our family time together and always involves giggles, big belly laughs and lots of cuddles. We have the occasional accident and tears but we all know if we play we must be prepared to get hurt as it is roughhousing.
When I feel the kids are getting cranky we play huggie monster to fill our love tanks, to reconnect and refresh all our moods. It usually works. And if they are not done yet Leo will say his tank is only this full - holding his hand to his chin - so I ask how many more turns till its full full - five!
And off we go again.....
I even ended up making them Huggie Monsters, which were supposed to help keep them in their own beds at night. They are soft and cuddly monsters with long weighted arms that they could wrap around themselves for a hug if they felt scared or alone.
They love them, but it didn't quite work as I hoped... at least they leave them behind when they come crawl in beside me :-)
