Family Wrestling Night

Last night was “Family Wrestling Night”

This semi-weekly occurrence in our household affects each and every member of our household in some important ways. Kadie typically sits on the couch, far above the fray. From this vantage point, she offers periodic comments like “Taran, be careful-Don’t Hurt the kids.” The “kids” however seem bent on hurting me. Our wrestling consists of the following. Scooter and Skeeter make a cunning attack plan while Squealer often operates as a rogue wrestler, capable of attacking anyone at any time. The girls try to keep him focused against me, but I actively (though mostly unsuccessfully) recruit him to my side.

Each of the three kids then take turns attacking me while I am down on all fours on the floor. Usually I repulse the attack and then I hold the attacker down and tickle him/her. At this point things get dicey. Usually the two free attackers seize my momentary lapse in concentration as an appropriate time to approach me from the side or from behind and kick/punch me repeatedly. At this point I can either grab another one or simply take it and continue tickling the first one.

Finally, I don a tremendous afgan and become "The Monster." Then, when the kids come up, I raise one end of the blanket up and “eat” them. But they never taste very good, so after I tickle them a moment, I spit them back out from under the blanket.

Wrestling always concludes in one of two ways: Bed time or when one of us gets hurt.


Usually someone gets hurt.