Popcorn

I remember when I was a kid. My dad made popcorn almost every night, it was almost a religious ritual. We always had our own small bowls and we would watch and laugh as my dad teased the dog throwing popcorn and making the dog sit up on hind legs for a piece. After my dad finished his popcorn he would drift off to sleep. As he did one of his crossed feet would move back and forth growing slower as he drifted off. Once the back and forth movement stopped then my little sister and I could get to work.

Sometimes we would sneak up and steal a house shoe or maybe a sneak around to his side table and quickly grab a lighter trying not to giggle to loudly at our grand heist. Very often my dad had us fooled and would suddenly grab us, pulling us up onto his recliner and tickling us until we begged for mercy, apologizing profusely and promising never to make him our intended victim again.

My sister and I were trouble X2 there is no disputing that. My father was tolerance X10. There were very few times he actually grew angry at us, and I remember several times he would warn us, with his eyes closed about the tickling punishment that was to come. I remember my dad walking into the room and asking if we wanted to play "tree" and we said "oh OK!" he would say "chop, chop, chop" standing completely still with a slight grin on his face and then "falling" on us to give the well known tickle torture, or tapping his index finger on my chest until I begged for the tree to fall on my little sister instead of me giggling all the time.

As we grew older our thoughts were not so innocent. We tested my fathers patience and a for that I am truly sorry because it was wrong. If my father reads this he may find it funny, I am in his shoes now.

My daughter and I have played the "tree" game and had many laughs doing it but as she has grown older the game has changed and it is more of a challenge. Don't get me wrong I know she is a great kid and will be loud and mouthy, just like I am when is is needed. She also has showed she will speak out when she sees someone doing harm to another (that is another story I will tell you later) but she also pushes the limits of my patience at times on purpose. My problem is I cannot fault her because it seems to run in the family.

Don't worry Dad, I am paying for my actions! What goes around does come around.......and still I giggle.