My oldest attacks by grabbing a limb and pulling. He is getting more adept at finding a supporting limb and is usually successful in distracting me from my current victim and allowing them to break free. Of course, freeing his brother means that he becomes the prey.
My younger son uses the Limpet approach. He rushes in full blast and wraps his arms and legs around my torso. He usually drives his chin into my shoulder which is bothersome, and then hangs on for dear life. It doesn't immediately free who I'm currently harassing, but eventually I do get around to removing this tumor from my back.
The star of the match, however, was neither of these.
I have a manuever called the 'clam' where I get my legs around the midsection of one of my boys. Once their arms and legs are clear and my ankles are locked, the act of straightening my legs compresses all the air out of the lungs of my prey. This is known as 'being clammed.' Once the word 'clam' has been audibly spoken, the intensity of the wrestling always intensifies. (And for the record, it is not I who usually brings up the subject.)
At one point in the match, I was lying across a large pillow but I had corralled both of my opponents. My legs were locked around the waist of my older son, while the younger was entangled within my arms. With them both pinned down, I was truly enjoying the moment. I could tickle one by moving my fingers and make the other one yell by straightening my legs. All this fun and yet at the same time I could rest and catch my breath for when I finally let them go.
Then my princess (4 years old) went on the attack. She had been in the fray and then out again, but she was back. She pulled herself up on top of my back using my shorts as a hand hold and giving me a severe wedgie in the process. Then, once she had established herself, she proceeded to whack my behind with her small hand, over and over again. Observing her subjects below, the Queen (may she live forever) nearly fell off the sofa. I myself, struck by the humor of the situation and the need to rearrange the location of my shorts, lost my grip on both boys in my mirth.
My princess is as girly as they come with her dolls and hair ribbons and moodiness. But once in a while she likes to mix it up with the boys. Yesterday, I linked to an article which talked about gender equity and that it is a mistake to try and ignore the differences between boys and girls. I agree - I can handle two growing boys, but found myself completely bested by one little girl.
