The Tickler!!...dun, dun, duuuuun (scary sounding music)

Tonight the boys had extra wiggles than usual. Sam was laughing manically at Toby who was trying to brush his teeth while being tickled by squirrely Sam. After some serious threats, Sam decided to actually go and get his pj's on. Toby and I took this opportunity to set up a great "scare" for Sam. We turned off the lights in the office and hid behind the open door waiting for him to come up. As we were standing there, in the dark, listening to our own breathing and trying not to snicker, Sam called out, "Toby! The Tickler is coming! As soon as I find my, what? Where did my jammies go? I just had them right here...Tickler is coming! I...argh...umph...can't...find..."

Lo, and behold, he finally came stomping up from the basement and started to call for us. We were being stealthy and silent, feeling that tickle in our spines of excitement that we were going to get him good...Sam finally wandered into the office to the sound of our screams and jumped about a mile! He quickly turned on the light which, in turn, gave Toby and I quite a shock.

Little known fact: "The Tickler" is code for a little boy wearing only socks and a pair of mirrored swimming goggles with his white blonde hair sticking straight out from the sides of his head. Apparently he gave up trying to find his pj's.

Mr. Freckles...

Ever since Sam could talk he was sure to remind me that he KNEW who he was...just in case I forgot. I have yet to find a nick-name that he will accept. "I AM NOT buster Brown! I AM NOT Mr. Vanilla Bean! I am NOT cute, but I AM precious..." His new thing is reminding me that he is the one talking to me, every time he says something. "Hey! I think we should go to Chuck E. Cheese, you know, Me, Sam." "Sam, do you want dessert?" "Yes, I do! Me, Sam, that is." "Mom! Toby is hitting me! You know, me, Sam!"

My favorite interaction we have had on this subject happened last week after I got home from a week at my sister's in Missouri. I took the boys on a "date" to Whole Foods for cookies and hot chocolate. While we were sitting all cozy in the big arm chairs in the cafe area, I went through my list of things I had missed while I was gone. "Sam, I missed your good-smelling hair. I missed your chirpy words. I missed your chocolate eyes. I really missed your freckles..."

"I AM NOT Mr. Freckles!!! I'm Me, you know, Sam."

I love that kid. He is now permanently Mr. Freckles, like it or not.