Keep You On Your Toes

(I am very young. My older brother and I go to visit my mother every other weekend, and after Saturday morning cartoons, we go climb up onto mom’s tall bed for a few minutes while she shakes off the last of her sleep. She often takes this opportunity to play tickle-monster with us.)

Brother: *squirming and giggling* “Stop! You can’t tickle me!”

Mom: “There is only one defense against the tickle monster!”

Brother: “What? How do I stop the tickle monster?”

Mom: “You have to suck your big toe!”

Brother: *grabs foot and sucks toe*

Me: *foot halfway to my mouth* “Wait, how does that stop the tickle monster?”

(I remember my mother and I leaving the room with my brother still sitting on the bed trying to figure out how he could move and still suck on his big toe.)