Kramer vs. Kramer

Your other favorite game is one that you don't know your Dad and I call "Kramer vs. Kramer," after a famous film from when we were little kids starring Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman about a brutal custody battle. (I know. We're hilarious.)

In this game you and I snuggle, and your Dad pretends to steal you away. This is best played in the pool or in bed, somewhere where we can wrangle over you in safety. Your Dad says "Gimme that baby!" and then takes you into his arms and snuggles you. 

And then he says "You want to go to your mama?" While I loudly protest that you are my baby, he can't have you, he has to give you back to me. And you say "Yes! I want to go to my mama!" And Daddy pretends to give you back to me, and I hold out my arms, but at the last minute he snatches you away and smothers you with snuggles and says "Nope! You're all mine! You're my baby, just for me!" And this goes on for awhile until finally he surrenders you to my arms and I sign with relief and say "I got my baby back hooray!" 

And then you ask to play it again. You call this game "The game where Daddy tries to steal me." You love it because you are the center of attention and affection and we are shameless in our expressions of how much we love you. Usually we end with all three of us in one big hug, sometimes making a "Charles sandwich."

When I was little Nana and Granpa would pick me up and we would do "Everybody loves everybody!" where we would all do a big three way hug, and after we got our dog Muffin we would have to pick up Muffin (poor Muffin) so she could be in "everybody loves everybody" with us. An early iteration of the Charles sandwich. God help whatever poor creature winds up being your pet and brought into the Charles sandwich too.