The kids are just coming out of a hippopotamus-kiss phase. Hippopotamus kisses are sometimes called “slerberts” or even “fish kisses”. It’s when the child puts their open mouth on someone’s skin and exhales, puffing their cheeks out and making a juicy (and rather disgusting) brrrrpppp noise.

As I said, they’re coming out of this phase, which I’m grateful for. I don’t mind the occasional hippo-kiss, but they do get old after a while. Not to mention the awkward moment that follows my three year old suddenly lifting a person’s shirt to do it give a hippopotamus kiss.

The other day, N came running into the den where his mom and I were sitting doing bills. He jumped up on the couch, lifted my shirt, and then stopped himself.

“What?” I asked.

“Too hairy,” he said, making a face. Then he jumped down and ran to his momma’s belly, which had been rendered defenseles by its owner’s suddenly uncontrollable case of the giggles.

Hmph. I didn’t want a hippopotamus kiss anyway.