Fiss Yips

"Yips, Mama!" she calls out in my direction, "Yips!"

I know what she is asking for so I rummage through my purse and pull out the tube of chapstick lip balm, handing it over to her. "Lips" is a very special thing my daughter has with my father-in-law. It's a unique act of affection where grandpa asks if she wants 'lips' and she replies with a nod and an unabashed, "Yes!" He then pulls out the chapstick from his pocket and gently glazes her pursed lips with the balm. But that's not even the best part. The most heart warming part is where she keeps her lips puckered and when grandpa asks, "Are they sweet ones?" she patiently waits for him to kiss her. Grandpa falls back onto his stuffed leather chair in a very dramatic fashion reinforcing how special she is to him and smiles as he says, "Yup, they were sweet."

That is "Lips" and it melts my heart each time grandpa develops that special something with his granddaughter affectionately nicknamed, "Snooks." And so I assumed she wanted to play Lips with me.

I gave her the tube of chapstick and she pushed my hand, "No, mama! YIPS!"
"This IS lips, sweetie," I replied. Then she spoke more specifically so that I'd understand, "Mama, Fiss Yips." Ahhhhhhh. Yes. Fiss Yips. I knew what that was.

Fish Lips.

It is our thing.....you know, that one thing you do special just for that one child. With my son it was (and still is) butterfly kisses. He has the most delectably long eye lashes that would make any woman green with envy and they simply call out for butterfly kisses from mama. So that is our unique, special act of affection that is shared between just the two of us. And with my daughter, well, it's fish lips.

I am assured a giggle every time as I suck in my cheeks and make my lips wiggle like a fish going, "Glub, glub." She loves it and I relish seeing her eyes sparkle as I morph myself into silly mama.

Fiss Yips. It's our thing. And I hope it always stays our thing....even when she's old enough to annunciate the words correctly.

Photos courtesy of Katy Hersey.