"Again!" Is What I Enjoyed Most

I recently filled out a questionnaire for a MOPS group to whom I will be speaking in April. The last question was, What do (or did) you enjoy most about being a mother of a preschooler? and today I realized I wrote the wrong answer.

I volunteer for MOPPETS at my church (For those of you in the non-MOPS crowd, MOPPETS are the children of the women who attend MOPS meetings.) and it was as I spent time with the kids this morning that I realized my error on the questionnaire. In my room, (I am with the 17-24 month old kids) we often have criers and in an effort to calm the sobs today, I started playing "All Around the Mulberry Bush."
I took "A" upon my lap and started bouncing my knees as I sang, "All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel. The monkey thought 'twas all in fun. Pop! goes the weasel."
The way I play the game is this: I hold my hands under the knees of the child on my lap and bounce them while I sing. When I say, "Pop!" I open my knees so the child falls down several inches. (That's why I have my hands under their knees - so I can catch them.) "Pop" always gets a good giggle and a cry of, "Again!" So I do it again.
And again.
Usually the third time through, I allow a pause before I say "Pop!" just to keep them on their toes. From there on out, sometimes I pause and other times I don't. It seems the anticipation makes the game even more fun for the young rider.
As A and I played today, I noticed M watching with interest and invited her to take a turn. She said, "Again!" too. I am honestly not sure who had more fun - the kids, or me!
Playing with the kids this way today reminded me how much I enjoyed playing "All Around the Mulberry Bush" with my kids when they were preschoolers. The giggles and the enthusiastic cries of, "Again!" were a joy to hear. (OK, at the time I may have tired of hearing, "Again!" so much. But time seems to make those feelings fade.) I think I can safely say - with the help of time - "Again!" is what I enjoyed most about being a mother of preschoolers.

Actually, my kids still like to sit on my lap and play this game with me. The problem is, Matthew is the only one who is still significantly smaller than me. Playing it with Elizabeth and Joshua is much more difficult.
Well, at least I can get my fix every other Wednesday at MOPPETS!

How about you? What do (or did) you enjoy most about being the mother of a preschooler?