He wants to play with it every day--all day if I let him.
I'm not sure where he got this loved or hated relationship. If anything, he should really be terrified of the vacuum. And, at times he is.
In his early life--about 6 months old, he had a really bad cold. I couldn't find his snot-sucker. He couldn't eat. He just cried. I wanted sleep. I did what any well-respecting parent would do--don't judge, you know you've at least considered it. It used to work when I was a kid....Lets just say, it didn't end well--he would go into a fit every time I turned it on after that.
So if anything, Mr. T should be terrified every time I even get it out. But, whether time has dimmed the horror, or he just can't look away, (kinda like when you watch those shows where they get weird people to eat discusting things like rancid garbage, or live crickets and you watch even though you are on the verge of throwing up yourself) he keeps coming back.
We've been working on helping him learn to pick up and put away toys. He still is trying to get the hang of it. Sometimes successful, sometimes not. But, if I say, "No vacuum unless you pick up toys!", he's VERY helpful. So my daily vacuum has turned into three, sometimes four vacuums a day. Our poor carpet is either going to be very clean, or very thread-bare.
When I am vacuuming he prances around, trying to be right in my pathway, but then trying not to get in the way too. He does these cute little side-steps, with his hands held out to his sides, almost like a dancer keeping his balance while he dodges an angry bull.
Sometimes he likes to vacuum with his little vacuum (the BEST 5 dollar purchase at a second hand store). He will sidle right up to me and vacuum next me, trying to mimic my movements. Other times, he will run to one end of the hall, and then run back, checking to see how my strokes are.
My favorite time, was when I told him we could clean out the couch and vacuum the cushions.
I had taken out all the cushions and had already vacuumed half of the couch. I was pinning the couch cover to the couch and had turned the vacuum off. He was walking around, inspecting the vacuum, making little singsongy noises. I was fully absorbed in my work.
He found the power button.
(Another obsession--buttons that turn on and off--but that is another blog for another day)
Up to this point, he hadn't pushed the power button on when the vacuum was plugged in. Surprise! When he turned it on, he wasn't expecting it to do anything. His eyes got really big, he backed away, and he wailed so loud I'm sure the neighbors heard it over the vacuum and their TV.
So here is Mama, cuddling her terrified baby because he found out what that red button is really supposed to do.
And yet...two minutes later, he is still hovering and pining after the vacuum....
Mr. T with Becky at Christmas time. He "made" her carry him around for 45 minutes while he got his vacuum fix. As soon as she would put him down, he would point to the vacuum and then do the universal sign for "pick me up"! She carried him till her arm went numb. She's such a sucker.
