My 11 month old daughter has started chasing the vacuum. She plays with the cord, tries to tackle the vacuum, and generally makes it hard to accomplish the task at hand.
When my son was younger he was the exact opposite. The vacuum used to make him cry. Not just cry, weep uncontrollably. We eventually got him a little play vacuum and he began to accept the big vacuum as part of our home.
Thinking back reminded me of a note I wrote a while back before E came along and while the sight of the dreaded vacuum turned K into a blubbery mess. I was substitute teaching at the time. Here it is:
I promise I haven’t lost my mind. I taught a creative writing class today while subbing. I am not a writer. I am just a sleep deprived mom that has been dealing with middle schoolers, chasing a toddler, and cleaning while trying to stop a toddler from uncleaning. This is just a story to amuse myself and let some of the crazy mom-ness out. If you decide to read it I hope you enjoy it.
The Red Monster in the Closet
All is well in my little world. My things have been neatly put away in places about the room and I can hardly contain my joy. I shall soon pull them all down again. I have to bide my time for a bit. If I go for everything too soon I will agitate the one called Mom. If I make a mess now she will use the dreaded word and put me in my wooden prison. Then all will surely be lost.
I think she is about to retreat to the great room and take her place there with a book that has no pictures. I often grab the books from her and try to look through them but they make no sense to me. My books have bright happy things in them but hers only has the sribbles I am told are words.
Instead of making her leave as I expect, she makes her way to the door that holds my clothes. I see her pull a great red thing from the hole in wall. At first I am curious. I edge closer to the thing but I dare not touch it. I don’t know what she means to do with it. I see her reach to the spot in the wall that I am told not to touch. She pulls something out of the spot on the wall and takes the red beast’s long tail and put it into the wall. What happens next I am almost too scared to convey…
The thing springs to life with a great roar and keeps making that dread noise. It starts moving about the room. I think it wants to eat something and I pray it isn’t me. Mom walks calmly behind the thing. Perhaps she doesn’t know it means to eat her. Frantically I run about the room trying to signal her. I tell the beast “no” and “stop” but it pays me no mind. Fresh tears form in my eyes and make their way down my cheeks.
This thing is going to eat me and my own mother just smiles at me and tries to say it is all right. I can barely hear her over the roar. I don’t want to leave her to be eaten but I retreat to the bigger room. All I can do is sit with my blanket as the great Red One makes passes around my room.
Suddenly the din is gone. I will myself to go back and when I do I see her wraping the things tail around it. I am tenative at first but when she pushes it back into the wall and closes it in I rush back in to my champion. My mom has bested the monster. I can still see the tracks on floor; a grim reminder of where it had been.
She picks me up and spins me about the room. I snuggle in for a hug. All is well for now. I just hope it doesn’t break free again. What if Mom isn’t here next time? Does Daddy know how to beat the creature? Only time will tell. For now I will be content to drink my juice and sit in Mom’s lap with one of my books- the good kind with pictures.
Mama Miller Parenting 
Love it!