a bizarre tradition

When we moved into this house I loved the light colored carpet and the open feel it gave the house. After two years, three kids and scrubbing out countless stains, I am no longer feeling the love. The carpet also has to be vacuumed often or it looks disgusting and drives me crazy. I guess this is a lasting side effect of growing up in a house that was vacuumed daily. Vacuuming in our house is a bizarre event the kids enjoy. Maybe it is my own fault because since they were itty bitty I have worn each of them in the Baby Bjorn whenever I vacuum. I guess I thought the white noise would soothe them. Maybe I thought being so close to it from the beginning would keep them from being afraid of it later or maybe I was trying to send them subliminal messages to someday help mom out with the vacuuming..just not quite this early. Regardless of my earlier ideas about the vacuum cleaner each child is obsessed with it now. No matter what I get the them involved in before I get it out, as soon as they see the vacuum cleaner everyone immediately stops what they are doing and grabs their appropriate vacuum "equipment" to help me. Isabella has her own mini vacuum, Amelia pushes Bear-Bear in a stroller and Will is Johnny on the Spot trying to crawl up the vacuum cleaner and stick his fingers under the front. As soon as he sees me wheel it out of the laundry room the look of determination is on his face and he tucks his head, crawling as fast as he can around the house following me, Bella and Amelia. There is a distinct pecking order in our bizarre vacuuming train. So not only do I have to vacuum around furniture, I also vacuum around children that are supposed to stay behind me at all times out of my way...a rule when Mommy vacuums. It is a task that once completed I feel like I could use a good drink. Yesterday I decided I would try vacuuming while Bella was at preschool and see if I could quickly accomplish it without having to maneuver around the kids. No such luck. As soon as the Eureka came rolling out of the laundry room, Amelia grabbed the stroller and Will came motoring on over. Of course it was not a quick job. I snapped a few pictures when I was switching outlets, the worst part of the entire experience because then they overtake the vacuum and I have to remove each child and get them back to their appropriate equipment. And some people think I sit on the couch all day.