The First Break-Up

I think maybe Sugarplum has broken up with the vacuum.

A few months ago my friend gave us an old red miniature sized dirt devil. Her kids loved it. It takes batteries and when you switch it on makes a whirring motor sound, shines a light and as you push it back and forth it blows little balls around in the canister in a halfway decent imitation of a vacuum. It has even been known to pick up some lint or the occasional stray cat hair. This little toy vacuum made it through both her kids and has got to be about 12 years old. But it still works.

Only Sugarplum doesn't like it. It's been in her closet, and she doesn't play with it much since we brought it home. She loved it at B's house. The vacuum is now in our bedroom... and not as a hint from my husband either.

Two nights a week I go to an exercise class after work and get home after Sugarplum goes to bed. Last night she was playing with D in her room and they decided to play with the vacuum. As soon as he turned it on, she decided that was a bad idea. She freaked out. He turned it off. She nuzzled him. He held her and comforted her. He offered to take the vacuum away. She said ok.

When he tucked her into bed, she made sure the vacuum wasn't in her room anymore. She made sure it couldn't hurt her. She made sure it couldn't scare her.

She doesn't talk to the big vacuum nearly as much as she used to. She is a little leary when it comes out of the closet to work. She'll push it along the carpet with D but only for a couple passes, then she comes to hang out with me. I think she must have ended the affair.