a best friend

Sometimes I am woken up at six am by a little finger poking my face and a voice energetically saying bumbum bumbum, and before I have time to properly realize it is already morning, my son is pulling my arm, urging me to go and open the cupboard where the vacuum cleaner is charging. He asks me to take it out, and then he starts to push it around on the floor, making brr brr sounds with his mouth. He plays by himself while I prepare for our morning meal; I have tried many things but lately yoghurt mixed with sweet potato purée is the only thing that can make him leave the vacuum cleaner on the floor and have breakfast.

From his fondness of it six months ago, the vacuum cleaner has become our son’s best friend. After his noon siesta, he sometimes wakes up like a baby full of sunshine, sometimes like a thunder cloud. Those times singing to him, carrying him, trying to distract him with books or tv or bananas – nothing works. Only the vacuum cleaner has the power to shift his mood. Do you want to say hi to the vacuum cleaner? And at once, the thunder cloud disappears and the six am boy turns up, full of happiness and anticipation about what is coming.

The vacuum cleaner has also become a tool for learning. We are turning it on and off, pushing buttons, standing the vacuum cleaner up and laying it down, we are moving it forward and backward, under the table, on the play-mat. And on and on and on. We have also learned how to say good night; every night before bed we put the vacuum cleaner on its charging stand, saying good night, waving with our hand. Finally my little baby puts his finger in front of his lips, and says schhhhh. And I can imagine he is already looking forward to waking me up tomorrow morning, wanting to play with his friend again.