Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

Okay, some of you may notice that this post will have been posted sometime after 4 am this morning. The sheer excitement of what I am about to tell you will help you understand why I am sitting in the basement at 4 am.

Yesterday, as we were preparing to paint Parker's room, I got to participate in a rare activity in the Coleman household. I got to vacuum Parker's room which is one of my favorite things to do. Seriously. This event is highly anticipated by me not only because it is rare (like an annual ski trip), but because it is one of my absolute favorite things to do. Vacuuming itself is probably my favorite chore because it is instantly gratifying and makes such a difference in the look and feel of a room, although sometimes not for long in our house. But, vacuuming Parker's room brings a whole new level of joy. So much so that 12 hours later I can't sleep because my endorphins are still running high.

Vacuuming Parker's room is like saving the best for last, or stuffing your face with chocolate under any type of stress, or savoring that last juicy bite of perfectly medium rare steak, or slowly chewing and tasting every bit of the sacrament bread on fast Sunday (clearly I have food issues). It is an event that needs to be carefully planned for, requiring cooperation from everyone in the house, and then perfectly executed...by me of course, lest anyone take this brief moment of joy from me (not that anyone else around here cares).

Now for those of you who are unfamiliar, Parker's room is usually a total pit. Toys, books and stuffed animals are scattered all over the floor, usually along with all of his bedding and half of the dishes from the kitchen. Food particles and crumbs, trash of various types, and parts of items Parker has destroyed can also be found on the floor. The carpet has crusty spots from food spills of some kind, or from where the dogs have licked something up. The sheer exhaustion of sorting through all of this crap (and getting Parker to help) is why vacuuming is such a rare event.

Vacuuming Parker's room is a total sensory experience. I vacuum slowly so I can hear every chunk of trash and food hit the tubes in the vacuum and then hear them clunk around the canister. This is the most satisfying part. Since his room is so filthy, I then vacuum perpendicular to my original direction to hear more chunks and particles fly around again. I patiently vacuum the crusty spots until they become soft again underneath my feet. I feel accomplished and strut through the house very proudly every time I have to run to the garbage can to empty the canister. Vacuuming yesterday was particularly thrilling because I got to vacuum under the bed and other furniture. Extra clunks in the canister=extra happy mommy.

Now that I have it out of my system, hopefully I will be able to join the rest of the household, including Zeke, who I can hear snoring in the room upstairs, in peaceful sleep. I only hope the kiddos decide to sleep in again today.