Katie Loves Rambo... and I do too!

Two Christmases ago, John was trying to think of something totally awesome he could give to me 

(his wonderful, sweet, fabulous wife). 

I was at a point where I didn't want more stuff to clutter up the house and I didn't really need anything so, as you can imagine, finding something for me (his wonderful, sweet, fabulous wife) was the teeniest bit tough.

Until... I spotted it.  There, at the end of a long aisle, in a quiet section of the store, was the thing I wanted for most for Christmas...

An official Red Ryder BB rifle!*  I would have bought it too, except John kept telling me I would shoot my eye out.  I was a little huffy for awhile until I saw the thing I wanted almost as bad...

A ROOMBA!

It was awesome... blue and black with a snazzy remote.  I was in love!

John declared that he would not buy me a vacuum cleaner for my Christmas gift was hesitant.  He didn't want to purchase such a gift for me because he thought that I (his wonderful, sweet, fabulous wife) deserved jewels and clothing... and probably a trip to some tropical location, but after much prodding and reassurance (and maybe some threats and a reminder that *this* was actually in our budget) he realized that this was the *perfect* gift for me and he caved.  And I had my Roomba!

We got home and opened the box to charge it up (no, I couldn't wait for Christmas!) and while me and Katie were staring at the new addition to our home, John was reading the manual.  Out loud.  I suppose he wanted me to know how to clean it out or something... but it was so hard for me to focus because I was so giddy over our Roomba that his words were just background noise.

Until he read "The Rambo..." and my attention snapped back to him.  And I think my first thought was "That is SO COOL!  They give them names... like Cabbage Patch dolls have names!"  (Remember those?)  

And then I realized that the Roomba people *probably* don't have the time to name each of the machines they lovingly put together.  At least, probably not enough time to update each of the manuals (but I'm sure they give them pet names while they are making their way through the Roomba factory).

I was right about those Roomba people.  They didn't name my Roomba.  But we did, or rather, JOHN did!

After John called him Rambo, we stuck with it.  Mostly because Katie picked up on it (at 2 years old) and she really thought that was his name.

Now tonight, we pulled Rambo out again (he had been in storage while we repurposed the dining room into Katie's room) and Katie was thrilled!  I put him under the TV and told Katie that when the light was green, we could watch him work.

She immediately laid down in front of Rambo and started watching the light.  I needed to go do laundry downstairs and told her she could come with if she wanted to (because a whole 10 minutes before, she was super excited to accompany me on the trip to the basement and would have been sad if I hadn't included her in the "excitement" that is laundry) but, without looking, she said "That's okay Mommy.  I watchin' Rambo" and as I wiped the tears from my eyes and headed downstairs I heard her say "I love you, Rambo.  I love you so much!"

*Sigh*

Oh, but then?  A little later?  Katie was talking to me and she decided that "Rambo" should become "Rainbow".

Rambo finally charged a bit... Katie was watching and told us the instant the light changed to green... so I pulled him out and set him to work.

The kids were funny... Jake kept staring at Rambo and following him slowly while Katie made a game of tapping and running away.  

Here's Jake's first Rambo sighting... notice how he's close to the couch in case he needs to escape to higher ground?

Oh... yeah.  There's a piece of paper on his head.  Katie was giving each of us a "ticket" and Jake must not have wanted to take his.  So she put it on his head.  It was funny when she came around to collect them.  She reached out for Jake's head, he moved away and gave her a funny look.  Silly.  

Jake's showing us where Rambo is:

Here's Jake again, getting a little more daring:

(Oh, and I realize that Katie is missing from these pics. The kid wouldn't stay still so she was running out of every one of the three pictures I took tonight!)

Watching the kids was pretty entertaining AND it helped me to remember one of the reasons we thought Rambo was an awesome Christmas present (even if he is a vacuum) -- kid entertainment!  The battery lasts about an hour and for that hour there are no shouts over who's toy belongs to who, or calls for a sippy refill, or really any need for me or John to step in and mediate between the kids!

So really John bought me an hour of peace for every full battery charge.  This goes down in the history of gifts as the best gift he's every gotten me.  And I'll even let him take half the credit!

*I'm kidding about this.  Really.