About two or three years ago, we purchased an iRobot Roomba. It’s a robotic vacuum cleaner able to navigate a room, bouncing off of obstacles and intelligent enough not to fall down stairs. While it won’t replace your big upright powerful vacuum, it will do light vacuuming work so you don’t have to.

When we got Roomba, Levi was 2yrs old or so. It didn’t take long for Roomba to become his pet. He would cry if he didn’t get to “play” with Roomba. He’d follow Roomba around, run from him, put small toys on top of him, you name it. Roomba was Levi’s.

For whatever reason, Roomba was put in the basement and left there for a couple of years. While visiting Aunt Tracey over the Thanksgiving holiday, Levi saw her Roomba and began asking questions…not about where his was, but about what hers was. He didn’t remember Roomba. Aunt Tracey turned him loose for a few minutes, but as the noise grew annoying, she shut him off.

I saw ours in the basement a couple of nights ago and decided to charge it for Levi to see again. Tonight, when I arrived home from work, I went downstairs and pointed Roomba out to Levi. That was all it took. He was ready to have his friend back!

There was only a few minutes before they all left for swim class, but that was long enough for Levi to introduce Jonah to Roomba. I don’t think either boy was ready to leave Roomba behind when they left for the Y, but they did eventually get out the door. Somehow though, I suspect Roomba will get some attention over the following days.