I wonder how long this will last...

If you have small children like us, then you're probably always trying to find new ways to inspire or motivate your children to pick up their eighteen bajillion toys scattered all over the floor in the house. Here's a new method that worked for us this morning:

Buy a cool robotic vacuum cleaner and tell the boys we can't play with the robot until they pick all the toys up off the floor.

That worked like a champ this morning. I don't think I've ever seen the boys pick up the toys off the floor so quickly. (Aside: No, I'm not suggesting you run out and buy a Roomba just to get your kids to pick the toys up. It was just a nice unintended consequence of getting the Roomba.)

Now, while LW tries to figure out how to put the batteries in the controls for the robot, YB has decided to perform an interpretive dance for us on the now-clutter-free family room floor. It's pretty funny to watch. Where's the camera when you need it?

Here's a recap of the maiden voyage of the Roomba in our house...

T +1 minute: For the first couple of minutes, the boys aren't sure what their reaction to this creepy-crawly robot should be. They both take up perches on the couch and chair to observe the behavior of this new creature in the house.

T +3 minutes: ES is now chasing the robot around the family room as if it were a small furry creature. The robot doesn't seem to notice or care.

T +4 minutes: Intrigued by the fact the Roomba will go under couches and chairs, ES is now trying to invent a Roomba-Trap that will lure the poor robot in and not allow any avenues for escape.

T +5 minutes: The Roomba is now an "enemy" robot from some far away planet. Both boys are shooting at it with toy laser guns.

T +8 minutes: Now it's a physics experiment. The boys are trying to test how much of a load the robot can carry by stacking toys up on top of it.

T +8 minutes 30 seconds: The Roomba outsmarts the boys attempts to overload it and drives under the couch with barely any overhead clearance, thus sweeping the toys off the top, then it turned around and tried to vacuum up the toys. ES frantically picked up the toys.

T +10 minutes: The boys resume shooting at the enemy robot with their laser guns.

T +12 minutes: Ding Dong! The doorbell rings. See my previous post about the door bell. Sure enough, it's M from across the street asking if the boys can come out to play. Bye boys! The novelty of the Roomba appears to be officially over. My ears pop as the boys race out the front door. Now the Roomba is vacuuming in peace.

YB "shoots" at the "enemy robot" (Roomba)
with his "laser gun" (drumstick).

Note at least he's wearing proper PPE -
sunglasses to protect his eyes from the laser.