Lucy wants to help. But only if there are no vacuums.

I don't think I can overstate Lucy's hatred of the vacuum cleaner. Every time I get it out, before it's even turned on, she dissolves into a weepy shaking mess. I didn't even KNOW a baby could HAVE a panic attack.

So, a friend of ours gave Lucy this hand-me-down toy vacuum and I thought to myself "Perfect! Now I can give her panic attacks anytime - all without the hassle of hauling the big vacuum up from the basement!!" Just kidding. I thought maybe she would like to pretend vacuum, and we could slowly introduce the real vacuum and get her used to it.

What's funny is that she loves the baby vacuum and will walk around with it, pretending to vacuum just like me. But, the whole time, she whimpers and cries pathetically. It's like watching a baker make beautiful pastries, only someone took away the butter and flour and replaced them with liver and onions.