Maytag Miles

There are some aspects of your children's personality that you don't want to forget.  Miles' obsession with washing machines is one of them!  It's persisted long enough, and he studies them so seriously that it warrants a mention on the blog.

The first washing machine that caught his attention was the front-loader at the beach condo.  What wouldn't appeal to a toddler about watching the clothes swirl around rhythmically in bubbly water? However, when we returned home, the washing machine became the primary memory he associated with the beach, and the sight he most longed to see again!

Between beach trips, when he was three years old, Miles made a major discovery.  Other people have front-loading washing machines, too!  It wasn't long before he started asking to see the laundry room upon immediate arrival at someone's house.  If the machine is actually in use, then he is in heaven. No shiny toy or yummy food will drag him out of that room. Thanks to the digital display announcing the time remaining in the cycle, Miles will pop his head out every few minutes and say, "15 more minutes!" and then, "12 more minutes!"  Of course, when the time is up, Miles loudly informs the lady of the house and encourages her to tend to the laundry right away.  He is happy to assist in swapping the loads and over the moon if he is allowed to push the appropriate buttons.  My friends are kindly willing to indulge.

Our top-loading washing machine was uninteresting until I broke my leg, and the boys began helping with laundry.  Once he started being allowed to load, unload, and turn the knobs all by himself, he was hooked.  Now, he frequently stands beside it while it is running, listening to the sounds and declaring what they might mean ("It stopped, Mama.  Do you think it's broken?", "It's spinning now!", "That is a noise it always makes.", "I think it's filling with water!").  He asks me all the time, "Do you have a load of laundry to do?"

There are certainly worse interests an almost-five year old could have.  Miles holds me tightly to my laundry schedule, and a career in appliance repair could easily support our aspiring musician.

How we love our very own Maytag Man, Miles!