Reminiscing about Gertie

After almost fifteen years of marriage and I don't even know how many burnt up vacuum cleaner belts, Shawn and I decided to spend a little more money and buy a vacuum cleaner that actually does the job and lasts longer than the many "Walmart specials" that we have purchased-and wasted money on- in the past. 

We have actually been looking into what we think would be the best vacuum cleaner for a couple of years, and recently settled on a Riccar.  I am so thrilled with it!  As I read up about them and as we went together and tested one out and looked it over, we couldn't help recalling our experience trying out a Kirby about 1 1/2 years ago.

This is an experience that we still get the giggles about when talking or thinking about it. I have a sister that I happened to mention this to the other day, and she hadn't heard about it, so this is for her (and my family history, since I didn't put pictures with what I wrote).  I realize that many of you who read this blog have already heard the story. Anyways, here is an excerpt from my family journal, and I will include the pictures:

"We worked really hard on the yard and garden for quite some time today and pretty soon the girls decided to make some Crystal Light and some snacks for the workers.  They thought that they could set up the umbrella down on the patio we've made, and make a sort of restaurant and be the waitresses.  Shawn had gone for a load of dirt out at our land, and while he was gone a Kirby Vacuum salesman came walking into the back yard.  Without looking up, Maddie excitedly said, "Do you want some, dad?" She was mortified when she saw that it wasn't Shawn and went running into the house.  She spent some time crying from embarrassment, but was finally consoled when Caden offered to give her one of his water-expandable bugs.

The salesman said that he would shampoo the front room for us while he demonstrated the vacuum cleaner.  This was something that needed done, so I told him that we would watch his demonstration.  He said that he'd be back in half an hour.  I went back to work in the garden.  Pretty soon Maddie came out with a black wig on and a large Gerbera daisy in her hair.  She wanted to know if Kami could draw black eyebrows on her.  She said that if that salesman was coming back, she was going to be in disguise.  After the eyebrows were on, Maddie noticed that she still didn't look quite right.  She came out wondering if she could wear some mascara.  When she was finished, she looked hysterical!

I love remembering her missing two front teeth, too!

I told her that if it were me, I'd be more embarrassed to wear the wig ensemble than to have someone know that I had called them dad. She said, "Not me!!" She next insisted that we were all to call her Gertrude or Gertie while he was there. (A fitting name for how she looked.)  I thought that perhaps she'd be embarrassed to be seen in her outrageous disguise, but when three Kirby salesmen came back she stepped into the room and smiled confidently.  Then the main salesman said, "Didn't all of your kids have blond hair ? Weren't you blond the last time I was here?"  Maddie looked at him with fake shocked-suprise and shook her head.  The whole family got the giggles and we couldn't stop laughing.  The salesmen were looking like they were a little left out of a joke and I was trying to say something but was laughing too hard.  Finally I was able to laugh out, "One of my kids called you dad last time you were here, so she's not going to be here for the presentation.  She's too embarrassed."  We all started laughing harder.

Turns out, we sat through a four hour presentation and he never did get to shampoo the whole carpet.  Sigh.  But we sure got a good laugh the whole time.  At one point the salesman pulled me aside and asked if that was "Gertie's" real hair color.  O.K. He must have been pretty gullible - I thought that he had maybe caught on to the joke.  Maybe she looked like a Chemo patient.

The salesman, who apparently thought we were laughing the whole time because he was so entertaining

At any rate, during his presentation, he tried to include the kids and let them try various things with the vacuum cleaner.  At one point, he took the hose of the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed his own head just to show us how many dead skin cells it would suck up from his scalp.  Kami slyly asked, "Gertrude, do you want to help him demonstrate that?"  "Gertie" vigorously shook her head in the negative.  We all laughed hard again.  I don't know when we've had such a good family laugh."

Zany and quirky are definitely two words to describe our Maddie, and we love it!  She keeps us guessing with the way she thinks, and laughing with the things she comes up with. Anyways, every time I use my new vacuum cleaner I can't help but think of that experience.

As I wrote this, Maddie came and looked over my shoulder and said, "Man! I look so dorky!!"  But, about five minutes ago, she asked me if she should go check on something that our neighbors asked us to check up on.  I told her that would be a good idea.  The next thing I knew, there she was all decked out with a sun bonnet on of all things!  I asked her what she was doing wearing a sun bonnet over to the neighbors and she said, "I haven't done my hair yet and it's kind-of frizzy.  I don't want anyone to see it." (She's a little self-conscious about her naturally curly hair when it isn't fixed) I don't think she quite catches on to the fact that sometimes she is actually drawing more attention to herself  by donning these disguises! What a fun and funny girl!!