The sun was shining. The refrigerator was humming. The kids were stapling each other to bathroom door. It was a typical, peaceful day around our house. Until I decided to vacuum.

"Make sure to vacuum under bed," my wife called out.

I stopped to consider this unexpected twist in plot. It would require bending down, maybe even crawling on all floors and hauling unrecognizables from very depths of Mordor. I had planned to just vacuum my usual cool racing stripe down middle of hall.

I decided not to accept mission. "I can't."

"Why in heavens not?" my wife demanded as she came into room.

"We have to protect ecosystem."

"The ecosystem?" my wife asked.

"A wetland is an essential component of ecosystem, serving as a repository for pollutants and a safety valve to prevent flooding from nearby rivers."

"What on earth does that have to do with vacuuming under bed?" my wife wanted to know.

"Just take a look. Under our bed is our household wetland."

"Nothing wet there. All I see is dust," my wife remarked with one of those here-we-go-again looks.

"Exactly. Dust as far as eye can see. Our bed serves a vital role in our household ecosystem by acting as a repository for surplus dust, thereby preventing it from recirculating onto counters, along baseboards and into our three-bean casserole."

I could tell by look on my wife's face that she finally understood. I had convinced her that we should not vacuum under bed. I prepared to magnanimously accept her apology.

"Just vacuum it up," she said.

Oh, no. Another unexpected twist in plot. I tried again. "There is nothing under bed but dust bunnies. You would not want me to suck up cute little bunnies, would you?

"Those are not bunnies," she replied.

"They're not?"

Your personally designed time capsule preserves history, popular culture, special memories and can help link generations of a family together. It is truly a unique and thoughtful gift that will be cherished in later years.

There are a number of steps to keep in mind when creating a time capsule gift.

MAKE YOUR OWN HISTORY Traditionally, a time capsule provides a “snapshot” of a specific day in history, so focus mainly on baby’s birth day or events happening near that date.

What information is important? A summary of current events to depict what was happening in world makes time capsule very relevant, and details about popular fads, movies, sporting events and books will also be interesting to read about decades later. Be sure to include important information about your child’s family as well, which helps to make it a really personalized gift.

TIME CAPSULE 101 1. Start Early. The best part of any time capsule is thought and preparation that goes into it. Be sure that you don’t rush process, so start during middle months of your pregnancy. If you leave everything until last minute, it will look that way!

2. Choose a Container. Think cool and dry when you search for just right container. Check online for affordable time capsules and you will find a variety of styles. Some will even engrave child’s name on your selected capsule. However, to make it very simple, you can make your own capsule by choosing a sturdy metal container that can be properly sealed.

3. Select an Unsealing Date. Perhaps you want to set a significant date, such as your child’s 21st birthday, high school graduation or marriage. It is exciting for everyone to look forward to time capsule unsealing, so set a date or event and stick to it!