It's No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk... but Can I Scream?

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll clean it up!"

These words float up to me as I'm changing the baby's diaper. My middle daughter has managed, in the time period of about 30 seconds, to spill her sippy cup of milk. I'm grateful she's learned to clean up her own messes, but a 3-year-old just does not have the same standard for "cleaned up" that a Mom has. I came down to the kitchen to find a drippy milk trail from the table to the sink, and my nice clean decorative towel hung with a mini coat hanger on a drawer handle to dry off.

Well, she cleaned it up. Sort of. I actually couldn't tell where the spill originated, and the towel is damp, so she did do something.

Thunk.
"Uh, Oh!"
These words tear knife through me as I turn around and see my toddler pointing to her sippy cup of milk that is now on the floor, with milk that hadn't splashed out onto the table legs and chair legs now drip-pouring out the sippy part. Next, she starts screaming, indicating that she wants to get down. I put her down, turn around to get something to clean up the milk spill, and I hear another.

Thunk.
"Uh, Oh!"
She's managed to pick up the sippy, take a drink, walk over to the stairs, and drop the dumb thing again. Another spray and drip-pour on the floor.

Yeah, I won't cry over spilled milk. I cry at the grocery store when I fork out $15+/week.
No, no quiet sobs with tears pouring down my face. I want to scream. A good long, from-the-gut bellow that makes the floorboard rumble, the glass threaten to shatter out of their moldings. Hmmm, maybe I'll just try to channel that energy into scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees. Then maybe my daughter won't look at her brand new white socks after wearing them for 10 minutes on the hardwoods and say "Maaa-awww-uuumm! Ew!"*

On the other hand, I might just go read a book on the couch instead and ignore the whole thing. After that good scream.

*I attempt to scrub the floors on hands and knees once a week. I try to sweep daily (although often it's 2 or 3 times daily). However, I think this house has a secret trick to pulling all the dirt in the world from outside and depositing it in the kitchen and living room, which of course spills over to all the other floors in the house. Oh, and the (dust) bunnies are very prolific in the upstairs rooms. So, when you come to visit, just keep looking UP and ignore the floors. Well, don't look up too high, cuz I'm short and can't see up high, so I'm sure there are a few cobwebs and spiders, and a layer of dust on everything over, say, 5.5 feet high.