There was Crying Over the Spilled Milk

See that white stuff?  That is a whole gallon of milk spilled on my newly purchased groceries and and freshly mopped kitchen floor.

Clara was trying to help me put away the groceries.  She picked up a gallon milk and was trying to bring it over to the fridge when she dropped it, blowing out the side of the carton.  I quickly ran over and grabbed the still gushing gallon, but it was too late.

When it first happened, I felt myself boiling, I could feel myself about to explode.  I looked at Clara who had retreated to bury her head in the couch.  I took a deep breath and grabbed my camera and snapped the above picture.  

Even though I lovingly reassured my baby that I knew it was an accident and that I wasn't mad at her, she cried.

I asked Amelia to run and get our stack of beach towels.  Isaac and Amelia helped me to pick up the wet groceries and sacks and set them on the towels.  Normally I keep the sacks to recycle for our garbages, but not this day!

I wish that I could say that I remained calm during the whole clean-up process, but unfortunately I didn't. There was a little bit of yelling when Isaac picked up one particularly soggy sack and walked across the kitchen floor - milk dripping the entire way.  There were also some exasperated and cross words when Amelia only brought 1 towel to clean up the mess.

I am not hoping for more spilled milk (there is still a foggy residue left on my kitchen floor even after mopping 3 times), but I am hoping that if there is a next time, I will handle my emotions better for the clean up.  I am hoping that I can speak more clearly about what I need so that my other kids, (the ones who had nothing to do with the mess, but are willingly trying to help clean it up) aren't getting chewed out for not following directions precisely.  

And really, there isn't any use in crying over spilled milk.  There isn't any good done by yelling at the kids who are trying to help.  It just took a little time and effort to clean up the mess.  It was an accident and I have good kids who wanted to help make the situation better.  I need to remember that a little more next time.