“Mommy, Jake spilled the whole carton of chocolate milk on the carpet!” This is what Allie exclaimed as she ran into our room today. It had been a great morning, including snuggle time and reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Jake’s new bed that my dad made him in his workshop. But, this he had my husband and I running in to see what will most likely be a huge stain on our light carpet. Looking down at the mess beneath our feet we both sprung into action. Jake had to go to his room and we started to clean… blotting… “Resolving”… and some words of frustration were expressed. The whole scene made images of the hilarious book Sh*t My Kids Ruined: A-Z Celebration of Kid-Destruction by Julie Haas Brophy spring to my mind.
One of the other times that this photo packed book came to mind was when 2-year-old Jake put his toy golf club through the TV. I am trying to work on learning balancing and equilibrating experiences by recognizing both the up and down sides to all situations. I struggled to think of the good part about having a potentially ruined carpet.
Because of my work with the homeless kids, the answer was so obvious. We HAVE a carpet. My family has a safe and comfortable home. I have two little kiddos that are adorable and healthy enough to run, play, and yes… even destroy. No crying over spilled milk today!
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