Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk

Caleb has recently learned to open the fridge. My first thought is that this new skill is going to be absolutely disastrous. To my surprise, 2 weeks went by without any mishaps. Caleb's newfound ability actually makes things easier for me because Caleb was going to the fridge several times a day asking for milk. It got very tedious. Now he is able to get his milk when he wants it and put it away when he's done. No more worries for me about trying to remember where his milk ended up so I can put it in the refrigerator. Caleb is very observant and wants to be very helpful. When his milk sippy cup needs to be refilled, he will pull out the carton of milk, set it on the floor, and take the lid off of the carton...all ready for me to do the rest. Unfortunately this one time, and hopefully the last, he got a little anxious and decided to try it all by himself.

Scenario: I'm busily making dinner and rolling out rolls. My back is to Caleb as I'm working, but I am aware that he has gone to the fridge for his milk. He must have drunk all his milk and needed more. Instead of waiting for Mommy's help, he decided to be a big boy and pour his milk into his "big boy" cup (his sippy cup was in the dishwasher) all by himself. Recognizing when to stop pouring is not an easy task, however. As soon as I hear his adorable "Uh Oh," I knew things were not going to be pretty:

I'm so happy I caught this smile!

Messes are for playing in!

One of my lesser qualities that I am working on is that I anger easily. With several tasks to do before people arrive over at my house for dinner in 30 minutes, the last thing I have time for is cleaning up Caleb's messes! Instead of letting those feelings of frustration rise to the surface, I ran to get the camera. Caleb has taught me so much about patience and controlling my temper. Messes come with the territory of motherhood, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!