Saturday Strategery: When Your Toddler Makes Carpet Parmesan

I'm not exactly sure how this happened yesterday, but at some point Pippi (shown here, imprisoned in her crib for time-out) smuggled a brand new container of Parmesan cheese (shown here, in foreground) upstairs to her room. One minute she was playing downstairs in her little kitchen, the next she's upstairs with a measuring cup pouring the entire container on the carpet. Did I mention this is the new carpet we just installed last year?

In case this toddler scenario plays out at your house, here are some steps to help you through after the disaster strikes.

1. Dump toddler into time-out crib. Remove pacies and blanket so that she's sufficiently miserable.
2. Rant. Clench fists. Grit teeth.
3. Blame your husband (not recommended, but sometimes it's hard not to -- just know that he won't take the blame).
4. Take photos for blog to make yourself feel better about the situation.
5. Rant some more. Stomp downstairs and back up again.
6. Scoop up Parmesan with hands, as much as possible and dump into measuring cup. Send slightly more responsible older brother downstairs with the cup.
7. Vacuum. Then clean out the vacuum cleaner and hope to goodness that it doesn't get Parmesan mold trapped inside.
8. Be thankful it was parmesan and not ketchup. Be grateful for the Dyson.
9. Let husband take kids to pool.

For more Saturday Strategeries, check out these posts.