Things You Don't Want to Hear From a 3 Year Old

"Mommy, how do we clean this up?"

Wait, wait - let me put this in context. Willow and I had finished eating dinner and I was here toodling away on the 'puter while Willow played with her toys. She does this thing where she takes out all her animals and toys and pretends to plant a garden (with the toys being the plants). Every once in a while I would turn around and she was still 'gardening.'

Willow: "Mommy, how do we clean this up?"

Me, barely glancing up: "Well, pick up the toys and put them back in the toybox."

Willow, more insistent: "No, Mommy - how do we clean *this* up?"

Curious, I get up out of my chair to find out what 'this' is. My darling daughter had found the basket of spices and sundries I take to my in-laws house when I make pizza there... and in that basket there is a small tupperware container of cornmeal. She had decided the cornmeal was fertilizer for her garden and she had sprinkled it all over her 'plants.'

Me, groaning: "Ohhhhhh... Willow..."

And, realizing it was ultimately vaccuumable, started laughing. Then Willow started crying. And the harder I laughed, the more stricken her tears became. I couldn't help it - what other kid creates a garden out of her toys and then decides it needs fertilizer?!?!?

So, we pulled out the vaccuum and cleaned it all up - no harm done.