On Saturdays Joshua and I try to make a date of it in the evening, going to dinner and sometimes a movie.   We used to hire a sitter for these hours, but lately we’ve been letting Maya and Ben stay at home on their own, and usually Maya’s friend Greta is with them.   Since her Dad lives in our building, we know they have someone nearby should they need anything.  (which they never have to date).    This evening we gave them permission to walk out to the Buttercup Bakery for cupcakes and donuts, and Maya texted me when they got home.  All is well with the world.

Then, right at the end of the movie Maya calls me and tells me that they decided to give all her Webkinz a bath.   A bath?   Yes, in the bathtub, and she got in as well and somehow she wound up getting soaked right along with them.  Go figure.   When she called, it was to tell me that she and Greta had taken the laundry card and used it to put all the stuffed animals in the dryer, and was that ok?   Well at that point of course it was ok.   All is still well.

When we arrived home, it seemed that Ben had taken the girls’ lead and decided to wash all of his Webkinz and a few other stuffed animals as well, in his wagon which was parked in the middle of the living room.   He was ‘cleaning up’ as we walked in.   A few minutes later I discovered that this meant there were 7 soaking wet towels in the bathtub and two plastic bags full of stuffed animals sitting in his bedroom.   Hmmm.   Visions of moldy plush toys filled my head.   Why  Ben didn’t go with the girls to dry his animals in the dryers is a story with many variations, depending on who you ask.    So it is now 10:28pm, and in two minutes I’ll be down in the laundry room, hauling (hopefully) dry stuffed animals out of the dryer.

A few deep breaths and a cold Diet Coke, and all will be well again.