Rube Goldberg days

James is home today for Memorial Day, and when Mal just announced that he'd started pooping a little and needed actually to go, I kindly informed James it was his turn, since I'd already handled one of those, and at Target, no less.

I was finishing up reading an article, so James gamely attempted to handle the task. But at the end, he needed to put Mal's drawers in the washing machine because he'd rinsed them out and they were damp, and we don't like to put damp clothes in the hamper.

The only issue with that is that I'd started laundry a couple of hours ago and hadn't moved the clean clothes into the dryer. So I got up to do that. Since James needed to wash up, I took the pants from him and put them in the washing machine. I started the water running and was putting some soap in when I realized that the "no spill" insert in the soap jug had detached and fallen into the soap.

I tried to fix it manually, but it was too slimy to get a grip on, so I had to get a pair of pliers... and that worked, but so much for sitting and taking it easy while James did all the work.

Anyone else have those times when it seems like you're trying to do one little thing (or nothing at all) and it becomes a big series of drawn-out things?

In other news, Mal and I did NOT have a quiet Friday, but it was cool. Just before lunch, I noticed that the Aladdin live-action reboot had just opened, so I asked Mal if he wanted to go, and, to my surprise, he did! We bought tickets for the show an hour from then, and it was almost sold out already.

We left immediately and had time for some ice cream at Baskin Robbins first. While we were there, "Johnny B. Goode" was playing in the store, and Mal said, "That's the same guitar and singer as 'Route 66'!" Now he knows Chuck Berry by name.

After the movie, which we thoroughly enjoyed, we went to the mall because Mal wanted to play on the indoor playground. James got off of work just about the time we got to the mall, and he met us there in Build-a-Bear, surprising Mal.

Eventually, I came home to make dinner (beef stew, THANK YOU, Instant Pot... it took an hour and tasted slow simmered!), and James and Mal walked in right as dinner was ready.

James and Mal are outside now playing with water balloons, so I'm going to go try to research a few things I've not had time to do with a busy 4-year-old who desires constant companionship!