Scrub a dub dub

In a previous post I introduced the Three Amigos, with a brief mention of the three sidekicks (they need a collective name...Three Stooges?  Three Musketeers?  hmm...) that join him at bedtime. Today I was puttering around in the kitchen while Z was playing with Mr. Penguin in the living room, occasionally coming into the kitchen to pontificate on who knows what at the top of his quite capable lungs. I can only assume the other five animals were scattered around his room in various uncomfortable-looking poses, since that's usually the case.

My mom was visiting today and was playing with N at the kitchen table, and the doors to the laundry area were open behind them.  N started being utterly adorable, which NEVER happens (hah!), so I picked up the video camera to record his antics.  He was jawing away, playing with an old bucket that I use to corral his highchair toys, occasionally reaching up to smack Grammy in the cheek and laugh, etc.  I was watching it all on the video camera when Z walked into the frame carrying the blanket from his bed.  With complete confidence, and no hesitation or looking around for guidance, he opened the door to the washing machine and stuffed his blanket in.  Glancing over, I could see that Mr. Penguin was also involved in this undertaking, as it appeared he was directing the whole show from inside the washer (my mom told me later that he was inserted on a previous trip that I just wasn't aware of).  I didn't really think anything of this...after all, Z likes to "help" me with the laundry and he occasionally will pretend to do it on his own.  As he walks back out of the kitchen he says, definitively, "not done yet!"  A few minutes later, I'm still videotaping N when again Z enters the frame.  He has the other two Amigos and one of the sidekicks.  Into the washer they go!  This time I ask, "Are you doing laundry over there?"  To which he responds, "Need to get clean!"  The last two sidekicks are brought in and added to the washer.  He then firmly closes the door, turns on the washer, presses the button to get the setting he wants, turns to me and says, "Need soap?"  What the heck, they probably needed a bath anyways and they're all machine washable.  So I put in the soap, change the setting to one more appropriate to the contents (I think he'd be upset if his animals shrank in the bath!) and let him hit the start button.  He watches them spin for a few moments, then calmly closes the laundry room door like it's the most natural thing in the world for him to be putting his best friends in the wash.  So much for me trying to hide when I'm washing them...I guess he won't be traumatized after all!