Here's how it goes....

"Hey,(insert child's name here), I need you to load the dishwasher for me. I'm going to go (insert activity of choice which will prevent you from supervising here)"

"ok, mom" responds happy little, wonderful, no whining helper.

Fast forward 40 minutes.

"Hey, Mom"

"Yes, oh child of my dreams, helper of all helpers, fantastically full of vim and vigor, lovely, obedient offspring?"

"I couldn't find the dishwasher detergent, so I just used the liquid stuff we use to wash stuff by hand."

Imagine sound of everything screeching to a halt.

Wait. What?!

Huh. Didn't see that one coming.

"Well", I say to myself. "This can't be too hard to fix. We'll just scoop out some of the bubbles, take the dishes out and run it through again, that'll fix it."

Aaaactually, that will make your bubbles have babies. And then those bubbles will have babies until you end up with this:

Lots and lots of bubbles.

And just trust me when I say, running the dishwasher just one more time, does NOT, I repeat, does NOT, get rid of the bubbles.

But I know what does.

Olive oil.

Yup. That wonderful yummy stuff that infuses pastas and dressings and rosemary potatoes with just the right flavor, also gets rid of bubbles.

Pour about 1/2 a cup in the bottom of your dishwasher. Run a cycle, and you are in business.

The business of doing dishes again. yay. yippee. so glad i figured it out.