Hanitizer

Most of the kids in my life have an interesting fascination with hand sanitizer. Not just any ol' hand sanitizer, but the Bath and Body Works selections that can smell like anything from pumpkin, to candy cane, to Paris (allegedly).

In October my five-year-old friend and his two-year-old brother got a mini pumpkin sanitizer with a glow-in-the-dark keychain. When I walked in the door to babysit the boys that day, they grabbed my by the wrists and tugged me towards the bathroom. I smiled nervously at their father as he waved goodbye. "Oh, they just want to show you something," he reassured me. Potty training success, I wondered?

My five-year-old friend gathered the three of us into the bathroom, closed the door and switched off the lights to reveal the glowing emblem of cleanliness. "Look, Ms. Renee, my hand sanitizer glows!!!!"

Well, I only thought that was as cool as it gets, but no. Not until kids are introduced to candy cane hand sanitizer. This past week, my four-year-old cousin from Canada asked for some. I was wedged between his booster seat and his baby brother's car seat when I squeezed out some of the glorified lotion into his hands. He rubbed his hands together, cupped them around his face and proclaimed, "That smells AWFUL!"

"It's supposed to smell like a candy cane. You dont like it?" I asked, slightly saddened by the waste. Most people love the smells; unless they've been lying to me all along. Maybe my whole life is a lie!

He took a deep whiff of his hands again after it had dried and changed his tune. "Can I have some more? Mom, Dad, smell my hands! I smell like a candy cane!"

Oh, dear. My cousin ended up loving it, only after it smelled awful. But then two days later my five and two-year-old friends got a glimpse of my keychain and begged me to share.

"Ms. Enay," smiled my two-year-old friend. "Can I have some of your hanitizer?"

It looks like I need to go restock my supply of hanitizer, because when kids say something that cute, how could I possibly say no?