Phone Chats and Slow Races

Today I had the privilege of chatting with my four-year-old cousin in Canada over the phone and I must say, he is quite the conversationalist. He is especially good at coming up with intriguing topics when it's time to go to bed or hang up the phone. The only problem is, he has such good things to talk about that I hardly want to cut him off because it's so interesting.

For instance, today we talked about how his soccer outfit makes him look like a killer whale, reminisced about feeding dolphins and how following the directions will lead to a bite-free day when interacting with animals, discussed how superior halloween is in Florida because your costume isn't limited by coats and cold weather, and finally we came to triathlons. Triathlons are perfect for kids. They love swimming, running and biking. A lot. Why hasn't someone capitalized on this market? Anyway, my four-year-old cousin also informed me that he is really fast and he wants to race his friends. But he would only pick his slow friends to race against. Good idea.

On a slightly related note, I've recently caught the 5K bug and may be moderately addicted to running through theme parks and streets for charity. If only they had the same race requirements as my little cousin. I'd finish in much better standing, I'm sure. 

Sick

So, it turns out that being sick makes life much less entertaining for me because I try to avoid talking to children for fear of passing out in front of them. I do get to talk to the people at the drugstore though, since I've been there about five times in the past week. Today the lady in front of me in line purchased 12 (yes, I counted) cases of soda and ended up getting them half off with some sort of coupon. Maybe she is stocking her own soda machine? Whatever she decides to do with them, I just hope she and the people drinking all that soda don't catch whatever I have. And I also hope that she doesn't live on the third floor like me. Yikes!

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?

Things Only a Five-year-old can Say

"Nay, you're hair's really pretty. Can I smell it?"

Yep, this is what my youngest nephew asked me the other day. It's adorable for now, just as long as he doesn't ask me the same thing when he's 25.

Three Wishes

Yesterday my four-year-old Canadian cousin and I watched Aladdin together for the first time. Of course, I had to ask him what he would wish for if he had three wishes. Here they are:

1. A Nerf gun (apparently he already has one)
2. To live in Florida (I'd love that too! Come on down!)
3. To drink Faysal's tea (my husband's Moroccan tea has really made an impression on him)

A Pretty Purse

My four-year-old cousin is visiting me here in the sunshine state from chilly Canada! Not only is he adorable, but he serves as a huge ego boost as he has dubbed me "the best cousin ever!" And apparently Renée is a great name for a cousin. I'm pretty sure that's what my parents were thinking when they brainstormed baby names.

My little cousin also likes my purse, which I often get compliments on from kids (Thank you, Vera Bradley! You should start making pink quilts with white swirls for children. Cha-ching!?). Naturally, though, he had to compare it to his mom's purse, which he described as "just brown." Unfortunately she won't let him ad stickers to it like he wants. A sticker collection that you can show off on a purse: Are you listening, Vera? There's a market for that too! 

Innocence

The innocence of children is an honesty that amazes me everyday. Sometimes it makes me laugh, sometime it makes me cry. Sometimes it makes me blush, and sometimes it makes me stop in my tracks. And sometimes the innocence of children reminds me of the simple beauty in the world and it reminds me that nothing is more important than love.

That's how I felt last Monday after a weekend of sobbing at the TV and then finally seeing the two children that I babysit. We walked to the park, just like every other Monday. But this time my observant five-year-old friend looked at the flag in his neighbor's yard and asked, "Ms. Renee, why is that flag more downer?"

Why? That's a question I've been asking myself for over a week now after hearing about the events that unfolded in Connecticut and the sweet, innocent lives that were taken. Why are flags only half way to the sky while Christmas lights twinkle behind them? Why are some mourning death while others are celebrating eternal life? Hearing his sincere question left me asking why again. I told him that sometimes people want to show extra support for their country, so they fly the flag at half mast. The answer satisfied him, but not me.

I beamed at those sweet ones the rest of the day. All they know is good in the world. To a two-year-old and a five-year-old, evil is Captain Hook. A bad guy is someone who litters, and guns shoot rubber darts. I want to protect them from what's really out there. I want them to have faith in the world and in each other. I want them to love everyone they encounter and I want everyone else to love them. That's my Christmas wish this year. I want the world to be filled with souls who love others even more than themselves. I'm working on it, little by little, but we must start with the little ones, raising them to know that there is good in everyone who chooses to see the light in the world.