Super-Saturated Mittens

It wasn't until we were well on our way to school that Dear Dec reached into his schoolbag and announced that his mittens were super-saturated. He didn't use those words, of course. Rather he flung them toward me and announced with snark in his sound, "look how wet I got my mittens yesterday on the playground!"

With minutes to spare - actually, not really. Kindly note that drop off for school is 8:50am SHARP and the picture above certainly gives my tardiness away.

With no time to spare, I flip the mittens inside out and pinch the tops through the opening of the car's heater. Dec congratulates me on my "good idea" from the back seat. Thanks buddy. Most of the time, he's my biggest fan.

Ever alert and with the heater so high it actually lifted the tiny hairs from the front of his face, Dec announced a few moments later, that the car smelled like old sardine stew and rotten garbage - some of his daddy's words that made his mouth turn into a grin. His cherub cheeks turned out the window to see why. "Ewwww mommy! what is that smell?!"

The stench circulated at us from all directions and actually made my tired eyes water. We pulled over. I checked the rear view to see if I'd run over rotten garbage, a carcass, or some other filthy find. I had not.

The stench, I soon suspected, was wafting from Dec's gamie mitten innards. Is that really possible? Could mittens really contain such stink? Do I dare put my nose near them to confirm my suspicions? If I cringe, how will Dec feel?

I decided to do what all good mothers should do in such a situation. I played dumb and kept my nose far away from the mittens. Reason A: Sure as heck don't want to make my boy feel less than perfect moments before walking into preschool. Reason B: if I know for a fact that the mittens smelled so bad, I couldn't possibly put them on his hands - but if I don't know, then off he goes stinky mittens and all. And finally, Reason C: did I mention? we had no time to spare.

Were they dry when we got to school? You ask. No. Not even close. They were warm, wet, and wafting: just the way Dec (apparently) loves them.