This was fun to explain….

So I take the kids with me on some errands today…grocery store and and office supply store.

“Mommy, I have to go potty.” Delaney pipes up as we round an aisle.  I seek and find the nearest, grab Coop out of the cart and head in.  The wheelchair stall is occupied (I always look there first since it is the easiest way to manage the posse)  I notice the woman in the stall has hung her store employee apron over the stall.

 (hang on to this tidibt of info…it will be important in a minute)

I squeeze and shuffle, manuever and stuff the three of us into the stall.  As I’m in the process on helping Delaney….the toilet flushes in the other stall.  The other woman leaves the stall and immediately exits the bathroom.

Do you know what’s missing?

Yep…she didn’t wash her hands.  Yep…she’s a store employee.  Yep, my 4 year old instantly noticed the lack of running water generally associated with washing one’s hands AFTER ONE USES THE POTTY.

“Mommy, how come she didn’t wash her hands?” 

(Fill in bright, witty, understandable-to-a-4-year-old-response here)

Sadly, I’m not entirely sure what I said.  I think the word ‘gross’ came flying out of my mouth.  In fact, I know it did, because Delaney instantly repeated it. I think I became more concerned as we exited the stall that my kids would touch the bathroom door where the non-hand-washing-store-employee had just put her dirty hands.

Yuck and double yuck.  We did exit unscathed, and germ-free, thanks to my use of multiple paper towels.
 I hope.

However, Delaney spent the remaining 10 minutes in the store looking down every aisle and asking, “Is that the lady who didn’t wash her hands, Mommy?”  and “Is that her?” Of course, I was concerned said ‘gross’ employee would be checking us out.  Fortunatley, no.  I was starting to hope she worked in the stock room, but she did appear at the front as we were getting ready to leave.  I recognized her as she was the only woman in the store wearing a red apron.  By this time, Delaney was focused elsewhere.

I, however, wanted to call her on it.  Because, seriously….how many things is she going to touch in the store with her unwashed hands?  But, I decided a quick exit was my best bet.

Yuck.  Double yuck.