Can I see your candles?

When Bill was a child, his parents tell me that when they'd be over at a friend's house, Bill would go around and investigate all of the light switches in the house. He had to know how they all worked. Now that he's all grown up (or pretends to be), he has installed light switches in our basement that seem to have no purpose. At least, I can't figure out what they are for. But, I'm off the subject.

Sam has an obsession too. Candles. He absolutely loves them. It's common for me to walk into my mom's house after work, and discover she has lit half a dozen candles for Sam. They are all different scents, so it smells rather confusing in her house. We have a few in the kitchen that Sam will ask me to light, and he has several votives he lugs around the house with him. Weird.

Now when we visit people, Sam will ask me where I think they keep their candles. He hit the jackpot at Grandma Cindy's house yesterday. He discovered she keeps a rather impressive candle stash in the cupboard of the bathroom by the kitchen. He stood in there and sniffed candles for quite some time last night. Then he brought out his favorite (a large, brand-new candle) and asked her to light it. She told him she was saving that, but she lit a nice pumpkin-scented one for him.

In case this makes any of you nervous, Sam is a very bright boy. He understands candles are dangerous, and never messes with them once they are lit. I taught him how to strike a match (with my assistance) and he never goes anywhere near the matches without an adult's permission and assistance. He's a unique child. The more knowledge he has, the happier he is, and the less questions I get. So, I teach him things that most children don't need to know about until they are older.