Skittles and hearing aids

I learned an important lesson yesterday. Skittles and hearing aids do not mix. At least not at my house. My 7-year-old son rarely -- and I mean once in a blue moon -- gets candy from me. So, when I was at the bulk food store (More for Less, not that other one), I figured I'd pick up a few Skittles as a treat. That was last Saturday. But, knowing how sugar tends to affect my boy, there just didn't seem to be an appropriate time to unleash the treat. Until yesterday. Swimming lesson over, mid-afternoon snack of grapes dutifully consumed, what could be the harm of a few candies coated in, well, more candy? My son casually snacked on them, and calmly practiced adding numbers, and counting by twos, just for fun. What a great kid I have, I thought. He somehow managed to contain his exuberance for more than two hours until the inappropriate time: His grandmother came over for supper. And, like a time-release arthritis medication, the Skittles kicked in. He was talkative, he was loud, he was hyper, he was singing, he was humming, he was whistling, he was dancing, he was running, he was hilarious. Except if you're wearing two hearing aids. I will tell you this, my mother is a very patient woman. And, true to form, she did not complain. I did my best to silence the frenzy, mostly unsuccessfully, until a nice warm bath intervened. And I've made a strong mental note to never buy Skittles again when company's coming. Even if they don't wear hearing aids.