Without germs or discomfort to worry about, your child can focus on what's important. Like snatching candy, for instance.

She could feel the wrapper tickling the very tip of her middle finger as she stretched out her hand toward the chocolate. Just a little further, Ella thought as she strained against the adjustable three-point safety harness. Just a wee bit closer and that sugary goodness would be hers.

For months, she had bided her time, watching her mother closely on each grocery store visit from the comfort of her Jeep Shopping Cart Cover. She patiently sat as she was pushed past whimsical cereal mascots peddling their frosted wares. She kept silent when Mommy parked a bit too closely to the chocolate-striped cookies she loved oh so very much.

Most kids would have pitched and whined to get at that stuff, but not her. She was too smart for that. Only fools would try to grab the big items. Cereal boxes, cookie packages, they were too bulky, too noisy. Even if she'd gotten them into the cart, she knew she'd never get them open before Mommy noticed. Hiding them wasn't an option, either. What the cart cover provided in security and germ-protection, it lacked in storage space. Room for a sippy cup and the cheese-flavored Snackie Fish might seem okay to a parent, but a kid required more!

Like the treats that lined the checkout lane wall. And as far as size, they were a different story. They were small, portable, easy to conceal if given the chance. Even with her small fingers, Ella thought she might be capable of ripping the wrapper and chomping off a bite of a candy bar before she was caught. All she needed was for her mommy to make one simple mistake, and Ella was confident that would happen sooner or later. In her short time around them, she had known both Mommy AND Daddy to make quite a few.

So when Mommy pushed the cart closer to the candy so that she could get by and pay for the groceries, Ella immediately sprang into action. And now she was so close! She could almost taste the chocolate in her mouth! If she could just get a little... closer...

"Ella Bernice, just what do you think you're doing?! You don't need that candy."

She was still reaching as her mother pulled the cart away from her prize. Defeated, she slumped down and placed her head on the cushioned cart handle. "If you're hungry," Mommy said, reaching into the front pocket and handing her a fish-shaped cracker, "have one of these."

Ella took the cracker and somberly placed into her mouth. It was the most bitter Snackie Fish she had ever had.

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