If the shoe fits....

This could possibly be a tale of woe. Depends on how I look at it. Right now, it's just a tale of toe.

I knew Mini-E could possibly, maybe, might need some new shoes. Several times I've put her shoes on her and she said, very quietly, "ow, ow, ow." Never loudly fussing, never crying, never throwing a fit. Several times I've put her shoes on her to have her undo the velcro on them. Never once did she try to take them off. She'd just undo the velcro.

We went to the park today for a friend's birthday and I decided we'd swing by the shoe store before heading home. I'd saved up money to buy her a pair of shoes. Matter of fact, I was proud of the fact that I had saved some grocery money to add to the clothing money. I was ready. Here we go.

On the way to the shoe store, G tells me that his toes are pressing against the tips of his shoes. It hurts when he bends his toes. Of course, I wanted to tell him NOT to bend his toes. Wouldn't that have been the anti-mommy thing to say? So we decide to have his foot measured while at the shoe store.

Mini-E was in a 1.5 size shoe. She measured at 2.5. No wonder she was saying 'ow'.
G's turn. He's wearing the big-kid version of a 1.5 sized shoe - he measured at 2.5 and he walked out of the shoe store wearing a size 3.

I barely contain my garrumphing. I know J-man's shoes are fine. I can hear them flapping. But what about Mini-Me??

I get Mini-Me over and have her foot measured. She kept telling me that her shoes were fine. I had her measured anyway. The shoes she wore into the store were size 1.5. She measured at a 2.5 size.

The sales clerk gestured to Mini-Me and G, "Are they twins?"
I shook my head and grinned, "nope."

G did ask an interesting question. He said, "I'm a 2.5?? Does that mean I've shrunk?"
I almost laughed, but he had asked last night if he'd shrunk instead of grown, and he was serious about it. So I told him, sweetly, that it meant he GREW.
He was beyond thrilled.

Mini-Me had a hard time picking out a shoe. She wanted one that was all pink (And totally cute) but they didn't have it in her size. They had a similar style but it had neon green in it. Mini-Me didn't like it. She told me that she liked her old shoes because they had "gems" in them (see: rhinestone) and they were all pink. (They were also all worn out)

She walked out of there wearing a size 2.5 shoe. It's not all pink. It's a cute silvery thing with some pretty colors in it - and it was on sale!!

It's always an adventure shoe-shopping with the kids.
I think, too, I've maintained my record for not buying shoes until the kids feet are threatening to burst through. The lesson I learned today: If the shoe fits....you'd better measure ALL their feet.

Good Hair - Warm Heart

You guys are the best!!! I got so many chuckles out of your comments and they each one just warmed my little denim heart.

Toby, my computer skills are not good enough to put good hair on a fork...though...I might be able to put a fork in my hair as a hair pin...hmmmmmm...

Because I'm running short of time lately (I've been painting the kitchen) I wanted you guys to know that you've absolutely made my day with the comments about my good hair day.

Oh - other than the good hair day, that's typically what I look like, too.

I had a picture from the other day that Mini-Me took of me, in the morning.

Same smile.

At least I'm consistent in something. *LOL*

Good Hair Day...

I had a good hair day...and let the kids take a picture...I'm only showing one because they thought it was fun to take pictures and we have 5.

So here you go --- a good hair day.

At least for me. :-)

Moment of Maudlin

I was sitting with J-man in my lap. I had to sit down because he wanted me to be with him. And he turned and said "Love you, mommy".

I cried and squished him in a hug saying "I love you, too, Bubby."

That moment, that time, they were the sweetest words I had ever heard. He'd been saying it before - typically at night while trying to stay awake and not sleep. For some reason, at that moment, completely unsolicited, those three words were the sweetest words ever.

In a comment on a previous post, Sprittibee had said "Don't you wish they could stay young forever?" I was thinking of that just now as I typed. But as I typed my post, thinking of those very sweet words, came the whisper that overrode my thoughts. ...

"Just imagine how your God feels when you tell Him, "I love you, Daddy," in the moment and completely unsolicited."

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Declaration...

Did you know that Christmas is coming? Yeah, I know, me too. Even though Christmas is the same time every year, for some reason, I'm just not ready for it when it comes.

I used to be the Christmas freak when I was younger. Then I had kids.
I still loved Christmas - but that whole budget thing really put a damper on it. I was decorating for me, because nobody else seemed to care about it. I think somewhere along the Christmas path, I sort of fell out of love with it all. Even to the point of NOT playing Christmas music. I was close to proclaiming that the Grinch was just misunderstood.

I'm growing back in love with Christmas. Last year was good. We bought a small Christmas tree and decorated it with blue and silver ornaments. I never thought I'd like having color coordinated things - but I can really get into it. I think I even want blue stockings to hang over the mantle -- after the kids learn NOT to pull them on top of their heads. By the way, the weighted stocking hangers make great hangers for Christmas lights. I use them to hang lights on my upright grand. And then store my Christmas presents on top of the piano, too.

This year's shopping is going to be different. I declare it to be the year of the gift card!! It will probably go down in history as the Great Denim Gift card Giveaway and hopefully not the Great Gift card Debacle.

We have to buy for my in-laws, 2 brothers-in-law, The professor's niece & nephew, 2 members of my family (we draw names), for our kids and for each other. I may, indeed, buy gift cards for everyone but my kids. For my kids, I'm very very tempted.

That's my plan -- with Christmas coming so fast and time not being my own, it sounds perfect for 2007. Let the gift card purchasing begin!!