Picture this. I'm sitting on the floor of a shoe store, helping my son try on shoes. He doesn't like the nice Merrells I picked out for him, despite the fact that they will last forever and aren't an eyesore like the Iron Man, blinking, glow in the dark, shoes that just happen to be out of stock in his size. He's arguing with me, telling me he doesn't care if they are too big. He wants them anyway.
Meanwhile, my toddler decides that the shoes do NOT belong on the shelves. The look much better on the floor, so now would be a good time to walk down the aisle, knocking them all on the floor. When I realize what he's doing, get up off the floor, leaving my 5 year old sitting on the bench, wearing one shoe.
Toddler takes off running. I chase him. 5 year old, wearing one Merell, carrying his old shoes, begins chasing me, yelling "wait mom, don't leave me here!" 7 year old daughter, who has been well behaved until now, freaks out thinking I won't catch my 2 year old, who is giggling like mad as he runs through the shoe store. People stare. We are all making noise. I am embarrassed.
"Ben, get back here!"
"You can't catch me!"
"Mom, wait I'm only wearing one shoe. I can't keep up!"
"Get him, Mom! Get him! Are you gonna get him?"
By the time the ordeal is over, I've convinced myself that there is nothing I need so badly that I will put myself through that again. My kids will go barefoot before I take them all into another shoe store. Thankfully we live in modern times and I will order on the internet.Yesterday we discovered that my 5 year old needs new shoes right now, and I almost took the kids to the shoe store this afternoon, but then I remembered. Instead I traced his foot onto a piece of paper and sent him off to play. After I pour myself a cup of coffee, I will figure out how to determine his size and then order him a nice new pair of shoes. When they arrive, he will be so thrilled that a package came just for him that it won't matter that they aren't ill fitting, ugly, or flashy. I'll probably spend less too.
