Shoe Shopping and Such

Another post about that boy of mine –

3 weeks after getting some super cute new Nikes (that I intended to be his winter school shoes), he’s out grown them. I can count the occasions he’s worn them on less than 3 fingers. This irks me quite a bit and I wish I would not have let him even wear them yet, or at least kept the box. Had I done either of these things I would have been able to exchange the shoes for the next size.

Chris let me know ahead of time he was dedicating this weekend to studying – meaning my job would be to keep the kids quiet. I knew no other way to keep the house quiet other than to stay GONE. Saturday morning I set out with a list of errands to run with Tate in tow. Cayla’s well behaved enough to stay with Chris, and she literally spent the entire day playing outside with Carson and didn't bother her studious dad at all.

Shoes and groceries were on the "to-do list" for Tate and me. Shoes were very important since he’s just about outgrown every pair he owns, and groceries would buy us LOTS of time. The pantry was bare, we were on the last rolls of toilet paper and paper towels, and running low on all categories of toiletries and paper goods. You name it we didn’t have it!

We get the shoes first (very nice looking winter crocs); then we head to the store. Through the produce Tate was fairly well behaved. He’s fully enjoying driving the “car cart” and I’m doing a fairly good job pushing (what feels like a bus) throughout the crowded store. He called out each fruit as we passed and he even waved at them. How sweet! By the time we got to the meat dept he was opening our bag of oranges and very angry that he couldn’t eat one. We make it through the cold stuff and Tate’s eyed some donuts. Not being a “weighed item”, I decide to neatly open them and let him have one (and I add the bag to my cart to purchase later). He’s very happy! It’s then I notice that his less than 30 minute old shoes are gone. I look in our cart and don’t see them .

I ask Tate, “WHERE ARE YOUR SHOES?!?”

He sweetly replies, “I throwed dem mommy.”

Me: “You throwed them where?” - thinking back to the conversation I’m pretty sure I did actually say “throwed”

Tate: “On da Grawn”

Me: On the ground, where?

Tate: On da Grawn of da store

Me: Deeply breathing – Ugh, okay.

Tate: Mommy, where are my shoes?

Me: On the ground in the store I guess! - Another deep breath!

I turn our cart/bus around - no easy task. Geez, I hate those carts. It only bought me about 5 minutes of Tate’s entertainment… totally not worth pushing it through the duration of our mega grocery shopping trip. We retrace our path and find both shoes three aisles away near the cheese.

Tate: My shoes mommy!!!! I lub my shoes!!!!!

Me: Good don’t throw your shoes. Keep your shoes on your feet!

Tate: Okay Mommy. I lub my shoes on my feet.

Me: Me too!!!

We finish all of our grocery shopping and head home for nap time. Nap time for Tate and definitely nap time for me!!!

Saturday evening after talking to my friend Rebecca about Academy’s lax exchange policy Tate and I take the 3 week old shoes (sans box but with receipt) back to the store and return them for some different ones. No questions asked – I walk away with new shoes and don't even feel bad about it. Maybe his foot has grown, but the old shoes looked like they should technically fit; however he says they are too tight and the Velcro won’t stay closed.  If they had asked questions, I could have used his foot as evidence.

Yesterday we go to Kourtney and Kylee’s birthday party and Tate manages to break the strap on those great new Crocs he received the previous morning.

Again last night Tate and I head back to Academy to return more shoes. This time they no longer have his size in the great Crocs. We leave there shoeless, but with a store credit. Shipments come in 5 days a week. We’ll be back for another pair. Most people would give up on these stupid Crocs, but I’m willing to give them another shot. They fit him well, get can get them on (and off :(   ) by himself, and rubber shoes are great for potty training accidents. If they break again, then I’ll give up on these shoes – but I’ll return them first.

Now when I ask Tate - "Do you want to run to the store with mommy?"  He says, "No mommy, I don't want to rum to da store."  I think the boy's had a life time worth of shopping.