This one is for you, Zsa Zsa

For about the past month Ava has been complaining that her tennis shoes "bother her feet." Now, as the mother of a Princess, I know that there are a couple of ways to interpret this complaint...

I think it's safe to say that most parents would venture that their kid's feet have grown and that was also one of my considerations. However, I've also been notified, by the Princess herself, that her royal kind don't wear tennis shoes, rather, they wear "pretty shoes." It's a challenge that we have to overcome every couple of weeks. Thankfully, she still looks up to her parents as the all knowing so she believes us when we explain that princesses absolutely wear tennis shoes when they want to be comfortable. Princesses love their tennis shoes when they play sports, scare dragons, walk the grounds of their kingdom, etc. etc. With a skeptical sneer on her face she usually agrees to conform and wear the darn shoes. Recently, though, our grand stories weren't doing the trick. I decided that both kids were due for new shoes anyway now that Spring is in the air (and not a moment too soon, I might add).

Ava has wide feet and this limits our shoe selection so we went to the shoe store that we've been going to since she was a wee little thing and she knows her way around. After measuring her feet, and discovering that her shoe size has in fact gone up 1/2 a size, she ran to her shoe section and started perusing the aisles. I was looking for a good athletic sandal that she would be comfortable walking around Busch Gardens in when she ran up to me excitedly and the following conversation unraveled,

Ava: "Mommy, my favorite color is silver."

Me: "Really? Because this morning it was pink."

Ava: "No, it's silver!"

She was becoming aggravated with me for questioning her.

Me: "OK, then. Good to know."

She stood there, rather impatiently, and finally said, "I love silver shoes and I wish if I could have a pair of beautiful silver shoes."

Ah ha! I was finally catching on...she's so sneaky! I said, "OK, Sweetie. Well, right now we're not looking for silver shoes - unless they're supportive and comfortable for your feet."

She took my hand and walked me over to the silver shoes that she was referring to and said, "See, Mommy?! They're silver and they're comfortable and they're beautiful!"

Let me tell you, they did not look at all like what I was shopping for. I explained that she doesn't know if they're comfortable because she hasn't tried them on. It didn't matter. I lost this argument before it ever started. Her heart was set on these shoes. Mine was not. She agreed to help me look for something a little more sturdy but I kept finding her staring at those silver shoes (& the gum ball machine, but that's another story). Of course, every other pair of sandals that we tried on weren't good, according to Ava. Now, she's asked for plenty of things when we go shopping, but never like this. She was absolutely certain that the silver sandals were for her. It was as if they were calling her name from across the store. I suddenly remembered that feeling as a kid when you want something so bad... How could I deprive her? Besides, shoe makers don't make comfortable shoes for girls, they only make "cute" shoes for girls. Ugh, I never thought I'd see Jessica Simpson shoes in the girl's shoe department but I did. I'm seriously considering writing children's books and designing girl's shoes. No problem finding practical shoes for boys! I digress.

I agreed to let her try them on, because after all, what if they don't fit? Well, they fit and her face lit up. She pranced around the shoe store so proudly. I could not believe that I was actually going to buy these shoes for her. In my mind I began to justify, "She needs dressy shoes too and silver goes with anything..."

Two weeks later and she hates to take the shoes off her feet. She agrees to run boring errands with me and I think it's so that she has a reason to wear her silver shoes. I also think this might be one of the best purchases I've made, much to my dismay. We went back to the store one week later and found a pair of athletic sandals for Busch Gardens, though, I think I could have designed a better pair, but whatever.

This morning, after she put her silver sandals on, she said proudly, "Mommy, these are just like Zsa Zsa shoes!"

---DRUM ROLL---

Behold, THE silver sandals...