Losing It

Sam has a shoe fetish. Well, actually, I really hope he doesn't, but right now, he sure has an obsession with shoes. One of his first words was "sah" which he used for both "sock" and "shoe". He was saying that before he was a year old. As his vocabulary has developed, he is pretty distinct now in saying "shoe." He loves shoes and always insists on wearing them, even if they aren't his. In the picture to the left there he is shuffling along in Ben's sandals.

We have been so blessed by the generosity of others when it comes to dressing our boys. There are not a lot of clothing items I have to buy for any of them. I wasn't sure how that would work out when we had Sam since I had not saved David's things, but I have had two friends, plus my sister in law, begin to pass down their baby boys' clothes, so that hasn't been an issue either. It's been such a blessing! So anyway, at the beginning of this warm weather season, Sam had 3 pairs of sandals in his tubs of hand me downs that would fit this season. He also had a pair of red crocs that I bought this winter so his feet wouldn't get cold on our old floors.

So I have been beyond frustrated when it has been a near impossibility to find ANY matching pairs of sandals. I can find one of each pair, but never both! From time to time both shoes will pop up and I'll have a matching set for a day and then one will get lost again. It is not like we live in a cavernous house with lots of dark corners and room to lose things. Our house is actually kind of small for six people. You tell me! I have searched behind furniture and under beds and not found a single little shoe.

One day, out of his 4 pairs of sandals, he had not one matching pair. So, running errands with Ben, I stopped at K-mart and bought him another pair of size 6 sandals. I spent $13 - grr.... I don't normally shop at K-mart, but we were out that way, and Ben begged (his store obsession) so that's how I ended up there. Apparently K-mart orders their shoes from small 3rd world countries where every child is malnourished, because while these were size 6 shoes I bought, they sure seem smaller than Sam's other 6s. His toes are already curling over the ends. I can't win!

I should add that while the mates to his other shoes have popped up before disappearing again, Sam is still missing the other light-up Spiderman sandal he had. Those are cute - too bad!

Speaking of summer shoes: has anyone noticed how hard it is to find crocs this year? I found some for Will - a men's size 11 - at Walmart early in the season, but they don't have them anymore. Ben and David needed new crocs, too, and I absolutely could not find them in their sizes (men's 6 and 7). They had a few adult pairs and small children's, but nothing in between. It makes me think that maybe crocs are finally beginning to disappear from the fashion scene. It certainly won't break my heart! I have always thought those things look like small snowshoes and refused to buy any for myself. Why would I want to make my big feet look even bigger? But they boys love them and have insisted on them for several years now, even though I would have preferred to spend more money and buy them nice leather sandals. This year Ben and David had to settle for the flip flop variety - plastic, like crocs, but with only a wide band over the front of the foot. I noticed quite a few of them in stores, so it does make me wonder if that is the direction footwear is going now. That's what I wear all summer long. I can't stand to have anything between my toes so typical thong flip flops are out for me. None of the boys like those, either.

So anyway, what you can glean from this post: 1) Sam may have a foot fetish 2) I am a terrible housekeeper and would rather buy new stuff than actually spend time looking for lost stuff 3) where are the crocs? I'm sure you're all richer for reading it!