On a Shoestring

Having grown somewhat, Littletree was in need of new running shoes. Really, I blame myself. I *knew* I shouldn’t have been feeding her all that nourishing food. Ah well, live and learn.

Thus we found ourselves in the store of a purveyor of children’s shoes, perusing the aisles.

Until now, I’ve always gotten her shoes with velcro fastenings (well, to be really honest, I’ve mostly avoided getting her shoes, preferring to wait for other doting family members to take on that happy task). Besides, she hardly ever wears them anyway!

I remember when she was younger, I briefly considered buying her shoes with laces, but quickly realised that would mean spending the next few months chasing her around, bent-double to tie them up for her until she either worked out how to do it herself or grew out of them. And the idea of teaching a small child to tie laces while you’re running late to get somewhere (which I perpetually am) sounds like a special brand of nightmare.

I decided that I would support my child to grow up till adulthood without knowing how to tie laces, when it would become her problem, and not mine. Thus, she’s always had velcro shoes.

Only in this particular store, the most aesthetically-pleasing (to Littletree) and least-plasticky (to me) running shoes had laces. They were also conveniently half price. I was entirely reluctant, despite massive savings; images of going mad and strangling myself with a shoelace flitted through my mind.

I subtly (or not so much) tried to steer her interest towards a similar pair with velcro, but she preferred the others. Eventually, I got her convinced, but a little voice in my mind reminded me that we were buying *Littletree* shoes to be her very own, and really, she should get the ones she wanted. I put both pairs on the floor in front of her, and said “you get the ones you really want.”

I found myself a few minutes later, dazed, at the checkout handing over my credit card, and walking away with a small pair of lace-up running shoes.

We got home, and Littletree promptly put the new shoes on, I gave her a 2-minute demonstration on how to tie laces. Which she repeated just fine. Again and again.

Walking home the next day, she said to me,

“Mama, I think my spirit told me to get the shoes with laces now, because my spirit knew I was ready to learn how to tie them. That’s how I learned to do it so easily. If we got shoes with laces before I was ready, it would have been really hard to learn”

What can I say? Who can argue with that; spirits know best!

In other news, this:

was the look on Littletree’s face when I told her a few people had donated her money towards her new computer. She’s been so excited, and wants to send out a huge THANK YOU!

And, her foot is now fine, thanks to everyone who send their well-wishes. :)