One step at a time

I'm getting tired of these day-late/dollar-short days...

We camped this weekend. We helped Uncle Rod move this weekend. We lost one of Jack's shoes somewhere in the south end of the great state of California this weekend. As you can imagine, it's a big area to search. Especially when you didn't know you needed to be looking for it until after 9 p.m. last night.

We searched and searched and searched and searched. We gave up and went to bed eventually. Jack can just wear an old pair tomorrow...

Of course this morning, we realized that Jack is wearing a 5 1/2 shoe. The closest thing in his closet was a 3 1/2. uh. 

I sent him to school in a pair of Crocs with a note. They aren't supposed to wear Crocs and Jack was none too pleased. I tried to console him and tell him at least he wasn't Mario Batali whose mom makes him wear orange Crocs. Somehow that wasn't comforting to him. So I promised to find him a pair of shoes and bring them back to him by recess at 9:40 a.m.

I had strict instructions -- not like the old black ones, not like the old white ones, not like the red and white ones, not like the ones with designs like Neil wears, not like anything that is ever sold in a store that might open before 10 a.m.

I had my goal -- cheap pair of shoes to be back ups to whatever shoe he wanted to choose in the near futurec. Kids (and this mom) can't live with one pair. 

We hit Wal-Mart the wonder store (which I'm not comfortable shopping at but that's a whole different story). Yeah. NOTHING. (Well, we did contemplate a Hannah Montana pair, but Neil vetoed it.)

Neil and I proceeded to Kohl's. They were open before 9 a.m. and they carried Converse. We knew he liked Converse high tops (plain black of course). None in his size. We did find a pair that was the updated version of the Adidas shoe he lost, but they wanted $79 for it. Are you kidding me? He's 9. Not going to do it.

We then hit Target. Neil and I were getting nervous. Jack's recess started at 9:40 a.m. Neil's school started at 10:20 a.m. Hopefully we were going to make it.

No Converse that fit. No plain colored anything available in Jack's size. I did find a pair of low-top, pull-on hiking shoe in Jack's size that were mostly brown and $20. Target shoes tend to run tight on Jack so I bought a half size up to cover it... Purchase!

We make it to school by 10 a.m. It's the end of recess, but I'm here. Neil is going to be on time and Jack will have shoes! 

Jack's OK with the shoes. He puts them on, says they are fine. I tear off the tags, dump it all in the nearest trash can, and I watch my son head off to class. I'm feeling good. "I am mom! Hear me roar!"

And then I notice his feet are falling out of the shoes...

"Oh, yeah. They are way too big," he says. Thought of telling me that before I tear the tags off and trash them?

I am mom. Weak. Humble. Desperate. 

My hair isn't combed. My kid's shoes are falling off him. It's also my day to work in the classroom.