New Shoes

So Friday Gammy (Billy's Mom) took the girls shoe shopping. Of, course I threw my usual guilt trips at her--"I feel so bad, or I feel like I can't tell you no to a certain style because your credit card is paying" I would prattle off to her. But alas, she tells me to let her spoil her granddaughters. So into Famous Footwear we go. To buy tennis shoes. So what does it mean when my girls go over to the prettiest pink, purple, green, blue and yellow shoes they see? It means they are the prettiest ones they see and they want them. They could have their pick of any Nike, Addidas, K-Swiss, Sketcher shoe in the place. So we are looking at the Nike and K-Swiss--Gammy and me--trying to decide if we like so much pink on the shoes. So we bring the girls over to pick from them and point out the Nike Swoosh like it is some right of passage for any kid to feel "in." Emma gives us a blank stare like"What are you talking about? Why would I want that on my shoe?" The two girls could have cared less about the brand. We try to push brands on them at the age of--oh how old is Emma? 7! And Abbey? 5! I didn't get my first name brand pair of shoes until I was a freshman in high school. Seriously, they haven't put them on or wanted to since we let them change into them in the mall to get out of their old Target and Wal-Mart shoes. They want to wear the pretty pink and white dress shoes --with everything! I actually think the parents are more concerned with how good the kids look than the kids are. I am so guilty of this. Emma got a pair of Nike's that I really liked her having because they are white with a pink swoosh so they will match everything. Abbey, however, picked a pair of Sketcher's that I thought were too bulky for her to be able to run around in. I kept asking her over and over if she was sure and after about 5 times of her telling me "Yes, Mom!" and my repeating the question because I didn't really think she was paying attention--she finally yelled out "Yes Mom. You don't have to keep asking me. I want these ones." What is wrong with me? Now acually I really am too cheap to buy name brand, especially for my little GIRLS. But the situation was there and I took advantage of it. But they would be happy in the little slide on dress flats that all the girls are wearing with leggings, jeans, dresses and everything else. Emma has a black pair she wore last year and they each have a new pair this year. Those are all they want to wear. My word Nora. Let them be kids!