Some days things just don’t go according to plan and you have to be able to roll with the punches. Today was one of those days. I had the day all planned out but in the end we didn’t do half the things we were supposed to do. One thing I DID manage to accomplish was the manicure and pedicure that the Tooth Fairy has owed Aliya since she had 6 teeth pulled out. I promised her that she’d have lovely hands and feet for the first day of school and gall dang it – I was determined to deliver.
The problem arose when Aliya realized that she would have to change the shoes she had planned to wear with her first-day outfit, so her pedicure would show. The shoe-change required 1) a change from pants to a skirt, and 2) shoes which showed her toes but were not flip-flops since those aren’t allowed in school.
I have asked Aliya at least 5 times if she needs any back-to-school clothes, shoes, or supplies. After the mani/pedi, when the bus was due to arrive in 15 hours and 33 minutes, she tells me that she needs sandals. Where the hell was I supposed to find kid-sized non-flip-flop sandals on the day before school starts?!?!
Before I continue, I’d like to draw your attention to the photo of me on the right, and particularly to my shoes. In this photo I was 10 years old, and this was a big day – my little brother’s christening. I know for sure that was a new dress, and I’m guessing I was wearing new shoes. Look how fancy they are – they added at least an inch to my height. I was STYLIN! I had a purse, a bracelet, and had obviously spent HOURS working on my Kristy McNichol hair-do (ok…I didn’t actually achieve it, but I tried). And those were the shoes I chose to accompany this *look*.
In contrast, THESE are the shoes Aliya chose for her first day of third grade. I seriously think she would have tried harder to convince me if they were available in her size. I can just imagine the look on Ben’s face, not to mention Nurse Mary’s. I guarantee this would lead to a new school policy – “no flip-flops OR STILLETTOS!“
On the bright side, Aliya somehow went from a youth size 2 to a women’s size 5 over the summer. We found her a pair of questionable flip-flop/sandals for $7 at Marshalls, along with various clearance-rack shoes to fit every outfit and weather condition at DSW. It really does expand the options…maybe a little too far.
Here’s the end result. All is right in Aliya’s world.
