Shopping with Immelda
However, before we went shoe shopping I had to run a couple of errands and we had to get lunch. La Nina asked me about the timing of shoe shopping more than frequently than oil companies are raising the price of gas. She almost drove me batty. I finally had to threaten no shoes if she asked again.
"I'm just excited, Mom," she answered.
Now you have to know, La Nina loves shoes than any child I know. Target shoes are cheap and she would rather have a new pair of shoes than a new toy any day of the week, so I frequently use shoes to reward her. The Magster benefits from her sister's obsession through the hand-me downs. She really doesn't share her sister's passion for footwear, but she certainly has a fine collection of her own, because of the hand-me downs.
When we finally got to the mall for shoe shopping, both girls were dancing with joy. I mean, we were shopping for shoes. We went into Stride Rite where La Nina was measured and the clerk pointed her to the shoes that would most likely fit her ever growing feet. The display drew La Nina like a moth to light. She stood there oggling the styles, stroking the suede and frequently shouting, "Mommy, I just love these, don't you?" I, on the other hand, was busy looking through the sales bin. And happily I found shoes in both of their sizes. And better yet, both girls like the styles, so we actually got out of Stride Rite with out mortgaging the house.
Outfitted in their new shoes, the girls were content so I thought I would take a spin through a couple of other stores. We went into Baby Gap (I have mentioned La Nina is small, right?) and lo and behold, we find Jellies on sale. Again, the oohing and aahing, the begging and pleading. The shoes were $4, they were worth the money just to save my ears. (Ok, I didn't really get out of Baby Gap for $8....but that's another story.)
Finally, we swung into Gymboree. And what does La Nina immediately fixate on? A pair of sandals. The begging and pleading started again. I swear she even said, "But I have nothing to wear. I really need them." It was unbelievable. Because the shoes weren't on sale, I told her she would have to use her own money. When I told her the sandals were $21, she piped down.
We get home, the girls are showing Dad their shoes with great enthusiasm and La Nina disappears. In a few seconds, she returns with her money purse.
"Mom, I have $11," she said. "How much were those shoes?" I was blown away. She remembered.
"They were $21," I told her. "Sorry honey, you don't have enough. But you got some really great shoes (and a skirt and a dress--the other story), so you don't need those other shoes. "
She was quiet for a minute and said, "Ok, Mom. You'll just have to buy them."
Long story short, she was more than a little disappointed to learn that's not going to happen. The child has more shoes than I do.
Her whole shoe obsession is so fascinating to me. I'm not a huge shoe person, so this is something all her own. It's something she's always loved and something that she has always noticed. She frequently picks out my shoes while I get ready for work, compliments me on my shoe choice if I buy new ones, and comments on the shoes she see around her. I don't know what the meaning of all of this is...but I often think if I ever meet her birth mother the first question I'm going to ask is, "Are you into shoes?" And somehow I bet she has quite a collection.