The way to their hearts

The way to a man's heart may be through his stomach, but apparently the way to my children's hearts is through their feet.

After Charlie's basketball game and Annie's volleyball game (which were won and lost, respectively) yesterday, we headed to the mall to do a little shoe shopping. Who knew that my kids love shoes as much as they do?

First stop was Payless for the BOGO (buy one, get one...half-price) sale. Both boys needed new tennis shoes. We found some black high tops for Charlie. He keeps calling them Air Jordans, but I think they're actually a Shaquille O'Neal shoe. Then I thought he needed some regular athletic shoes as well. So we picked out a pair of Converse knock-offs.

Robbie made the choice of shoes pretty easy. One look at a pair of Power Rangers tennies that light up and he was sold. There was minor drama when we couldn't find the right size. But thanks to a very attentive saleswoman who was willing to climb a ladder and look in the storage sections, it was crisis averted.

We thought about buying Robbie a second pair of shoes, but we knew they would go unworn. So I took a 6-pack of boys' socks as my second 1/2 price item, which really was a gift to me. I absolutely hate finding socks for the kids to wear everyday. I'd much rather they all had hairy feet and no need for socks.

So three pairs of shoes, one pack of socks and $52 later, we were on our way to Nordstrom to pick out Annie's boots. Now, for the record, I have never purchased a pair of shoes for myself at Nordstrom. I have never spent more than $90 on a pair of shoes -- and that was only once. Usually, I keep my shoes to $40 or less.

But Annie has been coveting a pair of Uggs boots for a year now. I told her that there was no way I was buying her a pair of $150 boots, but if she wanted to spend her own money on them, that was fine. So when a check arrived from her great-grandmother for her birthday last month, she had enough to make the purchase.

During the walk from one end of the mall to the other, Annie was practically drooling at the thought of the short gray Uggs she'd been dreaming of. She told me -- at least three times -- that Maggie has tall chestnut Uggs, Ellen has tall black ones and in August Alayna is getting short chocolate brown ones. Like it matters to me in the least...

We arrived at Nordstrom and I hoped that the presence of our two Payless bags would convey the fact that we're really not those overindulgent type of parents who don't think twice before spending $150 on a pair of shoes for our tween. I must have said to Annie in front of the salesman at least four times that the choice of style and color was hers because it was HER money she was spending.

There were no short gray Uggs available in the store in Annie's size. The salesman said they could be ordered and would be in toward the end of March. Apparently, a short chestnut pair on the feet is worth two gray Uggs in the warehouse, because Annie elected to buy the chestnut pair immediately available.

Since we got all the new shoes home, my kids have been practically giddy. Charlie, wearing his new high tops, has developed a sudden urge to practice his jump shot outside in the 33 degree weather. Robbie, who strips his shoes and socks off as soon as he gets inside the door, fell asleep in his Power Rangers shoes last night. And Annie, after e-mailing her friends about her new possession, has told me at least a dozen times that her new boots are "sooo comfy and I just love to wiggle my toes inside them." She even tried to get me to smell the inside of the boots. Gross!

As for me, I'm just happy that for at least the next three days when the boys ask me for socks, I won't have to go looking any further than the Payless bag.