What a random evening we had. The children had eye exams a week ago and Natalee needed a new prescription. Her frames had done great over the year, but she chose cheap ones last December because she loved their polka dots so I opted for new frames this year also. She chose from the 3 "mom approved" (strong & bendy!) frames from the bargain area and was very excited to get her new butterfly glasses! They called Friday to say they were in and since Monday is their late night it was off to town we went tonight after daycare friends left.
She looks very grown up in these frames, but the butterflies on the sides keep her a little girl just awhile longer...
I'm so fortunate that, although Mike knew we had to run down tonight, he opted to go ahead and run on Saturday for the few groceries/supplies we needed. This saved me from having to do groceries late with 2 kids at supper time after a long day. He blesses me.
We DID however take time to stop at the Dollar Tree as the children had chore money (& tooth fairy money for Natalee) to spend. They are really into their dollies right now - Natalee got her twins for Christmas and Xavier has adopted 2 twin water babies from our dolly collection as his "Zoey & Landyn" twins {Zoey & Landyn are the names of my cousin's twin 10 month olds that he adores}. While they've scavenged the baby totes that we've been going through in preparation for #3 and gotten some leftovers and leavings from them they still both had specific things they wanted for their baby dolls, so I encouraged them to save their spending chore money for those items.
We came home with a random assortment of things. Choices had to be made (so much harder for Xavier than Natalee!!) and some items had to be left for next time. I do think they got a better understanding of what it means to work for their money, to save, and to choose wisely.
Xavier had $4 and change to spend. He chose toothbrushes for his dollies (toothbrushes for babies were top of both of their lists!), a "sweeper" (little broom/dustpan), a 2 bowl/spoon set to feed his babies, and then lastly (and randomly) this GI Joe helmet that he fell in love with. We talked a LONG time about this helmet and how it wasn't very strong and if it broke mommy couldn't fix it and he decided to try it. I respect how hard he thought about it (he put it back once) and eventually traded something different that he had chosen to get it back.
Natalee is much tighter than her brother. It's hard for her to part with her cash and she chose to only spend her tooth fairy money and keep her chore money. She chose a Care Bears coloring book, toothbrushes for her babies, a new muffin pan for her kitchen, a "sweeper," and a plate for her babies to share when she feeds them.
After the glasses fitting we ran into Payless. A month ago I went
shopping and Natalee asked me to take her bday money from Great Grandma
Betty and buy her some sparkly shoes. So I did. I bought pink sparkly
slip on shoes. And she loves them. And they are TOO big. The problem with the too big shoes was in the fact that we don't go to town very often. She had asked
me to buy them so she'd have them to wear at Christmas and we weren't going back in time to exchange them so I did what any
good mom would do...shoved Kleenex in the toe and let her wear them! They do slip off her feet easily and aren't great for her to walk in so since we were there already I decided to see if they had another pair in a smaller size on clearance. They didn't, of course, but they had the sparkly shoe's cousin - rainbow slip on. Winner winner....they were even on clearance. The pink sparkly slip on's are safely in their box awaiting their turn to fit at a later date. Natalee understands and is grateful to have some that fit a bit better.
Here's the deal with my kids...Natalee HAS to wear good tennis shoes. Name brand, good support, the works. When we were doing PT and doctors and etc. they told us they wouldn't put her in braces if we would put her in GOOD shoes for the majority of her time spent walking. So while she gets to wear pretty slip on's to church, etc. she knows she usually has to wear her tennis shoes when we go somewhere. This is why we only buy clearance slip on's and church shoes...they don't get a lot of wear. But it IS great to find fun/cute pairs on the cheap when we can.
Xavier, on the other hand, wants to wear his cowboy boots most of the time. So his tennis shoes are cheaper, clearance, knock off shoes. I do feel like he needs both - there are times when a boy needs to RUN and I don't think that's best done in boots. When we can find tennis shoes for him at garage sales or used we do because they don't get a lot of wear. I knew his were getting tight but he understood that he likely wouldn't get shoes tonight. Low and behold if they didn't have a pair of (ugly) Lightening McQueen light up shoes to fit him on clearance too. It was our lucky night! I don't like character shoes - I think they are ugly and bulky and they just aren't my thing. But he's happy, I got out on the cheap, and they fit him well so he can RUN and ride scooter and burn off winter energy when we can get outside!
Oh, the coloring book he's holding? It *may* have been one of the things he put back on the shelf tonight. He made his choices SO well, without fits and with great consideration...but my mother's heart knew when we got home tonight and Natalee went to color in her new book that he would be sad that he put his Doc McStuffins one back - even if it was for something else he chose. So I purchased it on the sly, waited till we got home and she got hers out, watched and was proud that he didn't have a fit about the fact that he didn't have one, and surprised him with it. Look at his smile...don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing.
As parents, our lives, just like our children's, are made of choices. It's my prayer that these type of actions aren't seen by my children as indulgent, but rather as the showing of love to one another...and that they will take those lessons and sprinkle love on someone else another time.
My little ones loved on my by "sweepering" my floors while I went and showered. What sweet blessings they are to me...
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