where have i been?

Nowhere, really.  Just slackin around for the holidays.  Can I just rub in everybody's face who isn't married to a school teacher how great it is?!  Loving the holidays, fun easter weekend with the fam, spring cleaning, and yard work.  

(here's a little dirty laundry for ya, this is what alli's hair looks like most days.)

Decided to go into Lethbridge one day with my mom while Derek was golfing.  Alli needed new shoes for soccer.  She has 3 pairs of boots that are not going to be any good because the snow has ENDED...RIGHT?!  So here's our escapade.

First store, Payless.  Of course they didn't have the shoes that I wanted in her size.  Called the one single other Payless in town, no go.  (missing Edmonton here)  But I'm not sure it would have mattered.  Alli had a pair picked out and was trying them on.  Pink with stars.  Bleh ugly bleh shoes.  Now, I'm only slightly vain when it comes to dressing my children, but if I'm gonna get something ugly it will not be at the price of $24.99.  Nothing else here, so just carry on.

  

Not so.  

Alli is crying for me to get her the shoes.  She was practising running up and down the isles with a smile on her face that you couldn't resist seconds ago.  She won't put the box down.  The meltdown is coming.  The clerk lady's face was begging me to just buy them.  

Not gonna happen, I can resist.

I eventually drag her out telling her if we don't find something else we'll come back, and I bribe her a piece of gum to stop crying and try to ease the pain.  (my pain of dealing with her that is.)  We stop at a couple other place with the teary whiney child in tow.  Not great at the ol Park Place Mall, not great.  

I finally found a pair I could live with at Winners.  Pink with flowers, if that is somehow better.  She didn't want them.  I forced her to try them on, but she didn't forget about the stars.  I tried to distract her by looking around Winners (ok, I just needed a look around.)  When we revisited the shoe section, she immediatly went back to being crazy child.  The shoes were for soccer, but I had flashes of everytime we left the house her begging for those monster shoes while wearing a cute skirt or dress.  So, I did it.  I gave in.  I couldn't believe it , but I just didn't care anymore.  As she was happily skippng down the mall back to Payless, she noted a small child with an ice cream cone.  

A:  mom can I have an ice cream cone?

Me:  yeah right, not after the way you have been acting today.

And so began a small episode of begging for sugar as is my daily life.  I mentioned my mom was with me.  My smart humble and full of wisdom mother who raised 6 kids.  She may have let us pick our own haircuts as children, but I'm not sure we picked our shoes.  After a quick mother daughter consult, it was time for a life lesson.

Me:  Alli if you want an ice cream cone you can't get the star shoes because they cost too much. But the flower shoes cost less and there would be money for ice cream.  So do you want the flower shoes or the star shoes.

A:  ICE CREAM!

Went back to winners.  Alli went straight to the shoes and showed even more excitement for these than the stars.  'Oh mom, these are my favorite.  I'm gonna be able to kick the soccer ball so good.'  Ahhh, the smile and running up and down the isles again.

Lindsay Parenting - Bribe with gum

My Mom Parenting - Life lessons

Thanks for the ice cream mom.

I don't think she's worn the shoes other than the day we bought them, so no pics of them yet, thank goodness.

(7/52 i know , they're out of order.  

i'll post 6/52 and 5/52 later)