So I was thrilled this week to discover that my kids aren't little clones of me. I know, that shouldn't be a surprise considering I have three boys. But anyhow...
On Monday, I found some nice shoes on clearance in Sammy's size. He needed a new pair of sneakers because the pair I bought him about four months ago is completely THRASHED. That's what recess does for a boy. As long as this keeps happening, my boys had better not expect brand-name shoes.
The only problem with the shoes is that they have laces. Usually I won't buy anything that doesn't slide, zip, or velcro onto the foot. With three boys and myself, it takes about half an hour to get all the shoes on the feet and tied (including putting Zeke's shoes back on three or four times because he keeps taking them off). But one of Sammy's kindergarten goals was to learn to tie his shoe (even though at the time he didn't own a single pair with laces), so the good mom part of me (and my wallet) told me to buy the cheap shoes with laces.
At this point, I need to confess that shoe tying was my downfall in kindergarten. I aced every other subject, but when it came to tying the laces on the giant cardboard shoe, I folded. My mom will tell you about how I refused to go to school, and she had to take me in, sobbing and late for class, to have a one-on-one talk with my teacher (who was very patient and understanding). I blocked the whole experience out, but at some point, I mastered the art of shoe tying. Hey, maybe that's the real reason I avoid laces on my kids' shoes.
Back to the story. I sat Sammy down for what I thought would be a long afternoon of shoe-tying practice. I envisioned me tying his shoes every morning for weeks, which would cause him to miss the bus (we are down to the second on our morning routine). I psyched myself up to be patient and explain the process several ways, resorting to the bunny going around the tree and into the hole if I had to. So we started.
In ten minutes, Sammy was tying his shoes like a pro.
I immediately knew my child was a prodigy. Who cares that he's been reading for a year, or that he can count up to infinity (well, almost). HE CAN TIE HIS SHOES!!!! I was floored. I immediately called my mom to brag. Somehow she wasn't as impressed as I was. But nothing will take away the glory of that moment.
Sammy is even better at the whole thing now after a few days of practice. He loves his new shoes so much he won't wear them to school (they'd get ruined in the mud and snow). So our morning get-to-the-bus routine is safe until the snow melts, and for now he still jumps into his (velcro) snowboots. But as soon as he gets home, the boots go off and the shoes go on, and visions of my son's future dance before my eyes. Do they offer a Nobel Prize in shoe tying?
4 comments:
HOORAY for Sammy! That really is amazing. Maybe if Sammy can do it, it will motivate Tracen to get tying.
Hey, when we first got our new computer, and even on occasion now, I have had complications in getting pictures posted to our blog. So frustrating. I have no idea why it does this. Let me know if you figure it out. Just keep trying, I guess.
dance shoes are one of the most important pieces of 'equipment' for your dancing. Without them, you wouldn't be able to perform your moves as gracefully and easily as you would like in front of an audience.
I was too impressed--I bragged about it to everyone I talked to for the next couple of days. But this more detailed account made me laugh and cry, remembering my determined little girl's traumatic experience--and eventual mastery of shoe-tying and just about everything else! You're wonderful, and so are your brilliant children (and I'll even give their father some credit!).
That's so cute. It's funny how we relive some of our own childhood when we see our children go through it...even it they do it differently than we did. We all feel happy when our kids learn and progress. I think it's supposed to be like that...brag away :).
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