New shoes

(don't worry, there are pictures of the boys at the bottom. I just LOVE new shoes!)

For me, there are few things that usher in the "back to school" mood like new shoes! I love love love new shoes. Not so much the shoe shopping part, but the smell and look of a great new pair of shoes. For one thing, it's pretty much the only time each year I let the boys have free reign in choosing their own shoes. They get to run all over Shoe Carnival and ohh and ahhh at all the beautiful options. And then, with a little help from mom and dad, try on countless pairs until they slip their foot into "the one". And of course, each child's choice is so unique to them.

Boston always wants the most expensive shoes in the store. He doesn't try to find them...they just seem to find him. He will walk all over looking, until he sees that perfect shoe. He promptly falls in love with it and brings it to me to gush over. And gush I do...until I see the price! You would think, that after several years of "back to school" shoe shopping I would be prepared for this moment. But of course, I never am. As for weather or not he gets them...well, I plead the 5th on that one.

Cade is very vanilla. He is always drawn to the whitest shoe on the store. The more white and plain the shoe is...the better he likes it. This is where mom and dad have to step in and attempt to sway him toward a more practical option. And it always works. Caden is the sweetest little people pleaser. Today I was showing him a pair of Sketchers I thought were cute. He looked at me...looked at the shoes (with no pleasure at all) and said "do you like them mom?" I said yes of course. Cade looked at them again and said "then I like them too".

Now if Caden is all shinning light and whiteness, then I guess you would have to say Riley is a member of "the dark side". He LOVES black shoes. He would buy black in the middle of summer if I would let him. And if they still sold them, he would pick high tops too. In Riley's book... the blacker and taller they are, the more he wants them. He's my little 90's boy. And for those of you who know Riley, once he makes up that little mind...well, lets just say some of the battles have been epic! So today I headed him off first thing by saying "no black shoes...don't even look at them!" THANK GOD FOR SILVER REEBOK'S!! Because if there is anything Riley loves more than black...it's FLASHY!

Note the sick looking eyes...looks like Boston will

start 5th grade and football season with a summer cold.

Caden

Riley (try not to be blinded by the glare!)

Not really sure about this picture, but the boys thought the bottoms of their shoes were way cooler than the tops! (Mema, notice Cade had to go put on one of the new school shirts you got him... to match his shoes of course!)