It is more of a shoe management problem.
Then I have a solution.
A shoe management solution.
Which causes a problem.
A shoe management problem…
Here in lies the shoe management problem: a child is born with TWO feet and society expects that they will be wearing shoes on BOTH feet. Oh, and they should match. Thanks society. Way to up the parent pressure.
This was an issue when I had just one child because quite honestly he just had too many shoes. Let’s just admit that baby shoes are the cutest thing ever and a first time mom is powerless in its clutches. I bought cute baby shoes. I received cute baby shoes as gifts. I received cute baby shoes as hand-me-downs. My baby was continuously dressed in cute baby shoes that coordinated with cute baby outfits for exactly 3 seconds…
My baby hated wearing shoes. I hate wearing shoes. Genetics was working against my treasure trove of cute baby shoes. After losing one shoe in the house, in the car, in the grocery store and in the mall I noticed a trend. I was leaving a cute baby shoe trail around town. I gave up. No more shoes (or socks for that matter) for baby. Yeah for Texas weather.
I put all the cute baby shoes into the closet. There they stayed until I pulled them out to transfer them to baby #2 closet where they stayed until I transferred them to baby #3 closet until I gave them away to a friend who was having a baby because they were in perfect condition, unused.
As the boys grew into an age where shoes are expected, I started developing a shoe management system. This shoe management system is based on the basic philosophy that shoes are overpriced and boys’ feet grow quickly.
Here is Holly’s shoe management system for boys (H.S.M.S.F.B.):
1. In winter each boy should have one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of dress shoes.
2. In summer each boy should have one pair of crocs and one pair of dress shoes.
3. Dress shoes should be chosen for their ability to be used in both summer and winter and should be handed down from one boy to the next.
4. Every fall each boy goes shopping to get their tennis shoes (Ryan’s also double as his school uniform shoes).
5. Every spring each boy chooses his croc color off the crocs.com website and Holly makes one giant crocs order that qualifies for free shipping.
Before the advent of crocs I had tested sandals (they break and/or stink after a month), summer use of tennis shoes (don’t get me started…they are ALWAYS muddy) and flip-flops (*nightmare* boys can’t walk in flip-flops!). I am just going to say it:
I love crocs. I love crocs on boys because they are sturdy, they don’t stink, they are easily rinsed if muddy and they stay on boys’ feet.
Yeah crocs! Yeah for motherhood in the age of crocs.
A HSMSFB tip is a nearly daily cleaning of crocs. I either dump them in the washer when I am starting a load or throw them into the used bathwater for a little scrubbing. They dry so quickly that either works really well.
Another HSMSFB tip is that all shoes are kept at the back door. At the back door is a bucket for crocs deposits.
So last year the HSMSFB worked beautifully. Rhett (then 1) and Ryan (then 6) chose silver crocs and Reid (then 3) chose blue (of course). I spent last summer confident that I had this shoe management thing down. I spent last summer feeling like a genius. Last summer…good.
This summer…
It all started with the color selection. All three boys chose the same color. No big deal? They all want the same toys. They all want the same kid’s meal prize. To them same equals fair. So I ordered the 3 pairs of blue crocs in sizes 8/9, 10/11 and 12/13.
I noticed my error on DAY ONE. Size 8/9 doesn’t look much different then size 10/11 and size 10/11 doesn’t look much different then size 12/13. In fact, size 8/9 doesn’t really look that different from size 12/13 when you are in a rush.
I have been at the park with one or two children and noticed that they are wearing two different size crocs. Unfortunately it never involved just the two sizes of the children represented at the park.
So thinking myself a genius I stopped by a store that sold jibbitz. I know! I will just buy their initial letters to add to the shoes.
First mistake was naming all my children with the same first initial.
Second mistake was expecting a store to carry their first and second initials.
I know! I will just buy some symbol that would make each shoe different.
First mistake is to assume that I could find BOY themed jibbitz.
Second mistake is to assume I am willing to pay money for the super random, ugly and dumb BOY themed jibbitz I found.
I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t throw another $18 down this hole.
Until I got home and went to the website, chose things they would actually like and threw another $21 down this hole…
And so my dear reader(s), I am still frantically searching for same size crocs every time we leave the house until I get a shipment from jibbitz.
Oh, and add this into the mix:
According to Rhett, ELEPHANT can’t leave the house without wearing his last summer’s size 6/7 crocs. Thank God they aren’t blue and don’t require another $6 worth of adornment…
Crocs + summer + boys = Perfection.
Agreed.
Kohls sells Skechers type crocs now. They are really pretty good. They also sell flare for them for cheaper than jibbitz. Next time.
I will not let my boys pick the same shoes anymore. I take them shoe shopping separately. Luckily, they have different favorite colors.
KEEP BELIEVING
lol.
oh and i’m totally laughing w/ you. seriously i AM. 😉 see… bwahahahah!!
i have this problem w/ my girls, one is a 1/2 to a full size bigger shoe than the other one… we have such problems getting them right and once one of the girls have the shoes on… even two left or right feet… those are HER SHOES… you cannot and will NOT take them from her… how dare you??? so then it is a battle of the wills and I have to admit most times i loose or give in… it is much easier than hearing some fussing and crying and well SCREAMING. girls scream, cry and whine a LOT!! a lot!! at least my devil spawn dog call screaming girls do!! (joking here about the devil spawn) then i have the other child crying that her sister has her shoes on… so… really it is a NEVER ending battle here.
OH… i hear some of you saying or maybe HOLLY saying… why not get them different shoes each.. yeah… sure…
been there done that. duh!! they want the same exact shoes that their sister has… and if they happen to pick different ones out in the store, or agree to getting different ones, they when we get home there is melt down about having different shoes.
just cannot win.
but in short… I wanted to say that i mark the bottom of the shoes with marker so that i can tell quickly who’s is who’s. 🙂
sorry so long winded, i’m not going to blog any more at my place, and i’m going to just post here in your comments from now on.
lol
xoxox’s
You are a good crocks salesperson. My son has already peed on his sandels over two times and they SMELL! I think Im going for the crocks.
Oh, the trials. I guess I’m lucky I have girls who want flip flops. And we make a bazillion pair every spring (for almost NO money) to match every possible outfit (and every not possible one).
I always thought Crocs were ugly, but just broke down and bought 3 pair for myself. They’re all pink, and all the same size, but they’re all mine. I bought them because I knew they’d be easy to clean and easy to get on and off, but had NO IDEA how comfortable they would be. Granted, I don’t wear them for long amounts of time, but I could never tolerate flip flops that long.
Hey! Apparently I’m not so ghetto! Look at all the other people recommending Sharpie markers.
Now I just feel like I’m a genius.
You know why? Because that $21 I (hypothetically) saved from not buying jibbitz means that now I can (hypothetically) buy new shoes for myself! Wheeeee!
Okay, I am ghetto and I realize that. And if Bianca read this comment, she would just roll her eyes at me.
But: I totally would have just broken out my sharpie marker and written their names on their shoes. ON THE BOTTOM, THOUGH. Or maybe the inside. Maybe I’d even just use a number instead of an entire name. Like 1, 2, 3. And then, when matching up the shoes, I’d just look at the numbers to see which was which.
We’re Croc lovers too. It’s all my kids wear. But our elephant is Hello Kitty in a lovely worn out pair of pink Crocs.
I feel your pain! I agree–go the Sharpie route and enjoy the summer 🙂
My issue is a bit different here–my kids refuse to wear CROCS–my oldest proclaimed them UGLY the second she saw them and told me to never ever buy her a pair–she prefers those sparkly flip flops–the others have fallen suit–my younger girl only wants glittery flip flops or sandals and the my older son is very into his Vans and wants nothing to do with CROCS now either 🙁 The baby just lives in Robeez still but maybe I could try getting him in CROCS–it would last until my oldest daughter screamed UGLY 😉
I can’t even imagine what you go through…I have a boy, and a girl, so at least all I’m looking for is a green pair and a pink pair…Three boys, all the same color…I need a vacation just thinking about it!
Oh, and the elephant is on his own;)
The sharpie is a good idea, but I never would have thought of that. I would have done exactly what you did — which is why I cracked up while reading your post! But really, last year’s shoe management system — genius! I had no idea I could wash the crocs in the washing machine. Go figure.