Monday 26 March 2012

Look, my Mum polished my shoes!

On Friday Betty showed me a nasty blister on her foot, and because I bought her latest school shoes last September I naturally blamed myself for neglecting to get her feet measured sooner.

So on Saturday we hot-footed it into town full of promises of new shoes for both Betty and Dolly (whom I had also neglected in the shoe stakes).  Before we got to the shoe shop, I cunningly put both girls in their Crocs to disguise from the shop assistant the fact that their shoes were too small.

I got Betty and Dolly to choose the shoes they would like while we waited our turn to be measured.  This was a ploy to keep them in one place in a very crowded and sweaty shop - pink patent shoes don't really float my boat.

Anyway, it turned out that where Dolly had gone up a size and was promptly issued with some unshiny and unpink shoes, Betty's feet had not grown at all in seven months.  I was somewhat perplexed by this, as height-wise I swear she has almost doubled in size. 

Betty was gutted that she didn't get her new shoes, but I was secretly thrilled at not having to spend £32.00.  So to cheer her up I bought her some shoe polish, which I am ashamed to say is a first for me.  I have never polished a pair of shoes in my life, not ever.

So on Monday morning before school, I gave Betty's muddy and somewhat battered shoes a good polish.  She was positively thrilled with the result.  If I had known what joy some black shoe polish would have brougt her, I may have tried it before.  'You have made my shoes look amAzing!'  and 'You are so so clever Mummy!'  The girl has never given me so much praise for anything. 

After the journey to school where she continued to heap yet more praise on me, I walked her up the playground.  'Look at my shoes Miss T - my Mummy polished them, isn't she clever!'  she said to her teacher.

It got to the point where I wasn't sure if Betty was really genuinely impressed with me, or whether she was actually taking the piss out of me....

7 comments:

Irene said...

Yes, it does make you wonder, doesn't it? Maybe she was being sarcastic, which would be really early for her age. Does it run in the family at all? I'd keep an eye on her and always be suspicious. xox

sadie c said...

Sometimes you could be writing about my girly girl. Also five, also sarky.

I've told her that 'Mum's can see everything', so now, whatever she's doing, she'll say 'but you can see that, can't you mum, 'cos you can see everything' , or she starts a sentence with 'because you can see everything ....' I swear to God she's being sarky. Grr.

How lovely of Betty to tell her teacher of your shoe cleaning! Bless! And yes, just how expensive are kids' shoes?! Nightmare.

I have to admit that I hate having Girls feet measured. Hate it. It always ends up in problems. I get things like 'she has narrow feet' which sounds rather good, but means you can never get the styles the child actually wants, and it's either upset the girl with 'no, you can't have them' or argue with the sales assistant who gets all snotty when you say you'll buy them anyway - thicker socks will just have to be worn! I get that they are shown how to measure and advise, but bottom line, if mums are being hassled by kids, then mums are going to have to go with that or face tantrums and sulks.

This is especially true of Lelli Kelly's. They NEVER have the style chosen in the right size, and LK's come up wide, so when a child with narrow feet wants them, you end up having a bit of a battle with the sales assistants. Who seem to think themselves the Guardians of the Toots (what girl and I call feet), and can't understand that I've just got to get them, perfect fit or not!

x

James Newhouse said...

you really can't fail to impress with a pair of properly shined up shoes! My Nan always said that it's the first thing people notice about you.

nappy valley girl said...

At my boarding school we had to polish our shoes weekly, and then have them inspected - if they weren't good enough, we had to re-do. So the smell of shoe polish always conjures up these rather horrid memories. I rarely polish shoes now (although I do like to polish my winter boots before I get them out each year).

I like that you put them in Crocs so as not to seem as if their shoes were too small - I would have done the same! Mine are still in September shoes, too - I'm hoping it will soon be summer and we can move to sandals.

The Mads (Lindy) said...

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