call him Imeldo

Gotta love eBay. I picked up two pairs of Robeez for Oliver last week. His 6-12 sized ones are getting a bit tight so I thought some larger ones were in order. I chose the brown sandals and the blue "argyle" pattern. On Friday one of Oliver's teachers told me he went to the playground. This is usually the domain of the older children in the school but occasionally a few of the Infant Wing children go there too. It dawned on me that Oliver is walking now, and should probably have the opportunity to walk out of doors. And the Robeez aren't going to cut it for all situations anymore. A day I have worried about since I was 17 was suddenly here...getting real shoes for my kid.

Some explanation is in order. When I was in high school, and for a little while in college too, I worked in shoe stores. At my first job I was given special training in how to baby shoes. Back in the day (we're talking the mid-1980s) baby shoes were white and the soles were rock hard. I often thought the day I have my own child fitted for shoes would probably be one the sales person would be trying to forget for years.

Turns out it wasn't so bad, for any of us (me, Oliver, the salesperson). This is probably because baby shoes have changed just a bit in the last 20 years. They come in colors now! And they bend!!

Oliver is now the proud owner of a lovely pair of Ecco sandals. And has a second pair on order. That's right...four new pairs of shoes in a matter of a few days. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree at all. I was happy to have converted CD to Ecco's earlier in the year, with a little help from DSW, but I had no idea they made shoes for children as young as Oliver. Shopping for the kid is turning out to be way too much fun.