One, Two, Velcro My Shoe....

Ugg. I have been repeating this Mother Goose rhyme for nearly five years and I'm never quite sure if I should say velcro, buckle or tie.  Diversity in footwear seems to be a phenomenon that has gotten little attention in the world of preschooler development.  All those little soft activity books and dolls are still insisting we teach our children to tie shoe laces. I know, having been a triathlete in my pre-mom decades of adult life, shoe laces have not gone entirely by the wayside. I have taught my children to use the potty by 18 months, to make their own beds by 2.5, to put their own laundry away by 3, but this aspect of self-sufficiency I just cannot will myself to tackle.  Will my daughters end up like the fictional Crane Brothers who reached 40 and still couldn't ride bicycles?  Will they have a secret stigma that they never learned to tie laces? This of course has come to the forefront of my mind as a few weeks ago we buckled (pun intended) and bought the "Twinkle Toes" light up sneakers from Sketchers. Yes, I succumbed to the latest rage in little children fashion market, but I will leave the downward pit of materialism for another blog. (For the record, I was scientifically minded in admiring the technological aspect of these shoes when I made the purchase, heh heh...).  These shoes even come with a choice of laces: pink or silver. Now they sit in the shoe bins unused as we all ignore the elephant in the room. My girls have no idea how to tie the laces, and they are already programmed to put on one of the dozen other non-lacing pairs and strap themselves into their carseats when it's time to leave the house. Not to mention that sneakers require socks or they start to stink and make really poor hand-me-downs. And did you know stinky feet encourage more mosquito bites? Anyone else encounter the lace dilemma? What age do you teach shoe-lace tying?

Pottermania Showdown

Dear Reader,
Happy Independence Day! I hope you are getting a well deserved break over this holiday.    I am looking forward myself to seeing the last installment of Harry Potter in theatres on July 15th at 12:01 AM at the IMAX in 3D.
I have read the Harry Potter books twice, and I have endured relentless ribbing from my husband. He has not read them, but enjoys making frequent immature retorts whenever he sees me with a Harry Potter book regarding his opinion of what a teenage boy would do if he really possessed a magic wand. When he found out I had bought tickets for the premier, he had more derisive comments and snickers about the “Dumbledorks” and other nerds that would be surrounding me in line to see the movie. Then he was apoplectic that I had not considered he would go with me. I told him it was imperative that he read all the books first, for he had not seen all the movies and I did not want the Harry Potter literary experience to be spoiled for him. My thinking was that perhaps if he read the books I wouldn’t have to endure any more lude wand jokes. My husband agreed! The date was June 25th. That left 20 days to read all seven books, which doesn’t sound too hard, but my husband does have to work for a living, watch sports, and sleep at some point. I sweetened the pot immediately by changing the cat litter boxes and offering to do many other household chores. Umm, did I mention that I have the slight complication that every babysitter we know so far also has tickets for the premier?
Will my husband get through all the books? If he does, will he continue his relentless teasing? Will I find a babysitter without a felony conviction? Stay tuned for the outcome... Meanwhile, remember as you don your Professor McGonagall costume and venture out at midnight to join the multitudes, we are blessed to live in a free country where we are free to do this!