Unfit mother???

By the title I don't mean not being in shape (I don't want any feedback on that) but unfit as not being capable of taking care of my daughter. That is how I felt Sunday while shopping for a new pair of shoes for Lindsay at Stride Rite. It was my first time there and might be my last (at least the one at Missin Viejo mall). An old lady helped us, old as in her 70's maybe 80's. (Shouldn't you already be retired at that age?) First thing she asks is what shoe size Lindsay is, I say a 3 and that I need at hard soled shoe, not a soft since she is walking now. The lady has a look on her face as if size 3 and walking don't go together. I don't bother explaining the preemie thing. So she measures her feet and declares with triumph that her feet are a size 4 and that her left foot is slightly bigger than her right.

She also goes on to tell me that the shoes I had Lindsay in were way too small for her and that her foot was cramped. Even though I could see thru Lindsay's sandals that her toes were not at the end of her shoe, the lady said she has a high arch and thus a wide foot. She said she had a hard time taking the shoes off that I had Lindsay in. (I have never had difficulty taking Lindsay's shoes off or on).

So the lady brings out some shoes for Lindsay. First pair is a size 5?! Is she crazy? She goes to put the shoe on Lindsay and tells me that I also do not have the right socks on Lindsay for wearing shoes. She gives me a lecture that the socks with the rubber stuff on the bottom is only for walking without shoes so they don't slip and not for wearing shoes as it is hard to put their foot in the shoe as the rubber grips it. (Again, I have never had any difficulty.) So she asks me to turn her sock inside out. Okay, fine, I do. SO the size 5 shoes go on, Lindsay walks around and she looks like Herman Munster with these big bulky shoes. I ask the lady to bring the other shoe I wanted out in possibly a 4 1/2. She does, and before she puts it on Lindsay I hold the bottom of the shoe up to the bottom of Lindsay's foot to compare. I kid you not, I thought the lady was going to slap me. She tells me that is not the way to measure!! She puts the shoe on Lindsay and feels where he toes are. She tells me that her right toe is a little closer because that was the foot that was a little bigger. I say, "You told me that the left foot was bigger earlier." She doesn't say anything back. Ha! Stride Rite lady, you are not as smart as you think you are!!

So at the end of my experience the shoe lady makes me feel like I don't know what kind of socks to put on Lindsay, I don't know what size shoe to put on Lindsay, and I don't know how to measure a foot. But I still buy the second pair of shoes for Lindsay because they are so cute, even though they are a size 4 1/2 W. :)