A Jen Too Many

We have a breakthrough, and Oldest Girl Child couldn't be more excited.

She has learned to tie her shoes!

Right now she is sitting in the middle of the living room, in her pajamas, wearing her new shoes (black with hot pink detailing), carefully double-knotting the new laces. They are beautiful laces, black with pink and sparkly white stripes. She is tying them, then untying them, then practicing tying them again.

When she goes back to school next week (after spring break) she will be one of the circle of Kids Who Can Tie Their Shoelaces. I am informed that the Kids Who Can Tie help out the kids who haven't yet learned, by tying their shoes. She is very excited to do that.

I wasn't planning to buy her new shoes yesterday. We went to the store because Youngest Girl Child needed new shoes. I'd put it off as long as possible, but she started growing a rather nice hole in the toe of her right shoe, and, well...

OGC pointed out to me, as we headed for the back of the store where they keep the shoes, that she needed new shoes, too. It turns out the sole of her shoes was about 1/3 detached from the top.

Yeah. That was a definite problem. I told her she made a good argument, she asked me what I meant, and I told her it meant she was getting new shoes. So there was much excitement from both girls.

We got what were probably the last two pair of practical shoes there* and left the store much the lighter in pocket, but happy and proud. OGC put on her new shoes in the car on the way home and has hardly had them off since.
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*Why, oh why, are most little girl athletic shoes made in white? White. For small, active, mud collectors. The people who come up with these ideas don't have children, do they?