New Shoes

Something stinks about my boys. Today I decided it was their feet. Namely, when I took off Mason's sandals I nearly fainted by the foot odor. The very idea of colonies of tiny stinky foot critters inhabiting the dark, damp insides of their sweaty shoes makes me sick. But what can you do?

You could say the conditions were just right for bacteria to feast on the sweet precious feet of my little boys. I will have none of that. So I marched them to the shoe store today -- one that does NOT carry anything featuring Spiderman, Batman, or Elmo -- and permitted them to pick out some shoes.

I learned that Mason's feet had grown 1 and 1/2 sizes. This is funny to me because just before going shopping for the shoes I had read online that when shoes are too tight feet get stinkier (yes, I researched why his feet might smell so bad). He was thrilled to get new shoes. The lady at the shoe store told me that children's feet sweat profusely -- something like four times as much as adults. I don't know if I believe her. But I do believe that my boys have stinky feet. In fact, in Cooper's case I would say he got a new pair of shoes today not because he had grown out of them but because he had stunk us out.

We rounded out the night with a discussion about what the boys can do to help keep their feet clean. They were so disappointed not to be able to show daddy their new shoes.