spykid

Buying snow-boots is always a big question mark for me in the fall. It's a big chunk of money to lay out for 5 pairs of shoes that may not get worn very much before they don't fit anymore. The problem is, if you wait too long to see if it's a snowy winter there are no snow-boots to be found ANYWHERE!!!!!! That happened to me a couple of years ago with Jacob. I searched in vain for snow-boots in January of a very wet, snowy winter. I finally lucked out at Kid to Kid. I had been to Kmart, Walmart, DI, Savers and anywhere else I could think of.

This year Grandma and Grandpa bought new snow-boots for Mason, Samantha and Carly for Christmas. Rachel got some from her Daddy and Jacob had some from last year that still fit.

As we welcome spring, I must say that it has been a good year for buying snow-boots all around. Every pair at our house has been worn a lot. None, however, more than these bad boys.

We have had a heck of a time prying them off of Mason's little stinky feet. The heels are worn through where you can see the little waffle pattern of rubber underneath the top layer. The stitching is starting to separate on one of the side panels. The top edges in back have worn through the black fabric, showing white stuffing underneath. I remind you these were not DI rescues, or Big brother hand-me-downs. They were new in November when the first snow fell.

Beginning in April, Mark and I started pushing him to put away the snowboots in favor of his tennis shoes. It was first suggested nicely, then suggested sternly and then commanded, as our requests went unheeded.

We did not understand.

One tearful morning it all became clear.

He's in a spyclub you see....

(I should have known, I soo should have known)

And these white tennis shoes are just not spy-club material. You are too easily spotted at lunch recess hiding behind the garbage bins or standing covertly in a bathroom stall. It will not do. Black snow-boots are apparently just the thing for spy-kids in spy-clubs for taking care of business.

His white tennis shoes are pretty worn out anyway, so- for his birthday, I found these dark little numbers. (On clearance no less! ) I wrote on the top of the box "OFFICIAL SPYCLUB SHOES" in black sharpie. I wish I could describe the look on his face so you could imagine it. He was so happy. It was one of those grins that starts slow as understanding dawns and gets bigger and bigger until it lights up the whole face with pure joy.

He tried them on and ran around the house, zigging and zaging, and declared triumphantly "My team is totally gonna win!!!!"

Made my frugal, sneaky mother-heart proud.

He thinks the bottoms are the coolest part so we had to get a shot of those.

The boots are headed to the basement shoe bin. They were good boots but their time has come. They may make an appearance (if you can spot them..... ) winter 201o/2011

IF

they still fit. Otherwise they will make a trip to DI to see if they can sneak into another little spy-kid's heart.