MOST of my pay - her bank card only lets her take out a little at a time, which is exactly as frustrating as it sounds. We won't complain about it if her card gets stolen one day, though!
I needed my pay because the girls desperately needed new sneakers before school starts. Their existing sneakers are: worn, tattered, dirty, falling apart, a bit small, and - most importantly! - lost.
So I extracted a promise from Jenn to go halfsies (halvsies?) with me and headed up a few blocks to the Payless. I knew (from Jenn's telling me) that this Payless has a poor selection, but it was already past lunchtime and we needed to hurry this up so we could eat.
Once inside I measured their feet. Ana's like an 11 and a quarter, so I just got 11 1/2 for her because it's not like her feet are going to get smaller any time soon. Evangeline's feet are a 10, and that's what I meant to get, but somehow I got 10 1/2 for her as well. Still, her feet aren't going to get smaller either and she says they're comfortable, so whatever.
The nieces, I must say, were very well behaved. I told them as we went in that they were getting dark colored, practical sneakers - no party shoes, nothing white or pink, no light-up, and I'm certainly not paying more so they can to advertise Dora or Disney, and I'm happy to say they took this in stride.
It was a ploy, of course. The second we left, they asked if we could head to the McDonald's next door for lunch, and this is the conversation in my head:
Responsible Aunt: There's other food options only a few blocks away that will cost just slightly more but be much healthier. Does McDonald's actually qualify as "food"? Make 'em walk! They have new shoes for that! Besides, you already bought them candy.
Fun Aunt: Oh, they'll be in school this time next week. How long is it going to be before they go out midweek to have fun with you*? Live a little and buy them a treat lunch! Besides, you didn't buy them that much candy.
Normally Responsible Aunt would've won, because Responsible Aunt was right and besides, I don't like McDonald's that much. But a new, seldom-heard voice appeared: Pragmatic Aunt. And Pragmatic Aunt pointed out that it was now 2:15 and nobody had eaten since 9:30, and that while McDonald's can't be confused for "healthy" it certainly is filling.
Pragmatic Aunt sure does make a lot of sense :) (Plus, this is where I learned that Evangeline doesn't like hamburgers. Thankfully, she's learned that too, and didn't insist on ordering a hamburger just because her sister did. Progress!)
*Rosh Hashannah, followed a week later by again on Yom Kippur. So not that long after all.
I needed my pay because the girls desperately needed new sneakers before school starts. Their existing sneakers are: worn, tattered, dirty, falling apart, a bit small, and - most importantly! - lost.
So I extracted a promise from Jenn to go halfsies (halvsies?) with me and headed up a few blocks to the Payless. I knew (from Jenn's telling me) that this Payless has a poor selection, but it was already past lunchtime and we needed to hurry this up so we could eat.
Once inside I measured their feet. Ana's like an 11 and a quarter, so I just got 11 1/2 for her because it's not like her feet are going to get smaller any time soon. Evangeline's feet are a 10, and that's what I meant to get, but somehow I got 10 1/2 for her as well. Still, her feet aren't going to get smaller either and she says they're comfortable, so whatever.
The nieces, I must say, were very well behaved. I told them as we went in that they were getting dark colored, practical sneakers - no party shoes, nothing white or pink, no light-up, and I'm certainly not paying more so they can to advertise Dora or Disney, and I'm happy to say they took this in stride.
It was a ploy, of course. The second we left, they asked if we could head to the McDonald's next door for lunch, and this is the conversation in my head:
Responsible Aunt: There's other food options only a few blocks away that will cost just slightly more but be much healthier. Does McDonald's actually qualify as "food"? Make 'em walk! They have new shoes for that! Besides, you already bought them candy.
Fun Aunt: Oh, they'll be in school this time next week. How long is it going to be before they go out midweek to have fun with you*? Live a little and buy them a treat lunch! Besides, you didn't buy them that much candy.
Normally Responsible Aunt would've won, because Responsible Aunt was right and besides, I don't like McDonald's that much. But a new, seldom-heard voice appeared: Pragmatic Aunt. And Pragmatic Aunt pointed out that it was now 2:15 and nobody had eaten since 9:30, and that while McDonald's can't be confused for "healthy" it certainly is filling.
Pragmatic Aunt sure does make a lot of sense :) (Plus, this is where I learned that Evangeline doesn't like hamburgers. Thankfully, she's learned that too, and didn't insist on ordering a hamburger just because her sister did. Progress!)
*Rosh Hashannah, followed a week later by again on Yom Kippur. So not that long after all.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-04 07:18 pm (UTC)Steph: decided she hates cheese, and this, HAS to have a Hamburger. NO KETCHUP but yes on the mustard (the default up here is to add mustard. wtf gross). fries, chocolate milk
Topher: chicken nuggets, and apple dippers. regular milk or sweet tea, depends on his mood.
Anni: Cheeseburger, fries, but not opposed to stealing mommy's apples.
And when we have Michael and Zackary to add to the confusion its even worse (both are little picky brats who OMG HAVE TO HAVE IT PERFECT JUST LIKE THEIR PRECIOUS MOMMY HAS TO HAVE IT. Gag me with a butcher knife, plz). Extra pickles for one, NO pickles for the other, ONLY A LITTLE BIT OF KETCHUP NO THAT IS TOO MUCH I WANT A NEW ONEEEE.
Ugh. >:(
And on shoes, Stephy cheated. She got a pair of transformer sneakers, and a pair of Hannah Montana sneakers. She says the Transformers ones are for Gym so she doesn't mess up her pretty ones. *sigh*