Shopping with Teens - I Mean, Twos

So we went to Target on Sunday to buy Grace some new tennies. The weather has finally cooled enough that sandals aren't enough anymore, and she was in need of some new shoes. She was excited to buy new shoes, but once we got to the actual shoe aisle, the discussion began.

Remember - she's two.

Every day we have a debate over what she will wear. As I take something out of the closet, she says, "Um... no. I want to be a princess." Princess means frilly, dressy, pink, and with lots of flowers. Pants are not princess-y enough, despite what I've told her - that princesses do not like to get cold.

I do not remember Christianne being so opinionated about what she wore, until, like, 3 years ago. She's 12 now. Josh still doesn't care what it is - clean or dirty, he'll wear it.

So anyway, we're in Target and we're focused on tennis shoes. Until Miss Grace spotted them. The. Ugliest. Shoes. On. The. Planet.

(No offense to those of you who have purchased them.)

"Ooooh!" She sucked in her breath, and exclaimed with delight, "They're puuurfect!"

Mind you they are so ugly (again, no offense), that Target's website won't even show them. But picture these, in bright, bright pink:
Yes, that's glitter. A LOT of sparkle.

And so it began... the arguing, the debating, the squeals, the tears. Grace, do you like this tennis shoe - with Dora and Boots - or this one, that lights up pretty flowers? No, Mama, I like this one - it's puuuurfect. The drama probably ensued for 15 minutes or so. It isn't easy to force tennis shoes onto a 2yo's feet when they are more interested in the perfect pink "dancing" shoes in her hands.

Shame on Target. Those shoes should not be on the practical shoe aisle. They should be on the ugly aisle.

This morning, though... I am pleased to announce that Miss Grace is delighted with her flowery light-up tennis shoes and has worn them all morning, without even a mention of those gawdy pink things that captured her heart yesterday.