Shopping for Two Pairs of Formal Shoes in Under 8 Minutes...and It Was for Teenagers, Too!

I had to pull out the 'Mom card' with one of the girls.

It wasn't with Chatty.

See, Sparky doesn't like to dress up. Sparky likes to wear jeans and plain tees and pull on a hoodie or sweatshirt. She has about 30 or more pair of sports knee socks in varying colors and prints. At any given time they may or may not match what she is wearing.

She didn't want to have to purchase a 'fancy' dress for the Senior Banquet that our church has for the 9th-12th grade members of the youth group. She doesn't like to wear dresses. Period. She wears a skirt to church.

Sparky considers a button or bow, or even a little extra stitching on a shirt 'fancy.' So imagine going to get a dress for this semi-formal event.

Not a pretty picture, but we did it. Then we found scarves at Target to use as wraps, as did at least two other girls in the group, so I was pleased that I could do a little bit of trendy or fashionable or something along those lines.

Last Friday Hubby and I had eight minutes to run in Payless with both girls, find shoes, try on shoes, and pay for shoes, before leaving for a chiropractor appointment. I prepped him before we went in, and sent him with Chatty. She's easy to please and had an idea what she wanted.

Sparky wasn't going to like anything and has a tiny foot that complicates matters. She can wear a size 5 adult shoe, but we ended up looking at children's since she doesn't wear heels.

She got a size 3 children's shoe! It broke every rule she has for fancy — silver, shiny, sparkly, glittery, and a bow. She hated them. But they fit and I knew that any shoes we found that fit and went with her dress she was going to hate, so that's when I pulled out the 'Mom card' and said we were buying them and she was wearing them.

Turns out she didn't think they were too bad in the long run, but she'll never really admit it. I even made her let me polish her toenails, which I haven't done since she was probably five years old.

And we got out of the store in 9 minutes, which I still think is amazing!

After the chiropractor, we ran over to one of the nearby Kohl's to look for some costume jewelry. Chatty got some earrings and bracelets.


Sparky got a necklace, after I pulled the 'Mom card' again.

First the kids all met at the church for pictures. We took a few before they left the house with one of the girl's digital cameras.



This is the girls' 9th grade class — the ones that weren't late.

This is the girls with their group of friends. We have been blessed to have found a church not only with wonderful pastors that we respect and adore, but a place where all of our children love to go and have found wonderful friends.

The evening started at a fancy Asian restaurant with lots of courses.


Then they rode the bus over to Michigan State to see The Lion King.

It was Sparky and Chatty's first fancy/formal event, and they had a wonderful time.

They also looked so pretty in their 'fancy' attire.