The other day I had to get the boys some new shoes. Should be easy enough, right?

I go, get them sized, and (yay!) they're all the same size. Now, I just have to find 3 pair of the same shoe that I like, and that will go with most anything they wear. I find myself standing in a sea of shoes at Wal-Mart.

I don't like any of them.

As I'm about to give up and load all the boys back into Big Blue (the van), I see a pair that is perfect! And what do you know, they're a size 4!! But only 1 pair. None in the back and no idea when or if more may come in. I'm still optimistic though, after all, we have about 15 Wal-Mart's in the bi-city area, surely between them all I can find 2 more pair, size 4, of this exact shoe, right?

WRONG.

I finally decide to get another pair, that I don't like near as much, but they will work, AND there are 3 pairs of size 4 at the store I am at.

No more running around!

I just have to go get the other pair and take them back. Whew! Shoe shopping over! I get home feeling quite triumphant. I've been dragging all these boys all around town, we had no melt downs and I got shoes in hand.

Mission accomplished!

A few hours later, I take the tags off, get the shoes all ready to be worn and grab my first victim, Carter. I can't get his foot in! What's wrong? I grab Brayden, it's not going in. Then Tucker.

What is wrong?!

I study the shoe. I look in the inside real good, nothing's in there. I hold the bottom of the shoe up to their feet; it's plenty long enough... Then, I notice how the shoe narrows at the top.

Their wide, flat feet were not squeezing into that narrow shoe toe!

I dig through the garbage, trying to find all the tags I ripped off.

The shoe search continues.

The next day I went to Payless. I found some super cute sandals just like the one's they just outgrew. I ask if they have 2 more pair {fingers crossed}...

"No, we don't at this location, but the Victory Dr. location has 2 pair."

Yay! I do a little happy dance and ask if she will call to confirm and ask them to hold them for me.

"Their phone hasn't been working all day, I'm sorry."

Now, for those of you who don't know. I was on the complete opposite end of town. Then, I imagined driving out there and then not leaving with 2 pair of these sandals. My vision ended with some sort of explosion... my head, the Payless store, I'm not sure what, but it wouldn't be good.

So, I went back and looked again. I found another shoe that would work. Again, not exactly what I wanted. But, at this point, really - can I be picky?

"Do you have 2 more of this shoe in a 4 wide?" I asked.

"No ma'am, we have 2 pair, and the Peachtree location has 1 pair in stock."

"Great! Is their phone working?"

It was. She called and asked them to hold them for me.

They were on sale cheaper than the shoes from Wal-Mart and since I had to drive to another location, I received a $3.00 coupon for that pair.

Yay! Things are getting better!

I get a parking spot up front at the mall near the entrance closest to the Payless. I walk in, she's waiting with the shoes at the counter for me, I pay, I'm out in 2 minutes.

WOO HOO!

I'm very proud I now have 3 pairs of shoes in hand again that I know will fit.

I still haven't taken the others back to Wal-Mart. I'm going to do that this weekend! I just hope they take them back since all the tags are ripped off.

I come home, grab Carter, put socks on him and the new shoes with tags, just in case.

Perfect fit!

Next, I catch Brayden, get him 'shoed' up then Tucker.

They all look at their feet like I just put 100lb moon boots on them or something. I stand Brayden up and he drops to the ground. He's acting like he can't move his feet.

I look at Carter, he's already got one off.

I put it back on, now Tuck has both off.

I get them back on. Look at them all, Brayden is chewing on his.

I get them back on and try to make them all stand up to walk.

They raise their feet up like they are high stepping in a marching band, then we repeat previous verse. Brayden's chewing again. Tuck's rolling on the floor in tears trying to get them off. Carter is squatting down examining them.

Carter actually started walking around semi-normal in his before taking them off again. At which point I decided it was nap time. It really was. Well, it was close anyways! Really. ; )

So currently, I'm the proud owner of 7 pair of shoes, all size 4 and I have 3 boys who won't wear a shoe longer than 30 seconds.