twinkle toes

Dear Em,
When I was pregnant with you, I went to Toys R Us to purchase a baby shower gift for another friend who was having a baby. I remember so clearly a sweet little girl running around the store with sneakers that lit up as she walked. My pregnant state heightened my already emotional personality, & tears formed in the corners of my eyes. I called your daddy as soon as I left the store to tell him how much I couldn't wait for our little love to someday run around in her very own pair of light up shoes.

I didn't realize then how long I would wait for that day. Although your Nonnie was sure to provide you with an extensive shoe selection at birth, I thought shoes were silly for babies before they could walk. We didn't wait all that long for you to begin toddling around in a variety of shoe options, but I kind of forgot about my light up shoe dreams. I mean, you are my shoe girl. So you've definitely had some fun options, but I guess we never shoe shopped in a store that carried the light up shoes. Instead you pleaded for sneakers with sparkles, boots with bows, & shiny dress shoes.

Until this year.

After watching a little run by with lights flashing from her feet last year, I made it my mission to fulfill my dream with this year's school shoes. We went school shopping at the Wrentham Outlets & happily left with your very own pair of twinkle toes from Sketchers (& also a pair of bella ballerinas for your twirling delight...it was buy one get one 1/2 off).

You spent the first two weeks with your new sneakers looking down at your feet as you walked & stomping like you were marching in the military. I can't tell you how many walls you walked into. "Are you sure those are not too distracting for  her to wear for school," your daddy asked me with a nervous why-can't-you-just-buy-her-normal-sneakers look on his face. Crap, I didn't really think about that. But the sneakers were on your feet. In fact, you had been a model citizen as you got ready for school that morning with the bribe that you could wear your new shoes. They was no way you were going to let us take them off your feet. I worried you might try to sleep in them.

I sheepishly apologized to your teachers when I dropped you off at school. "Oh! We love twinkle toes," your sweet teacher assured me. Actually, it seems like almost everyone loves twinkle toes. They're definitely something that people notice...in the supermarket, while Apple picking, on the tram ride up Cannon Mountain. It's been a conversation starter with many strangers, & they really seem to make people smile. Many people have taken to calling you twinkle toes. I love it, because it's not just your toes that twinkle. Your shoes just match your fun-loving & hilarious little personality.

So while you may not always wear shoes that light up, you will always be my twinkle toes.

I love you so,
Mommy