Plodding Along

Did you know turtles can climb? Maybe everyone knows this but it was news to me. A neighbor gave us a couple of Red-Eared Sliders that are, without a doubt, the easiest pets we've ever had. Of course, that's assuming we're past the years of toddlers dumping full jars of fish food into a tank to "help". (Incidentally, fish don't just grow bigger and bigger until you need a swimming pool to hold them as the childhood tale would have you believe.)

Anyway, they do climb. It's fascinating to watch really. And they aren't as slow as I'd been led to believe. No... slow is a 10 year old picking out baseball cleats. Agonizingly slow actually.

So frustratingly slow that it provoked a brief lapse in the calm, cool, model of motherly kindness that I usually posture when I'm shopping with 4 of my children at a time.

After an hour of watching other customers come and go while my 8 yo begged for scuba diving gear and JoJo demonstrated his endurance for whining, I felt I had earned a pair of the Mary Jane Crocs that were on display right in the middle of the shoe section.
However, in spite of the extensive time and care spent selecting the perfect cleats, I was informed soon after we got home that they "bothered" his feet. He offered up some lame excuse of feeling "stressed" at the store. I explained that I was merely simplifying the decision for him when I requested the salesman bring us one pair of everything under $40 in his size then directed him to choose one "NOW".


Although I briefly debated the idea of telling him to tough it out, deep down inside I knew a good mother would sacrifice both time and money to ensure her child's comfort.

I got this Saturday when we exchanged the shoes.
Speaking of baseball, I finished a pair of socks at our first games yesterday...


A Swell Yarn Duet Middy in Bauer Blue with forethought heel on size 1 needles.

The heel put up a decent fight but I think we managed a compromise in the end when I went back and stitched up some gaps at the color change with extra yarn. The yarn itself feels wonderful and the thin stripes of color delight me to no end.