Noise Shoes

Everyone has his or her funny childhood story that the entire family knows about and brings up whenever the chance is there. For me, it is noise shoes. When I was a few years old, I told Aunt Delia (Deda) that I wanted noise shoes. Uncertain of what that meant, she took me shoe shopping. Yes, whatever I wanted, Aunt Deda Bug got for me! Even if my mom said no! She claims that we went to several malls in the Atlanta area, and it took quite a while for me to be satisfied. I would try on shoes, and then have to walk around to see if they made enough noise for me. If the shoe store had carpet, that was not a good thing at all for my 3 year old mind and ears. I would then have to walk out in the mall to hear the clickity-clack noise of the hard sole of the shoe on the floor. Apparently, I thoroughly enjoyed the noise that the shoes made. Of course, not many little people shoes are made like my mom's and aunt's shoes, so I was frustrated. Aunt Deda Bug ended up spending more money that the average toddler shoe just to make me happy. I just wanted to be a grown little lady already!

Well here I am 25 years later. The other night Ethan discovered shoes in his closet that he has not worn yet. Some of them are still a little big, plus, they are fall shoes--not summer shoes. He grabbed a pair, threw it at me, and sat down. Little guy wanted his new shoes on. Keep in mind that the only shoes he has worn since he has started walking have been soft-soled shoes. It's quite difficult to toddle around with heavy clunkers on your feet when you are so small!

I put the shoes on E; he started walking around the house clomping his feet with each step, realizing that he was the one making the noise on the floor. Simple cause and effect lesson at 14 months. He was smiling, enjoying every second. He is just like me when I was little. Noise shoes were awesome! Guess I need to get him big boy shoes that he can wear now.