Spring Bling

Spring came late to the bay area this year, but when it arrived it was like a sudden warm hand rubbing your back on an icy night. Drear and rain made way for heat and bright California sunlight. The sun coaxed sweet perfume from the jasmine in our backyard, the hummingbird arrived on his daily rounds and the children looked overdressed in their socks and sturdy winter shoes.

The first sign of spring in our house is the annual family trip downtown for new sandals.

Geekygirls brand loyalty to a certain sparkly line of children's shoes seems sealed. For the third year in a row (for proof read here and here) she selected the seasons sparkliest offering. She always tries on a couple of more mundane designs to indulge us, but her mind is set. After a quick pretense of testing a less ostentatious brand, she declares the sparkly ones the most comfortable, the best for running and jumping, and as an aside, well they are the prettiest ones too, aren't they daddy?

Geekyboy was again disappointed that boys sandals don't come in purple (why not?), but accepted a pair with flashing orange lights in silver skull logos, the blingiest boy shoes we could find.

My own footwear collection was also feeling decidedly wintery, so with the children still behaving in a vaguely acceptable manner for the shopping mall I risked a trip into the women's shoe department.

Geekygirl thought that I should get these for work.

Geekydaddy wondered out loud whether I had taken on another 'job' that I hadn't told him about. I haven't, for the record, and I can just imagine the look on my coworkers faces if I sashay into the lab in those on Monday morning.

I settled for a more staid and practical shoe. But secretly, I'm trying to think of an excuse to go back and get those glitter stripper heels. Why should preschoolers be the only ones to have spangly footwear? We all need a little spring bling, after all.