I'll admit it. I'm a bit of a pack rat. I tend to have a hard time growing out of things, and throwing them out.

I'm not a "crazy, out-of-control, save my own fingernail clippings" -type of pack rat. I just tend to hold on to things longer than I should - for fear of needing said items at some point in the future. I guess I inherited this trait from my grandfather. And now I think this behavior is being passed on to my young son, evidenced by his reluctance to move on to a new pair of shoes.

This past weekend, Jennifer took Jack to Famous Footwear to find replacements for his old Nike shoes. Jennifer specifically sought out shoes that looked similar to his existing pair; primarily white, with a blue swoosh. The only major difference was that the new pair had Velcro straps instead of laces. With practically identical sneakers, we were hoping for a smooth transition. We were wrong.


So far, I've only been able to get one of the new shoes on Jack before he notices my evil trickery. As soon as he realizes what is going on, Jack insists on putting on his old, beat up shoes. While I fully recognize that I am guilty of the same crime, (I usually wear clothes until they have been shredded to rags), a toddler should not be nearly as particular. In fact, a kid Jack's age should be embracing new shoes just as he would be captivated by a shiny new toy, or even the cardboard box that the new toy was packaged in. But this isn't the case.

So I'll keep working to somehow get Jack interested in his new shoes. (I honestly don't have a plan of attack yet, so this could be a tough challenge). But I guess like all phases in a kid's life, he'll grow out of this one involving his old shoes. I just hope his feet don't grow out of his old shoes first.