Boot Season

FYI-Today is the official start day of “Boot Season”. 

Never mind that we live in Alabama and while today it may be a balmy 70 degrees, tomorrow it could be 85 degrees or 65 degrees.  Alabama Fall is bipolar like that.  We never know if tomorrow is winter or summer again.  We adjust.  We keep short sleeve shirts and Capri- pants handy for a while after we unpack the winter sweaters.  It makes for messy closets but it is what it is- Fall in the South.

Anyway, you may be wondering who decided today is the official start of Boot Season and why today is the big day.  The answers are me & because I said so.  There’s a story here.  Just keep reading.

In August, my neighbor cleaned out the closet of her 9-year-old and sent a trash bag of shoes to my house.  My 7-year-old was awed by the wide variety and had to be sternly told that she could not wear the shoes that were two sizes to big for her out of the house.  She was shuffling around like an old lady in bedroom slippers.  This girl child of mine is a bit accident prone on a good day.  I couldn’t imagine that wearing huge shoes would improve her odds of making it through a day gracefully so I put my foot down.  Next, she found a pair of black knee high dressy boots, put them on with her tank top and shorts, and then didn’t take them off for 2 days.  She even tried to sleep in them but again, I put my foot down.  She looked like a go-go dancer but she was so obviously in love with these boots that I had to smile. 

Have you ever been in love with a pair of shoes?  I have and it is all consuming .  If they give you blisters, you forgive them because they are beautiful.  If they eat your socks, you make excuses for their eating disorder.  You do whatever you can to make the shoes feel loved because they make you so happy when you look at them, you almost can’t stand it.

So, I let her wear them while in the house but I still said “Absolutely not.” to her request to wear them to school or church.  It was August in Alabama and I am a southern girl who can’t make myself wear white pants after Labor Day so a boot wearing 7 year-old was out of the question.

Seven year-old girls are nothing if not persistent.  At least mine is.  We rarely fight about clothes.  We came to an understanding years ago that she can wear what she wants as long as it fits and it is seasonally appropriate and as long as it’s not a special occasion.  I just don’t have the energy to duke it out daily over clothes so I am the proud mother of a child with a “creative” interpretation of what matches what and how clothes should be worn.  Whatever.  Peer pressure will dictate her choices soon enough so I just smile when she goes to school looking a bit “colorful”.  She has a theory that socks don’t count and can be as colorful as you want them to be.  They are for fun, not fashion.  This theory means that she usually sports Halloween ghost socks in May or furry Christmas socks in July.  Again, I say whatever.

Anyway, back to Boot Season.  In August, I told her that she could wear the boots when boot season started.  She asked when that was and I told her I would let her know.  Every day since then she has asked if it is boot season yet.  EVERY day.  Seriously. 

When she saw some college girls at a football game wearing tiny dresses and cowboy boots even though it was 800 degrees outside, she asked why I wouldn’t let her wear her boots.  I tried to be diplomatic and non- judgmental when I told her those girls were nuts and probably had blisters and sweaty feet.  She just heaved a huge sigh, rolled her eyes and stomped away. And asked again the next day when boot season started.

Well guess what.  Boot season started at 6:30 am this morning because I was just too darned tired to say no again. And again.  And again.  I did tell her she would look silly but that I supported her need to wear the awesome knee high boots with a tiny little heel. 

Imagine my surprise when I entered the kitchen to see her wearing pink plaid sneakers.  She said she changed her mind.

She was wearing Easter bunny socks with her pink plaid sneakers and Halloween shirt. 

My oldest baby gave me the gift of being my baby for at least one more day. 

Thank you, baby.  Meme loves you.