Last weekend (It has taken me ages to get on the computer to write about it!!), we managed to find time to venture into Chester. The time had come to buy Anna her very first pair of shoes.
We went to Clarks as I had many recommendations and I suppose, for selfish reasons, it was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me. Every summer holiday, my brother and I would be taken into Hereford to buy our Clarks shoes before we were then allowed to go and buy our pencil case and stationary (which always excited me much more than new shoes.... how times have changed!). I remember having to put your foot in that machine which saw the metal blocks inching towards your precious foot. There was always that slight worry that they would forget to stop when they hit your foot and, instead, carry on going while crushing your foot to tiny pieces (Remember, I was 7 years old at the time!).
I cannot tell you how excited I was about taking Anna to buy her shoes. It was like several Christmases all rolled into one! However, there was a slight fear in the pit of my stomach. I had visions of Anna creating chaos in the shop, with several shop assistants chasing after Anna as she hot-footed it out of the door with a different shoe on each foot!
Thankfully, Anna was wonderful. There was no machine this time but Anna did let the man measure her foot, providing that he tickled her other foot at the same time. It turns out that my daughter is very average (Average??? Is he daring to suggest that Anna is average!!!) with a size 4G foot. Apparently, most toddlers are this size when they first get measured!
So Anna was then fitted for a very stylish pair of shoes (as picked by her Mummy and Daddy). At first, it looked like Anna had the heaviest space boots on the ends of her feet as she attempted to walk around the shop. I had to do my best to convince the man that Anna actually walked 'much better than this normally... honest'. I suppose it must feel a very strange sensation when you try shoes on your feet for the very first time (Anna has never ever worn anything on her feet apart from socks and she takes those off at every available opportunity). However, after a few minutes, Anna had got used to them and was definitely the cat who got the cream, with the biggest, proudest grin on her face!
I think James had prepared himself for the price of the tiny pair of shoes that he was about to buy (I had warned him beforehand, just so that he didn't embarrass me by fainting in the shop). However, I had forgot to warn him that her next shoe fitting appointment is in 6 weeks, as her feet have probably grown out of her first shoes by then.
So it was then time to let Anna have her first experience of walking outside! Anna had looked pretty pleased with herself inside the shop but that was nothing compared to the grin she displayed when she realised that these things on the end of her feet would actually allow her to go outside. For anyone that doesn't know, Anna is definitely an outdoors baby. Whenever I get Anna out of the car, she will start to point to the trees and say 'trees' and then point to a flower and say... something completely unrecognisable, followed by Anna pointing to a car and saying something else completely random. Whenever someone leaves a door open, Anna has always attempted to get outside. Therefore, these shoes were like giving her the key to a whole new world which she had only dreamed of before. Freedom at last!!
We were wary that Anna's legs might tire quickly so we thought a quick 5 minute stroll would be enough! Anna wasn't having any of it. Half an hour later and Anna was still pounding those streets. I suppose her stay in hospital should have given us the first clue, seeing as though she walked the whole of the Women and Children's building before then embarking on several thousand more laps of those corridors. The problem with being in town was that whenever we went into a shop, Anna did a complete u-turn and started heading back out of the door. Shops were boring... outside was where the excitement was!
Her first shoes also saw us dealing with our first Anna tantrum. Unfortunately, Anna's first full blown tantrum also happened to be in a public place. Due to Anna having walked a considerable distance and really not warming to the idea of a walk around Sainsburys as outside seemed much more interesting, we attempted to pick her up. Big mistake. Anna arched her back and then threw herself to to the floor. When we went to pick her up, she kicked her arms and legs so that we couldn't get a hold! There was no way that this girl was giving up her new-found freedom without a fight. We eventually did pick her up but she then shouted at full force for several minutes, just to let the passers by know what terrible parents we were for trying to help her feet from aching.
So we have now entered a new phase for Anna. Suddenly, any contraption which means that Anna is not allowed to walk, such as a pushchair, pram or car seat, has become the enemy to Anna. We have a great gymnastics display whenever I attempt to put her in one of these things, Her arched back and knees bent is very impressive and I am convinced that she has more strength than me. My back is a clear reminder of how determined Anna can be. All of this means that Anna is now walking everywhere and at remarkable speed. Meanwhile, her Mummy is feeling more and more tired and old (with aching knees and feet) by the day! Those shoes were made for walking and that is what Anna will do!
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