The Christmas Slippers

The only Christmas present that David has requested is a pair of slippers.  Honestly, he didn’t really even request slippers.  I coaxed it out of him.  In recent weeks, he has been clomping around in my slippers, so I asked him if he wanted slippers for Christmas and, to my surprise, he responded with an enthusiastic “YETZ.” 

I am not sure why he seems to have taken a fancy to my slippers, which are falling apart and will hopefully soon be replaced, hint, hint.  He always comments that they are SO soft and sometimes even rubs them against his cheek—EWWW.

So, I first looked at my beloved Target store and found slippers, but they had skulls on them.  No, thank you.  I then searched several places online, but I could not find kids slippers without a heel, the kind that you slip into, and I know that David would think the other kind look too much like shoes.

He requested a color and, to my surprise, it was WHITE, not red.  But then again, my slippers are white.  I am sure THAT will be easy to find--white slippers that fit a seven year old boy.

Michael had to run to Kohl’s over the weekend and I asked him to look in the women’s department for the smallest pair of slippers that he could find.  David has big feet, and I knew that the slippers would still be too big, but then again, he is used to wearing mine so at least they would be closer to the correct size.  I also happened to mention that my slippers needed replacing because sometimes it helps to be direct.

When Michael arrived home, he was pretty pleased with himself and could not wait to spoil the surprise.  Yes, I am getting slippers for Christmas and so is David.

He had found the very same slippers that I am currently wearing—white with pastel rosettes.  And now, David and I will have matching pairs.  Michael just didn’t think David would have been happy with any other pair and he was probably right.

When you have a child facing some challenges, sometimes you are so focused on their hard work, their milestones that you do not notice changes in yourself.  But I noticed. 

The Michael I first met would not have been willing to buy his son slippers with flowers on them.  The Michael of a few years ago wouldn’t have been so quick to know what would make David happy.  The Michael of today was thrilled with his purchase.

I’ll stick with the Michael of today.