Little Life Lessons

This morning as we woke to chilly temperatures that are well below 50s I decided Ellaree should probably wear something other than sandals to school.  The high for today was only suppose to be 56 and therefore that called for me going into the shoe bin for the kids.  What did we discover...Ellaree's feet have grown!  In all the shoes we have acquired from family and friends that have given us shoes...we don't have any that fit.  We found one pair that would work for today but Ellaree said they were tight.

So after school, after lunch and after cleaning up Ellaree and I headed to Walmart for a pair of shoes.  We found a pair of cute brown ones for her dresses, a pair of tennis shoes and then we laid eyes on them...the ultimate, must have, pleading her eyes out...must have shoes.  The Wizard Of Oz Ruby Slippers!!!!!  Now I know what you are going to say...you were five once, you had a pair like these, you wore them everywhere, you have to get them for her, what is one more pair?  Well coming from a mom who is on a strick budget, trying to teach my children about what is needed vs a want. 

I went ahead and told her we were not going to get them.  Oh and the tears.  We called daddy...daddy said no.  Oh the tears, "I can't live without these".  What about Halloween...we will come back and get them another day for Halloween and you can be Dorothy?  Nope have to have them now.  Then it dawned on me...Save, Share, Spend!  Her chores she does every week and the different piggy banks she has.  So I explained mommy and daddy were going to buy the two pairs because that is what she NEEDS for school.  I suggested we leave them at school but if you can not live without them and you think you NEED them then I will pay for them but when we get home you have to pay me out of your piggy bank. Oh thank you, jump up and down, thank you, jump up and down!  So we bought them.  When we got home she went straight into her room and got her slipper shoe money out and counted out 10 quarter stacks of 4.  She is now the proud owner of Dorothy's Ruby Slippers.

Life lesson or compromise?