Patience Tested

My closest girlfriend and I took several hours of our time this past Friday to take my boys 12, and 10 shopping for new dress clothes. Well, one outfit actually. They were asked by a friend of ours that happens to also be a TN State Representative to come serve as honorary pages on the Senate floor this Thursday. I figure this will also serve as a sharp outfit to wear Easter Sunday.
Generally my shopping with the boys is a bare minimal to say the least. I know their general sizes and favorite colors, and which one likes stripes and which one doesn't care. So I can pick up a few things, (always keeping the receipt on hand) so if they don't like it I can take it back.
My oldest a pre-teen is not very particular about what he wears. I can pick up just about anything for him and he is content. Now that the teen attitude is coming out..the emotions run high if something doesn't fit right, or HE thinks it doesn't fit or look just so. Add into that his younger brother who DOES very much care what he wears..Sigh! Got the picture?
Both boys are as opposite as the north pole and the equator. Funny thing is they tend to gravitate toward the same things sometimes.. and whomever saw it first, the other one has to pick something else! They are also opposite in stature. Cory wears a slim and Brian a regular. Well, they can't have the same color or style so to say it took awhile to find these outfits is an understatement. Whew!
Side note: When I worked in retail in the men's department to be specific, I had to have a measuring tape and know how to tie a man's tie in several different knots. (it's been awhile, I can do a basic slip knot, but would have to study and practice some more to get it down). Did you know that several of the places we went, when I asked for these things I was met with a blank stare? Where has customer service gone? And I'm not talking cheaper stores, this experience was at Belk and Dillards. Anyway, we either experienced extremely low selection, or had no help, or the help we had was worthless! This one gal that comes to mind she didn't know where certain brands were, didn't have a way to measure so you could get the appropriate size, and generally just made excuses. We did better searching and trying than she did. She stood and talked. Pleats or no pleats, cuffs or no cuffs,get the picture? Just like for many of us women out there, the sizes are so different depending on the brand.
Many stores later, my friend and I are on the verge of throwing our hands up when I remember that I also have to get them shoes. Bigger and longer lasting sigh!
The boys have narrow heels and pretty much need a wide size. They are two years apart and either wear the same size or 1/2 a size off. Did you know that there is a big gap in boys to men's shoes? There is this funky in between stage called middle school and they no longer wear size 6 in boys so they have to try to find a 6 or 6.5 or even 7 in men's shoes. God help us! Let me tell ya, there is an extremely small selection! I sent many prayers up that afternoon as the boys were tired and every opportunity they had to pick on one another was acted upon quickly.
We did ultimately find shoes at a Payless! Wow. It was our last ditch effort before we rounded out our evening watching Alice in Wonderland. Praises! They found them! We were all glad to get off our aching feet and sit down for the movie.
I will upload a picture of them by weeks end so you can see the end result of our shopping madness!