The Definition of Insanity

I've heard insanity defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. I am officially insane.

A while ago I bought Elise 2 pairs of mary jane style Crocs. I know Crocs are a little bit hideous (especially on adults). No offense to anyone who wears them. I'm sure they look lovely on you. Anyway, it's really hard to find a shoe that meets all the requirements for the school (no open toed sandals allowed), doesn't get ruined if exposed to a little water and/or mud, and isn't too hot for the summer. Crocs seem to fit the bill. The mary janes are pretty cute, and they come in a lot of really cute colors and with a lot of cute accents. I finally gave in and decided that these were the shoes for Elise! I got her a pink pair with flower & butterfly accents and a black pair with lady bug and sunflower accents. She loves them, they match just about everything she owns, and she can't ruin them, right?

Wrong.

Apparently during naptime at school, she gets bored and won't sleep. Since she's required to stay on her cot and rest for the 2-hour nap period, she found something to do to occupy her time. She ripped the straps off the new Crocs. Then she ripped the accents off the new Crocs. Have I mentioned how much I spent on those darn things?? The shoes are not cheap, and neither are the extras. She broke the black pair first, and I was not happy. I was able to fix them using the strap from the pair she had last year that were outgrown. I repaired the shoe, and I told her she better not do it again. So she proceeded to break the pink shoes a few days later. That was what I call a "count to ten moment". As in, I better count to ten before I harm my child.

A big part of me thinks that I need to teach her a lesson by not replacing the shoes. She loves them and would be very disappointed if she didn't have any Crocs to wear from now on. Only problem with that is...I can't send her to school barefoot! It put me in a tough position. So, today I went out and not only replaced the broken shoes, but bought a 3rd pair in blue. I've tried to find a different shoe, but these are just the most sensible. I had a long talk with her about taking care of the replacements. She's been told that they will NOT be replaced again. And I do mean it this time. What I haven't figured out is what I will do for shoes if these get destroyed. I guess I will file that under the category of "I'll deal with that if and when it happens."

So, what makes me think she's not going to break these?? See, I told you I'm insane. This is almost embarrassing.