Happiness is (Expensive) Soccer Cleats

For the first time in a long time, Keagan had to have new cleats because he actually wore them out before he grew out of them. He was cleated last weekend and the top of the shoe tore across the middle as he ran across the field. So we went shoe shopping. 

Soccer cleats come in wild color combinations and can be found in just about any neon color. Keagan can't resist neon or wild; Flashy is his middle name, after all. However, today he wanted to buy pink cleats. I refused to buy my boy pink, even if all the "good" players wear it with pride. I demanded he pick something else out. 

After lots of huffing and puffing, he found a pair of black shoes with neon pink and white stripes. I agreed these were much more respectable for a boy...until I saw the price tag. Suddenly, the pink shoes were not so bad and I tried to back track as quickly as possible. 

I apologized for jeopardizing Keagan's perfect shoe selection, and kindly offered to buy him the pink shoes. He refused. I strongly suggested he get the shoes proven to be worthy of the best. He refused. I came just short of demanding he put the black ones away and find the pink in his size, when he stopped me and asked, "So pink wasn't okay a few minutes ago, but now you want me to get them. What's going on?"

I told him I wanted him to be happy (perhaps I was really more concerned with a happy bank account). He replied, "I am happy - with the black shoes."

He is now the happy owner of black cleats with neon stripes that cost almost double the price of pink cleats, and I'm wishing my boy would have chosen pink.