Shoe Shopping Horror!

This brisk fall weather reminds me of a time right about a year ago--Pickle was getting close to walking and it was time to check out some of those adorable little baby shoes.

I headed over to Nordstrom to browse their amazing selection of children's shoes. So many choices! The cute liitle Robeez with flowers and kitties on them and the even cuter Pedipeds--just beautiful! Tiny shoes with leopard print or red patent leather. I was picturing some of Pickle's dresses and deciding which shoes to buy.

I was holding a pair of little black velvet Mary Janes when I sensed someone was looking at me. I glanced up and saw group of four or five Nordstrom employees huddled together across the room and staring at me.

They also looked panic-stricken.

I looked confused and one of then said to me in a voice that was trying to remain calm but had a distinct undercurrent of fear "Um--there's a squirrel right behind you."

What?

It took a few seconds for my brain to process everything.

Nordstrom...shoes...squirrel?

SQUIRREL!?!

Now, you know I love animals, but squirrels have always FREAKED ME OUT! I'm scared of squirrels. They're all crazy-like with their darting and scampering. And those big quivery tails

One time a squirrel got into my house. I'll save that story for another post--but it involved the police department and some mops.

So I'm standing there in the Nordstrom's children's shoe department frozen with fear. Then I had visions of the squirrel jumping into my hair--or worse--into the stroller with my sleeping baby.

The Pedipeds fell from my fingers and I high-tailed it across the room to join the huddle.

The scene that followed was right out of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation--people running and screaming, the squirrel skittering under chairs and shoe racks. I half-expected to see the grandpa from Christmas Vacation screaming SQUIIIIIIIIRREL as it it clung to someone's back.

We all watched in horror as the squirrel ran out of the shoe department over to scarves, then back to shoes, then into home furnishings. Some brave souls had a plan to set up a human blockade that trapped the squirrel as others chased it out the door.

And then it was gone.

I retrieved my velvet Pedipeds and paid for them while I joked with my new comrades. "Wow! That was crazy!" we all agreed.

But I've never really enjoyed shoe shopping as much since then... I feel, well, squirrely!
****Check it out****My friend Andrea is having a great giveaway on her blog. She makes beautiful photo cards (she'll be making my Christmas cards!) and will be giving away a free design and is also offering discounts to anyone that comments. Her cards are GORGEOUS!!