When Sarah and I argue, it is almost always about clothing. Our biggest tiff this summer was over her choice of footwear for a visit to her great-grandmother’s nursing home. I don’t care if they are a 4 dollar pair from Old Navy or a hundred dollar pair from a big department store, flip-flops are casual shoes. You don’t visit seniors in shoes that they consider beachwear. I prefer the Crocs that have taken permanent residence on Sarah’s feet to the flip-flops. No, I don’t feel like a hypocrite because I wear Birks all the time. I own half as many shoes as Sarah and the only ones that feel good on my post-partum feet are the Birks. They are made of leather and not plastic (no, I never ran around in jellies). I don't wear them with skirts or dress pants and I would never wear them to a photo op with the president. Yes, I am the meanest mother in the world.