Boots 'n Bar

As you know Raina wears her boots n' bar for nap time and at night time.  The task of keeping them on her feet has been an ongoing challenge.  It began with her slipping her feet out of the boots.  We learned to tighten the buckle as much as possible and tie the boots very tightly.  This worked for a short while.  Then the little monkey learned to untie the laces and slip her feet out.  Being that smart parents that we are, we began tying the laces in a double knot.  It wasn't long before Raina learned to strategically loosen the laces so she could once again slip her foot out.  We soon learned to buckle and tie the boots in the exact way every night...so tight I worried about it hurting her feet.  Once again this worked for a time.   Before long before this little monkey once again outwitted us...she learned to untie a double knot!...in a jiffy too!  She began removing her boots n' bar before falling asleep.  We have now resorted to the good ole duct tape!  It works...usually.  Raina has managed on a few occasions to remove the "ticky" (sticky) tape. 

I can only imagine how comfortable it must feel without the cumbersome boots n' bar.  I really began hoping that Raina could soon quit using the boots n' bar...afterall, she only wore her splint for about half as long as we had been told she would need to wear it.   She recently had an appointment with her orthopedic surgeon and the only question I had was "When can we stop using the boots n' bar?"  As I suspected, Raina will be wearing these irritating things till she is 4.  That's a long time to figure out how to remove the duct tape quickly and frequently...I'm already scheming, trying to stay a step ahead of this intelligent child!