Tying One's Shoes

I don't like having shoes that tie for the boys because it requires more effort on my part and honestly, don't I do enough already? Alas, they'd both outgrown what they were wearing by a size-and-a-half. All they had in 13.5 at the store involved laces, so Aleks wound up with some sweet black and red Nikes. Now he must learn the agony of tying. So he does.