Graduation Gifts

Recently while traveling to Mobile, Alabama for a wedding, Steve and I had the great idea to begin giving our children college t-shirts from the places we had traveled.  These t-shirts (and onesies in Jack's case) will serve dual purposes -- as souvenirs for the kiddos and as a future high school graduation gift.  We are hoping to put together college t-shirt quilts with all of the tees.  Who knows, perhaps the kids' future college will be amongst the t-shirts that create the quilts.  Don't worry, there will DEFINITELY be some maroon and gold Gopher representation!


Today, both kids were dressed in their Alabama (or "Gamagama" as Reagan calls it...Roll Tide!!) gear.  Reagan took a little coercing, as she announces every morning that she is either wearing Cookie (her Cookie Monster pajamas) or "dots" (her favorite GAP dot leggings) paired with either her "pink" (t-shirt that says "perfect" on it) or "cats" (her favorite pink GAP cat shirt).  For a two year old, she is incredibly persnickety about what she wears.  She's even requesting which type of diaper (Cookie diapers) she wants to wear; it's enough to make me want to potty train her NOW!!!!  I read last night that one parent calls the morning fight "drestling", a combination of dressing and wrestling and found it the perfect description of my morning battle with Reagan.  So far, I'm "winning", as most days she wears an outfit that matches and I've only sent her to school wearing pjs one day (and they were clean pjs that she hadn't slept in).  I'm learning how to negotiate with my dressing diva (and how to hide the dreaded outfits that we seem to wear every day).   


Jack, on the other hand, happily wore his 'Bama onesie...until lunch.  After a quick mid-morning snack, Jack and I headed out to Schaumburg to meet Shelly and the kids for lunch.  Upon arriving at the Cheesecake Restaurant and picking Jack up out of his car seat, I found he had filled his pants and then some, leaving a special surprise on his onesie and in the car seat.  Making a rookie mistake, I was flying fast and loose and traveling sans diaper bag.  Luckily, the momma instinct in me had an emergency stash of diapers and wipes in the car (if you don't have one, I highly recommend it to any parents--it has been a life-saver on more than one occasion).  I headed back out to the car and retrieved my stash, stripped Jack in the ladies room, salvaged the 'Bama onesie loosing only the long-sleeved undershirt.  So, a little less clothed, we returned and enjoyed our lunch.  Now, after a mid-afternoon snack, a bath and a costume change, Jack rests in his crib, getting ready for his trip to Nani and Grandpa's house!


So here was where the cute picture of my kids in their Alabama gear was supposed to go but that will have to wait till another day!