Mud Pies and Sunday Shoes...

There's no telling what folks must think when the Bug and the Pea arrive for school, or church or tag along with me on errands. The kids tell me it's much too EMBARRASSING to have their MOM (gasp) pick out clothes for them. So I don't. They manage to piece together creative combinations of shirts or pants or skirts or dresses with socks or tights or (their favorite) bare feet squished into tennis shoes or patent leather shoes or snow boots.
With the exception of Picture Day, pretty much "anything goes." I try to lay out very basic rules for matching tops with bottoms. (Now sweetie, I think this hot pink skirt would go nicely with this flowery blouse. I'm not sure the fire engine red shirt matches as well....) I've tried to explain about "neutral colors," to no avail. ("Honey, black pants match everything. You don't have to pick out a black shirt and black jacket and black socks and black boots to go with them. Maybe add a little color..." I suggested. And then I promptly e-mailed The Pea's teacher that I realized she looked like a 4 foot tall Ninja and just to "run with it"....)
And we're not much on pristine clothing...even if it DID match. Clean, yes. Spotless, no. It really doesn't bother me when the kids explore paint or dirt. In fact, the messier the better, if you ask me. My theory is "the messier your clothes, the better your day". I mean, seriously, who has more fun? The kiddo who comes home in a pristine outfit, who sat on the sidelines watching the other kids play? Or the kid who digs her barefoot toes into the soil to poke out a hole to plant the sunflower seedling she grasps in her dirt-covered hands?
Yesterday, the Pea headed outside in her church shoes hollering, "If you hear the hose turned on, it's just me making mud pies!"
Ah, good times...