PICTURE PERFECT

When Travis was three and Eva was 6 months I made my last attempt to dress them in matching clothes.  I had bought a jumper for Travis and matching dress for Eva for a Burton family portrait.  Travis HATED the idea.  He did NOT want to dress like Eva.  He looks miserable and furious in EVERY picture. (I would scan and add the photos to prove this, but I didn't buy any because they were so bad.  Only a Grandmother could love those pictures and so GrandDa has all the copies.  You will just have to take my word for it.)  I thought after a few minutes passed Travis would forgive me for dressing him like his sister and he would smile that beautiful, crooked smile for the camera.  But NOOOO!!!  In ALL the pictures (even the ones where Eva is no where to be seen) Travis looks furious.

So, I gave up.  No more dressing Eva and Travis in ANYTHING resembling a matched set, not even the same color!  I so envied pictures of families with matching clothes in family portraits.  I wanted so badly to be that Mother who could control clothing choices and make my family look PICTURE PERFECT.  I can remember growing up, Mom had Brooks and Bruce in matching outfits, singing on stage together when they were 13 and 15!  I couldn't even make it happen at age 3!

BUT THEN....

Last Tuesday the Hogs played in the Sugar Bowl.  After watching our Hogs play an amazing season it was topped off with a trip to New Orleans. Everyone in my house was so excited about the game. So excited, in fact, they produced a MIRACLE...

The morning of the Sugar Bowl Travis and Eva appeared in the kitchen wearing, yes you guessed it, matching Razorback shirts!  They both had received Sugar Bowl shirts for Christmas (although not from me, because I thought I knew better!)  I thought when Travis saw Eva he would surely run upstairs and change.  But he thought it was cool they were going to school together in matching shirts!  Wow!

I love those Hogs for many, many reasons.  But this may be my number one!  Just look at those gorgeous Razorback fans!

That night I broke my rule about fixing a well-balanced, nutritious meal on a school night and instead I made lots and lots of munchies. We all appeared in the same room at the same time (a minor miracle in itself) dressed in Razorback Red.  

The Hogs played well and almost pulled off the win.  But in the end, it was a heartbreaker.  But the outcome of the game is not what I will remember (ok... not the ONLY thing I will remember!)  I will always remember the day my kids loved me enough to pose for pictures, and SMILE, in matching clothes!  It was a PICTURE PERFECT day!