Parenting issue

Most of you know that I live in the Midwest.  And if you have ever visited the Midwest you know we can have temperatures from 110 in the summer and -20 in the winter.  Personally, I would like to experience the 110 any day instead of the -20, and that was before I had a child. 

When we were pregnant we went to the car seat safety class and learned all about how to safely transport your almost born child in the car.  The problem: during the summer months and when your pumped full of pregnancy hormones, you don't think about what happens when they out grow the bucket seat.  One thing you learn over, and over, and over again is NEVER, NEVER put your child in their car seat in their winter coat.  Because in a car crash, the layers of clothes compress to equal one layer and they may slip out of the restrains.  That's not good.

Now it is around 20 degrees out in the morning and I have to get my child from building to car and back while making sure he doesn't get to cold.  Initially I kept his fall coat on and gave him a hat and once in the car he would wrap his real winter coat around his body.  When we get out of the car, I unbuckle him then "try" to put his winter coat on backwards as we run like mad into the building we were heading to.  However, most of the time he is wiggling too much for me to get his coat on and we typically end up with just the fall coat on.  Today I put on Elijah's snow pants and the fall coat over that so at least he has some warmth around his midsection, but I don't think I could get the car seat straps tight enough. 

Oh and mittens.  Elijah thinks they are funny and will wear them for about 5 -10 minutes or until you are driving.  He then takes the off and chucks them when you are not looking and when you go to get him out of the seat you can only find one.  

When I ask what to do, people tell me just to wrap them in a blanket and run, but have you ever tried to carry a toddler while wearing your winter coat, carrying a huge purse and wearing mittens.  Do I risk the possibility that I get in a car accident and put Eli in his car seat while wearing his coat, or do I just freeze my child until March?  AHHHHH