Survival Kit 101

Despite the fact that it is Wednesday, a holiday is almost upon us, and most people are struggling with some form of cold or nasty virus....it is time for a little reader input, my friends.

Yesterday as I entered hour number TWO at my pediatrician's office (not the normal wait time there, but apparently the staff was dealing with a very sick newborn) I became painfully aware that not everyone knows the ins-and-outs of packing a suitable bag for an outing with their child.

For instance, the nice father whose eleven month old daughter was playing with my children as we waited...and waited...merely brought in his credit card and car keys. (He also brought in a very excited spirit of how he was "Mr. Mom" for the day, tending to a sick child. He listed off about twenty things he planned to accomplish that afternoon while serving as the mom, which ranged from grocery shopping to car washing to stopping by the clothing donation bin. I smiled politely, knowing that such hopes would all die a painful death as he weakly crawled into bed later that evening with only an 1/8 of his tasks accomplished.) He was rapidly approaching hour three of his wait time. Despite her seemingly sweet nature, his daughter was quickly reaching meltdown stage. He kept promising her a cheeseburger upon their departure in hopes of maintaining composure, but she was almost inconsolable. As I passed her some Cheerios and a play key chain, I questioned out loud if it was possibly about to be her naptime citing it was time for my own children's naps. The father genuinely asked, "Do you think she takes naps? I am not sure if she does that anymore." Oh dear.

Before I attempt to remove the Cheerio from one man's eye before removing the large teething biscuit from my own, let me say that I have been ill-equipped in many a situation. When Isaac was a newborn I was so busy toting around spare changes of clothes for a child who rarely soiled his diaper when awake and countless unused pacifiers, I often left behind toys to occupy him or something for him to snack on as he rode in the Target shopping cart. It only took a few unprepared moments for me to realize that if I planned on surviving this stage of Mommyhood, I needed supplies.

Here's what I have in my diaper bag 24/7:

*Two sippy cups that are correctly labeled for each child (it only takes one meltdown regarding, "Baby Evelyn has my cup" to realize that accurately distinguishable sippy cups are a must). I leave the house with these full, however I always know I can find a restroom and refill them with tap water.

*Extra bottle filled with warm water and 2 to 3 extra servings of powdered formula for Evelyn

*Snacks. I always carry dry cereal or Gerber Fruit Puffs in my bag. I usually have a sealed fruit cup thrown in as well in case we end up eating at an establishment that Isaac is not terribly crazy about.

*Two diapers per child. (although Evelyn could technically wear Isaac's.... because, have I mentioned how TALL she is?)

*Wet wipes

*Books (Typically board books due to their almost indestructible nature)

*Crayons

*Coloring book/small notebook (Sometimes the coloring book gets left behind due to space issues, however a beaten up notebook is always present)

*Sheet of cheap stickers

*Some random kid's meal toy that never sees the light of day except in situations such as these

*Travel size magna-doodle or viewmaster....again, random toys that never see daylight except in "crisis"

*Bib

*Old burp cloth (as opposed to the pretty ones reserved for church and MOPS)

*Wallet, car keys, a good lipstick (one that can brighten up the most haggard of faces), and compact mirror (never underestimate the power that is the compact mirror...one of mine completely entertained Isaac for a hour long flight when he was about seven months old)

Now, it's your turn to share with the rest of us in order for us all to be prepared in such times of need. What do you lug around in your bag for such times of crisis? What diaper bag do you just completely love right now?

(*By the way, I feel the need to share the fact that I do not have a diaper bag on wheels to haul all this junk around. I often have many "helping" hands willing to smush everything down into a small, orderly mess.)

(*I also feel the need to mention that both kids are not deathly ill. E. has a nasty cold and cough due to allergies and Isaac is simply struggling with his allergies as well. Never before have we had so much yuckiness. I will be incredibly glad when this "Worst Allergy Season in Ten Years" passes before we really do have to move to Vermont simply to stay well.)