Enough is Enough

I met my friend Amber the other day. Her kids are toddlers, mine are pre-schoolers. Hers are still in car seats. Mine fell out and spun into motion like I was driving a clown car. Hers need diapers; mine have only recently stopped dropping their drawers and peeing wherever and whenever the mood strikes them. Instead, we now have to brave the public bathrooms, where they like to touch everything.

So Amber says to me, "Your bag is so small", as she straps on the saddle bags required to take twins anywhere. I say, "yea, you'll get there someday too." I meant that she won't always have a pending crisis caused by the missing critical item. Today, I realized that that is only because I don't really prepare. I have convinced myself that I have only a very very short list of things that must be with me. On our way out of the house today, I gave that a second thought. And this is how it went: "I'll bring snacks - nah they'll be fine till we get home. Ooooo, juice. Two boxs - check. What if they need band aids? What?? We aren't going spelunking!" I rattled down through:

• snacks,
  
• wipes,
  
• clean clothes,
  
• a plastic bag for whatever caused me to need spare clothes,
  
• band-aids,
  
• antibacterial ointment, (if it requires a band-aid, it'll be dirty)
  
• children's tylenol, (if it requires a band-aid, it's going to hurt)
  
• my check book,
  
• a Body Shop catalog, (always prepared)
• my datebook, (somebody might want to book a GNO)
• business cards, (ibid)
  
• camera, (they might be cute)
  
• a tampon, (nice girls look out for each other and mom's always forget stuff for themselves)
• eyedrops (in case I get something in my contacts)

All of these things have a purpose and probably could have seen some use on this outing or the next. They all got nixed. Instead, I went with lip gloss, cell phone and two juice boxes. I did throw in animal crackers at the last minute but only because I want back in for my traveler of coffee.