Mommy's Goody Bag

Would you happen to know what "Mommy's Goody Bag" is? Do you have a "goody bag"? It's not a big bag full of tasty goodies or anything. Nope, my goody bag is something different. You see, I have always been involved in something. The MOMS Club,, our church's moms group, MOPS, story times, playgroups, etc, etc, etc...Until one day, I had a child old enough to start sports. We started off with soccer. We were also in school now. A slight life changing event. No more off season trips to NY for 3 weeks for me and the kids, a new schedule evolved for sure and some of the spontaneous stuff went out the window.

Another baby in the house and one more in preschool and we were in full swing at the baseball fields by this point. Why we switched to baseball from soccer is still a bit unclear to me. I think we wanted to try something different and somehow it stuck. I'm really not sure. We've tried to get the kids into soccer more than a few times and no one was willing. But, I'm rambling now....

Move ahead a couple of more years, another baby and one more on the baseball field and now you're talking craziness. I think that I started to feel busy and overwhelmed and well always behind on certain things by the time I had #4, but well....#5 took me over the edge. And, we were ALWAYS out and about. Not in the sense of MOMS Club, St. Anne's or story times or things like that, but rather at the baseball (and softball field at this point), kids' school events, parties, and the like.

Fast forward to #6 being born. Life has gotten busier and crazier and more chaotic than ever. A baby doesn't really have too much affect on family life....they're so darn mobile when they're still infants. But...as they grow, they become their own person and they too become busy and involved in things. Now that he is 2 1/2, we have golf lessons (and for a while there, the after school theater program, which ran for about a month), another one in volleyball, softball and physical therapy twice a week, B in baseball and track and G in softball. Never mind all the parties, after school events, friends houses, play dates and school projects. Add doctor/dentist appointments, grocery shopping, household and event shopping into the picture and well, you get the picture.

Al and A get toted along everywhere! I mean everywhere!! All over town. We are constantly out and about and I seem to have to force special time in for them. Whether it be special play time at home, at a park or playground or whatever. Soooo.....since they are a very busy 2 1/2 year old and 4 year old, in comes the goody bag. No, not the diaper bag. The goody bag!

What's in the goody bag you ask? What's it purpose? Well, there are all kinds of things in there: things like coloring books and crayons, maybe a color wonder book with markers, a few books to read, some matchbox cars, dinosaurs, some small electronic games we got from McDonald's a few years back. All kinds of hidden treasures that are ONLY played with when Mommy breaks out her goody bag. The items get updated every once in a while, so ya never know what is going to come out of the bag. Not quite like Mary Poppins' bag, but pretty darn close, I'd say! This bag is Mommy's sanity saver....and is off limits at all times, until of course Mommy makes the executive decision that it is time for it to come out. Sometimes, Mommy even has 2, yes you read that right, two, goody bags. An extra one with some snacks and drinks in it! Ooooh, aaaahhhh, because guess what....those snacks and drinks might even be something special like a juice box or even a cookie or fruit snack. Double oooh, aaahhh!

So, when they get bored, antsy, and just a bit crazy from having to follow around 4 older siblings ALL. DAY. LONG!! I know it's time to break out the ol' goody bag and find something to entertain them with. OK, maybe it's not special playtime at home or a fun playground, but hey, it's still something special. Just because it's different. And, hey, anything called a goody bag has got to be "good"!