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carry, \\re11, a baby. Despite
rcgr-rlar clcanings. it :rill crrrirr
puzzle, and a pencil case with
crayons, blank paper and
r slighrly prmgcnr odorrr fi-om
the time I let
a
long-forgotten
Hauling all this on my
back leaves nre free to carry
within its depths.
I
i
chose a knapsack because
as he
was to a more traditional
pink
Me1, uses a small gym bag to
l,rg around stuff for her three
,+r
Hi
dorv blinds can be dangerous? So, I no longer carry a
ffil
the diaper bag has
become the repository of nry
fl.
personal effects, narnely a
lvallet, comb, cheque book,
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il;
t
ill
and two tubes of lipstick.
kids. An office colleague
ll
Come to think of it, isnt
the diaper bag really an evo*
sports a trendy black leather
And then, just the other
I sarv a rnagazine ad for zebra-print diaper bags, also avail_
able in cheetah (to match those angora baby blankets and velday,
vet bibs, I suppose).
It
&i
a
pr.rrse and
or blue diaper bag. My friend,
knapsack for her minimalist baby gear.
have left to hang
rhink rhosc cords on rvin-
my husband wasnt
to carrying it
Id
purse is rnv rreck-and you
it leaves both hands free and
as averse
gi
pleschoolert hand. The only
place
there are shades ofplaydough.
becar-rse
ffi1
the baby and hold my
There are as n-Lany difTerent types of diaper bags as
I
ffii
sun screen.
leaky black banana stew
I
ffi
Hr
seems the more items
lution of the purse? Both provide the means ro ger you orlr
of trickyjams. With a purse, you could extract a hairpin to fix
a car ensine ifyouie stranded; with a diaper bag you could
lay enough rail track to get to the nearest enlergency clepart_
you carry in your diaper bag, the
more of a type A personality you are, prone to hyperparent_
ment in a flash. As my hr,rsband likes to
ing and over-responding to your kids'needs. I conGss: I ftll into
this category One-upping the Boy Scouts, I take pride in being
be carrying.
overprepared. In fact, I sufl6r from diaper bag anxiety-the Gar
that even though Ive packed half my household into the bag,
I r,vill one day find nryself without rhe pin that holds the ur.ri_
verse together: my baby's soother.
I typically lug around more than 40 items in my
bag for
lrry two girls, aged three and six months. Herels an invcntorr,:
five diapers, one fully loaded pack of wipes (hey, if m,v kid is
packing, I'd better be too), trvo bibs, two baby bottles filled
rvith water, one can of formr-rla, two soothers, three plastic
bags (for tucking away stinky diapers), diaper ointment, baby
powcler, trvo complete changes of clothing (socks, shirts and
pants), two jr-rice boxes, a diaper changing pad, a plastic con_
tainer olassorted treats, another with baby cereal, a couple of
rattles, a teething rirrg, rlvo Farleyt Biscr-rits, a mini jigs.rrv
sa\r,
never threaten
1i
,li
-it
Fgll
E#
a
woman with a diaper bag-you never knorv r,vhat she might
tit
tIt
One of the unexplained nr.sreries of diaper bags is that the
amount of stutTyou carL\r seelns to be in inverse proportion
to the number of kids you haye. Mv neighbour Lori has three
$il1
kids under fir'e br:t nranages to zip out the door with.lust r cou_
ple ofdiapels tucked in a back pocket and a baby bottle in her
purse. I adnrire her breezy approach.
$rll
Hlll
Belore I had kids, getting out of the house fast wzrs a snap.
Norv there's not only laces, zippers and the ritr_ral foraging for
hats and n'ritts to contend with, but also the compr_rlsive check_
ing and restocking of the diaper bag. Sometimes I wistfully
yearn for a tirne a few years hence r,vhen the kids will fly out
the door without me, coats open to the wind, and l,ll be
watching, free of all this baby gear.
I knorv my days of beine so encumbered are nurnbered.
$ll
M.yb.
that's r.vhy it's a load I gladty cxry. Zl
Blri
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