Chalk and Cheese Chronicles

Evolution of a Mom Bag

My longtime friend Lisa and I carry identical backpacks. I'm sure she wouldn't exactly disagree that although we both aspire to be minimally fashionable, we sometimes fail miserably (well, I probably should speak for myself), our sense of practicality trumping our sense of fashion. We know that we look like side-by-side dorks when we're out together, marching into a coffee shop in our mom uniforms of matching brown backpacks and comfortable workout clothes. We've tried out other backpacks, purses and such, but we always go back to our matching backpacks, back to the tried and true. And when we do, it can get confusing. Sometimes, I will run off with her backpack thinking it's mine; other times, she will rifle through mine looking for something of hers (usually her wallet or cell phone). Look closely, however, and all is not the same. While she prefers to toss her wallet into the depths of the roomy main compartment, I prefer to slip mine into the discreet zippered pocket along the back panel. But we agree that the smaller, outer pocket is the ideal place to keep our lipsticks close at hand. We know what's important here.

When I was a new mom nervously venturing out with two babies, I'd gone the sylish route, accessorizing my double stroller with diaper bags by Fleureville or Skip*Hop. I eschewed what I deemed to be an ordinary diaper bag. I knew I wasn't a cool mom, but thought a cool looking diaper bag might be a step in that direction. I even purchased a Baby Sherpa diaper bag which, with its pockets within pockets, had me hoping I'd be soon be zipping my way to an organized life. However, all of these bags just didn't work for me as a mom of twins. Most diaper bags are made to house the travel essentials of just one baby, not two. If a mom of a singleton carried two changes of clothes for her baby, I needed four changes and so on. These bags simply didn't work for me as a mom of twins. Besides, I could never get the straps of those diaper bags to stretch the length between the handlebars of my double stroller. I always had to hang it lamely off just one side.

Still Luggin Around My Stroller

"Those are some BIG babies!" comments a passerby, casting a curious eye at the big boys stuffed into my stroller. "Ohhhhh, I see you've brought your stroller, " observes a strollerless twin mom friend of mine, as if to say, "Ah ha - caught ya!" Enough already. Yes, I've brought along my stroller. Yes, it still sometimes carries my two 3-year-olds. Yes, my kids are kind of big for their age.

This history of how I used my stroller isn't an extraordinary one. I did what you all did: stashed it full of diapers and wipes, cheerios and sippy cups, toys and the kitchen sink. I ventured out solo, just me and my boys. Having a stroller liberated me, freed me up to explore exotic places like Target and our neighborhood Starbucks. Have stroller, will travel (but not far)!