Systems

I'm a systems person - in my work, and in my home - it's just who I am. I think it's important to let some aspects of life unfold organically, and I truly value taking time to cherish moments and processes (not just end products) - which is part of why I started blipping - but be that as it may, I find comfort in routines and organization, and I'm forever coming up with various charts, lists, and systems to accomplish things.

Which is why today, I dug my old Haiku bag out of a closet. I used this bag as a hybrid purse/diaper bag when I was a stay-at-home-mom to a preschooler and a toddler. I love it - it's fairly stylish, yet lined in a wipe-off vinyl, and it has two side pockets the perfect size for sippy cups. However, once E was reliably potty-trained and once I returned to work, I slowly stopped using this bag and it was retired to my closet. I can fit what I need for a short outing in my purse at this point, and when we go on longer outings, we're usually packing a backpack and/or a cooler, so it outgrew its usefulness.

Lately, though, I've realized that, with a busy school-ager and preschooler and lots of activities, it would be pretty handy to have some staple supplies at hand. For example, A currently takes piano lessons and is about to start gymnastics, during which E and I sit on the sidelines and watch/wait. In a few weeks, E begins the next session of swim lessons, and for the first time, A will be sitting on the sidelines with me. (Now that she's an excellent swimmer and very water-safe, I made it her choice whether or not to progress to the next level of lessons, and she chose not.) Occasionally, like with E beginning speech therapy during a time A is in school, I even find myself twiddling my thumbs (or obsessively staring at my BlackBerry, which doesn't seem like the best way to spend the unexpected gift of free time). In those instances I'm often wondering why I didn't bring a book or magazine of my own along!

Enter the rebirth of the Haiku bag. Today I stocked it with a pad of paper, some crayons, a sticker book, a Tupperware of goldfish crackers, a water bottle, a couple of Matchbox cars, A's gymnastics leotard, E's speech notes, and yes, even a paperback novel for myself. There's enough space left for the piano book on lesson days, and A's homework folder when it's her turn to sit on the sidelines. No longer a diaper bag . . . now it's our extracurricular bag, I suppose.

And so life, and motherhood, continues to evolve.

Tonight we drove across the border to share a pizza dinner with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law - our farewell to the Virginians as they depart after a lovely, extra long holiday visit. It actually would have been the perfect occasion to christen the contents of the extracurricular bag - had I remembered to put it in the car. Luckily, the kids had plenty of adult attention plus my brilliant sister-in-law had paper and a pen in her purse (she's totally ready for motherhood, y'all - she even totes around hand sanitizer in there!) Oh, and the pizza joint's candy crane plus $2 in quarters provided some entertainment, too.

This pizza party farewell seemed blip-worthy, but I didn't pack my camera because I thought it would make me too sad. I'd rather just look back on the many blips these last few weeks where we got to enjoy so much special time with them. I miss them already.

Oh, and the timer? Yes, another system. If, in this case, "system" can be the code word for "my unveiled attempt to help A monitor her own piano practice and reading time, and thus cut the whining." We'll see how that goes.