Momy’s Guide to Running Errands with a Toddler & Infant in Tow

Mommy has been mommy to both of us for all of almost 4 months, so *obviously* she’s an expert now; here’s her how-to’s for schlepping the two of us around:

1. Wake up and prepare for the day: Make your plan. {Pick up prescription @ CVS, get hand-me-downs from friend, get basket for living room odds & ends from Home Goods, do recon @ A. C. Moore for crafty ideas for birthday party, pick up dog treats from Petsmart, drop overdue birthday gift off at the post office.}
2. Feed, change, and dress Lulu.  Feed, change, and dress Cole.  Pump.
3. Feed and change Lulu again.
4. Refill the essentials in the diaper bag.
5. Change Lulu again.
6. Chase Cole around the living room and wrestle him into shoes and a sweatshirt.
7. Put Henry in his crate, put Lulu in her ring sling, grab the diaper bag and the car keys, and head for the door.
8. Smell something. Put diaper bag down, put Lulu in the bouncy seat, and change Cole again.
9. Put Lulu in her ring sling, grab the diaper bag and the car keys, and head for the door.
10. Try to convince Cole to walk down the stairs like a big boy, but instead give in and throw him into the structured carrier on your back.
11. Leave the house.
12. Drive to CVS and decide to schlep both kids inside rather than just going through the drive thru because you need a new mascara in addition to the prescription pick up.
13. Wait in line for 10 minutes and curse whoever decided to put the sunglass display right next to the pharmacy counter.  Repeatedly replace the same 3 pairs of “sunny day glasses” and convince the toddler that he doesn’t actually *need* them. Get the best deal for sunglasses display case and bring it with you.
14. Juggle infant, toddler’s hand, diaper bag, and wallet to pay for prescription,
15. Forget to buy the mascara.
16. Drive to friend’s house and park in her driveway.  Leave the kids in the car and grab the hand-me-down bags from the garage.
17. Decide to forego Home Goods for the day rather than drag both kids in for just one item.
18. Decide that the birthday party is still several months away and there is no need to hit the crafts store today.
19. Head into Petsmart.  Feed Lulu and follow toddler as he visits fishies! Big lizards! Birds! Kitty cats! Let him carry the dog treats and wait as he pretends to be a cat and plays with the cat toys.  Allow him to pick out present for Henry.
20. Do your infant-toddler-wallet-diaper bag-store rewards card juggling act again, and allow the toddler to carry the bag.
21. Hold his hand in the parking lot.
22. Drive home and find the baby has fallen asleep in the car on the way home.  Put the prescription in the same bag as the dog treats and hand it to Cole to carry, even though he protests that it is too heavy.  Take the whole infant bucket out of the car, and grab the diaper bag and one (of four) bags of hand-me-downs.  Think to yourself that this is why your car looks like someone lives in it as you glance at the 3 bags you are leaving behind.  Hold Cole’s hand and balance the bucket on your knee for a second to lock the car (resources from Master Locksmith of New Orleans).
23. Get halfway up the walkway to home and remember the post office. Decide it will wait another day.
24. Put infant, bucket and all, in her crib, and make lunch for you and the toddler. Collapse on the couch and hope that today is a day that he naps.