If you ever wonder how a busy mom of 7 makes it through her day without having to be committed, here's a look into my fabulous
bag of tricks...First of all, there are several things that I keep in the back of my car and
never leave home without... I always have a double stroller, and even though I would
love quit carrying it because it's so heavy and bulky, I can't tell you how many times it's come in handy. My kids are so used to travelling during the day due to all our activities, that they easily fall asleep in the car and even transfer from car to stroller and back to car without ever waking up. There are times when I push a stroller and pull a shopping cart- it's nice to have options. I also still carry 2 diaper bags in the car at all times. I have a complete change of clothes for BOTH boys ( to include an extra pair of socks) as well as diapers, wipes, cream, medicines, cups, pacifiers, snacks, and a few toys and small books! I do drive a suburban, and you can see how full it is with the necessities, but if I buy groceries, I simply stand the stroller up and fold the seats down ( I don't usually have all the kids in the car at once!).
And this is one of
the best inventions ever!! This is one of my two Buggy Baggs, designed for the shopping cart seats in stores. There are lots of different brands out there, but I really love this specific one because it comes with a detatchable pillow and is much more padded than others I have tried! You used to have to order them on-line, but I did get my second one at
Babies R Us. 
And I
always have extra blankets in the car- at least one baby blanket and then someting for the kids to sit on if we are at a game or the park. The baby blankets are great for shielding from the sun, wind, cold and rain!
This next picture is so funny, but it's a
great example of why I like to be prepared! Normally, when I go to the store, I need 2 carts. Partly due to the fact that I always seem to have to buy so much, and partly due to the fact that I still like to keep Matthew
restrained! And these cart covers make it that much harder for Matthew to get out of his seat! On this particular day, we went to the store after lunch and both boys fell asleep as we shopped. Thanks to my great
Buggy Baggs, I was able to lay the boys down on their own personal pillows so they could nap comfortably as I shopped! Unfortunately, this doesn't happen often, but I am
prepared when it does!! And you can't see it in this picture, but their feet just hang over the sides. If you try this, just be sure to watch their feet- if you get too close to a shelf, their feet will take out half the stuff on it! Also, I have bent their feet several times when I've taken a corner too close- oops!
And here are several of the items that I am sure to have in my purse
at all times! Obviously, being a mom of 7, I am always sure to have some form of a strong pain-reliever in my bag--you know, for
all those pains in my neck...! And how often do you need a bandaid when you're out?! Well, we may use more than the average family, but I can't tell you how many times I have come to the aid of
other mommies who are caught without a bandaid!
As far as the
pain-relievers, I don't prefer one specific brand over the other- anything will do, although I do stick with some form of ibuprofen. I do
always take 3 pills however- there's nothing like 600mg to get the job done!!
And if you have kids, then you
know how often a quarter comes in handy! From gumball machines to horsey rides to
slot machines... just kidding, of course I don't let my kids gamble! But sometimes I
do feel as if I'm gambling my quarters away! The kids will come and beg for quarters and when they return and I ask them to show me their loot, they smile and proudly display a hard green piece of plastic that vaguely resembles a frog and is supposed to fly through the air when you push its back- WOWWWWW! Now
that's value!!!
And although I'm not a big germ-freak, and definitely have no problem letting my kids eat things that have fallen on the floor (
hey, it does build their immune systems!), I always have some antibac in my purse. You see, we use it in place of washing our hands in the restroom so that we can avoid getting completely soaked and having to do a clothing change- this saves us time and laundry;-)
A calculator is another must! Great for figuring out tips-
I'm not so great at math- or for entertaining your toddler! LOTS and LOTS of buttons, plus they can't call China like they can on your cell phone...
And since we have 7 kids, we always need lots of pens! When
one wants to draw, you can surely bet that
they will all want to draw!!
And of course, they need something to draw on- something
besides the checks in your checkbook.
Yes, in moments of desperation, I have used checks before....! Isn't it funny how you'll give your kids
anything sometimes just to shut them up? Like when you're trying to sign the paperwork to buy your house and they're crying and you say
here honey, here's my purse, do anything you want, but do it quietly please.....!!
OK- pay attention, cuz this is a
biggie! All kids love gum! And if you want to bribe them- did I just say that? I would
never bribe my kids!- this is one of the BEST ways! And it doesn't matter what kind of gum you give them either-
trust me, they are not picky!!!
If you're short on the gum, then here's a good alternative! Mints are great for most ages, although I do try to avoid giving them to my kids under age 2!
But I rarely need to worry about being short on treats..... you see, I have the answer to every stressed-out-mommy's-frustrations! The BEST trick of them all! The one that I should be ashamed of, but could really care less because it works so darn well!! The one that I really should think twice about before pulling out at the doctor or dentist offices! But
really, I just don't care! Because when it comes down to my sanity v. possible tooth-decay or sugar-highs,
I'll take my sanity any day!!!! And here it is.... the worn out ziploc bag of candy that I
NEVER leave home without!
And
no, I am NOT ashamed!!! I have learned over the years that you do what you have to do to survive sometimes. I'm sure that some will shun my methods, but I am here to tell you that, more often than not, I am praised for having such well-behaved and wonderful children when I'm out in public! I can take all 7 of my children to any restaurant out there and, thanks to my bag of tricks, actually
enjoy a meal with my wonderful family-
even if all the kids are eating is candy! Be sure to leave me a comment and share some of your tricks! I'm always open to new ideas!!
Josh has been practicing since January and has worked hard to earn his recorder belts- little pieces of colored string that the kids earn when once they learn a song. 
The musicians did a really good job, and the concert was over fairly quickly (after just 4 songs), but Matthew really didn't care- he was much more obsessed with picking at my feet...
Gee, do you think it's time for a pedicure when your 3 yr-old notices how awful your feet look?!?
Well, I wouldn't know since I don't get pedicures, but Matthew seems to think I should do something about my feet! As for the rest of the kids- they were fortunate enough to get to attend the concert since all their activities were cancelled due to bad weather! And after listening to Josh practice at home day in and day out, they just couldn't contain their excitement about the upcoming event! 
Sophie was especially thankful to be spending her time supporting her brother in his 4th grade rite-of-passage....
And Noah simply can't wait until he gets old enough to tackle the complicated fingering of the recorder...
Emily thought the music was simply marvelous, especially when it was accompanied by some background music being played on a CD... and Sophie was trying hard to contain her emotions...
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