A Lesson in Appreciation

My daughter adores the board book Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? She loves it so much that I read it to her every night, multiple times, and she never tires of it. In fact, she looks at it longingly when I put it back onto her bookcase prior to laying her in her crib at night. I’m always amazed by her concentration and interest in this colorful book, and I cherish seeing the light bulb of understanding that appears so magnificently across her face when she comprehends something.

My son does the same thing, but his concentration is followed by asking many, many questions. While there are days when I could do without the 20 questions or in his case 30 questions, I enjoy knowing that he is asking these questions with the goal of fully understanding the story. He is at that age where he truly wants to identify all the happenings around him, and as a result, he keeps me on my toes.

Watching my children learning, developing, and understanding the world that they live in is one of my greatest delights! It is fascinating, impressive, and exciting all at the same time. It makes me imagine all of their lives’ possibilities. The possibilities of what they will become, what will inspire them, and what the world will look like when they’re my age.

It is these quite times, snuggled in a soft chair reading a book or telling an imaginary story together, that I enjoy above all else. There is something so profoundly special about the opportunity to pensively witness your child’s development. To silently see their imaginations blossom and their perspectives deepen is truly a gift to observe.

Perhaps, this is why I appreciate the quite times: In those peaceful minutes, I have a moment to breathe, listen and focus on the amazing transformations that my children are experiencing every day. It gives me a glimpse into their subconscious, a peek at their future, and a glance at their potential. It fills me with pride. It makes me remember and acknowledge how blessed I am to have these little miracles in my life. It gives me an instant to appreciate the many ways in which my children enrich me. It is a reward that I believe all parents can appreciate and understand. As one of our friends recently said, “Parenthood: what spectacular ride!” I couldn’t agree more.

Embrace Your MOMentum

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Conquering The Bag Lady

Pick any given day and I’m taking my little ones to the doctor’s office, the park, the zoo, or a whole host of other places. That’s just the way it is when you’re a mom of more than one child. You spend a lot of time driving your loves from point A to point B.

I don’t mind the driving, in fact, there are times when I enjoy it, but I do mind the constant transporting of multiple bags from one destination to the next. And it is no wonder, when I think of the numerous items that I have to carry from place to place.

Bag #1 – The On-the-Go Food Bag – I can’t leave the house without at least having some string cheese, crackers, fruit, and water or juice for the kids. On the off chance that I do, I’m always sorry, as hunger and/or thirst strikes my babes at the most inopportune times and virtually always ends in the dreaded meltdown.

Bag #2 – The Essential Items Bag– Invariably, I need a bag for carrying the essentials: extra clothes, diapers, sanitary wipes, Kleenex, toys and anything else that I think I will need. This bag is always overflowing and the most unruly of the lot.

Bag #3 – The Work Bag – Working outside the home means that I often need to carry my iPad or laptop when I’m out and about with my children. Plus, it’s great for entertaining my children while waiting at the doctor’s office, etc. On those days, which occur more often than not, I have to carry yet another bag!

Bag #4 – My Purse - Finally, I carry my purse which while not gigantic, is still one more bag.

So there I stand with my children in hand, and 3-4 bags on my shoulder which makes me look ridiculous, feel quite uncomfortable, and become essentially immobile. It is then that I can’t help but focus on my dismay at being, once again, the perpetual “Bag Lady.”

Fortunately, it was this feeling amongst others that led me to create and produce the Devyn Bag. One evening I looked at the slew of non-functional bags that I owned and asked myself: “If I could make one bag that took the best features from each of these bags, what would it look like?” Then, I grabbed a piece of paper and pencil and I started drawing the “perfect bag.” I didn’t hold back. I eliminated all the worthless stuff and focused on everything that I loved. I created aspects that didn’t exist or that I had never seen before in a bag. It was fun. At the end, I said to myself, I HAVE to create this bag!

Today, I carry only one bag – my bag – the Devyn Bag! I’ve turned my back on the Bag Lady of yesteryear, and I’m the proud owner of the most versatile and stylish bag I’ve ever owned. The best part is that now moms everywhere can forever be free of the Bag Lady.

Embrace Your MOMentum

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Tackling Tough Topics with Toddlers

My son’s 3D glasses are a few sizes too big, and the popcorn bag in his lap eclipses his legs, but the gigantic smile on his face, as he eagerly anticipates his first movie theatre experience, is nothing short of priceless. To me, there is nothing more spectacular than seeing the undeniable look of pure joy on your children’s faces, and I was enjoying every minute of it!

For weeks, we had been discussing taking our son to the Disney Pixar’s Cars 2 movie. After all, he has virtually every car from the original movie (with the exception of the fire truck which he reminds me about daily), and he’s a BIG fan of Lighting McQueen. My son was over the moon with excitement, and in truth, we were equally eager by the prospect of seeing the sequel to one of the few blissfully benign children’s movies ever produced – Cars 1. We loved the message of the original movie, and the fact “the villain,”, Chick Hicks, is quite tame in comparison to most.

Our joy evaporated quickly as the movie began, and we were subjected to the 007 theme and hijacking of the beautifully simplistic original story. Don’t get me wrong, I like a twist as much as the next guy, but Cars 2 seemed to leave the art of storytelling behind and instead focus on the dread and dramatic. We were subjected to racecars being burned and killed on the racetrack along with other disturbing details. Nonetheless, we left the movie unscathed albeit disappointed.

That was until my son started telling me and others that he was “going to “kill” us” as he re-enacted scenes from the movie. Of course, I would have to address the notion of death with my son eventually, but it was not my intent to address it at the ripe age of 3 years old. Moreover, killing is a bit more complicated to explain than just death.

“I’m going to kill you!” my son said. “We don’t use that word in our house,” I said sternly to my son. “Why?” my son asked. “Because, killing someone is wrong.” “But why?” he asked again earnestly. On and on this went, until my son let me off the hook, so-to-speak, by getting focused on something else (thankfully!). Nonetheless, the fact remains that I will need to readdress “killing” soon. When that day comes I will, undoubtedly, struggle to explains some of life’s cruelties to my sweet little man.

Now I certainly understand that some parents may view my utter dissatisfaction with Cars 2 as being overly protective of my son, and perhaps, that is accurate. Still, the truth is, I would like to preserve the innocence that accompanies childhood for as long as possible. If I had my druthers, I’d prefer for him to remain in a world where people are generally safe - where death isn’t lurking around the racetrack, and where cartoon cars get their kicks out of cow-tipping trackers. That’s the kind of world that I want my young son to see on the big screen.

Embrace your MOMentum

If you'd like to share your story, email us at info@thedevynbag.com