The Bag

Here it sat. All summer long in the corner of the front hall. We dragged it to the pool, to the tennis courts, to baseball games, to swim lessons, to Shakespeare in the park. Every night I unpacked and repacked: sunscreen, bug spray, sidewalk chalk, bubble wands, snacks, diapers, wipes, picnic blankets, bandaids, crumbs, tissues for bloody noses, matchbox cars, sippy cups. This bag more than anything else makes me think of summer. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love that we get to do so many activities in the summer, but by about mid-July I am sick of the bag. I am sick of trying to think of something new to entertain younger siblings at baseball games, I am sick of dumping crumbs from granola bars out, I am sick of sun screen and bug spray. By August I am always glad to put the bag away for another year.