Out and About--or Not

Before I had kids I always just assumed that when I did, I would frequently, or at least occasionally, be using the diaper changing stations in restaurant and mall restrooms. As it turns out, not so much. As I was packing the diaper bag yesterday before heading out to run some errands, it occured to me that I almost never need to do that. I think I did once or twice in the early days, and I remember changing them in the back of the SUV in a Target parking lot after church one Sunday, but for the most part we are never gone long enough to necessitate a public diaper change. Breakfast is usually around 8:00 and lunch is at 11:00 (in order to squeeze it in before nap time) so if we go anywhere in the morning, which is rare because I usually like to work out and shower during this time, we can't leave until 9:00 or 9:30 and we have to be back by 11:00. Sure we could have our lunch while we're out, but then they'd fall asleep in the car right after and usually when that happens right around nap time they won't just go straight back to sleep once we're home which messes up the rest of the day. On the other hand, if we go somewhere after nap, the earliest we manage to leave the house is around 3:00, sometimes not until 4:00. I typically need to be back home by 5:00 or 5:30 to start dinner so again, we have a very small window. I know there are tons of moms out there who are out and about all the time and using diaper changing stations all over the place and while I never gave it a second thought before, now it makes me wonder how they manage to work around their child(ren)'s nap schedules (although just because someone is changing their baby's diaper in a mall restroom doesn't necessarily mean they've been out and about for hours, I realize). And, of course, when they're really little they can sleep in the stroller. Older kids can too, for that matter but not for 2 1/2 or 3 hours, which is how long my girls sometimes nap.

Anyway, it was just an interested observation I made yesterday. I really think my girls will go through their entire diaper-wearing years having very rarely been changed in a public restroom. Weird.