remARKable friends

I just LOVE the Sunday School curriculum that our church uses. It's very engaging and really speaks to the children on their level. My boys usually talk about their Sunday School lesson all week! 

Did you know that Grow, Proclaim, Serve has a website with tons of useful information for parents? For example, a recent article - The Running of the Boys - really spoke to me... on my level!
It's a great article, and I think you'll find some good ideas in there. I'd like to offer up a few of my thoughts after reading it... 
The spare set of clothes... I wouldn't stop at just packing them for each "young" child. Children spill, get sweaty, and fall down. We could also say that some older children do not handle dental impressions very well, and extra clothes would be super helpful. A spare set for each child is just a good idea. 
Baby wipes are your best friend... even when they aren't babies anymore.
We do have a small stash of "special toys," and I didn't go out to purchase them. You know all those delightful toys that come with the kid-meals when you have to hit the drive-thru? After my boys have their three seconds of fun with the chunk of plastic they "needed," I throw them into an old, spare diaper bag. The bag stays in the van until it is needed for a long car ride, T-Ball game, etc. If something gets left behind... oh, well.
If I loaded everything on the Be Prepared list into the minivan, I might not have room for the kids! An old towel can not only perform it's usual job, but can also stand in for a blanket, pillow, and picnic blanket if needed. And if I stopped to pack a cooler each time we headed out, we would never make it anywhere. For longer trips, a small water bottle is sufficient... most places have drinking fountains if you are just running errands. For my traveling snacks, I've found that the squeezie-fruit-pouch-thingies (next to the fruit cups in the grocery store) are awesome. They aren't messy (unless your kids "get creative") and they don't make the kiddos thirsty. Plus, they don't turn into a crumbly mess at the bottom of your purse.
Something I keep in my minivan at all times: a giant Cooler Bag. It folds flat and stays out of the way, and keeps groceries cold for a long time. I've used it so many times (in fact, it needs to be replaced right now)! Why? Stopping for a few more errands I forgot about, or pulling over and watching some neat construction equipment, or the kiddos have been super fabulous all day and I wanted to stop at the park we were driving past.

One last comment... Grow, Proclaim, Serve also has a free App. It's very handy to have the videos, music, and scripture from the recent Sunday School lessons while we're "on the go."
If you have any super "on the go" tips for parents, please feel free to leave a comment. God be with you!  :}