Risky Business

We had a good day today. We got all dressed in our green and went to the park. The twins wore matching St. Paddy's shirts--so cute. They changed the park for playgroup so we were at the wrong park, but oh well. A mom with 2 year old twins came today for another playgroup and it was interesting to talk to her. I think I met her when I was pregnant with the twins. At that time, I think they were about 9 months old and she said that she never went out anywhere with them because it was just too hard. She just started to go out with them. It's the craziest thing. She says it is just too hard to go somewhere with two babies and watch them both.
After the park, we went to Target because Laney couldn't wear her sandals anymore and needed a new pair. I put both babies in the seat of the cart and Laney in the basket. I think we got more attention because of it. Usually the second carseat is in the basket and so people often miss the fact that there are two babies there. Can't really miss them in the cart together. Especially since they were poking each other and fighting. After we got all done shopping and went to the parking lot, I changed everyone's diaper and put them in their carseats again. And it got me thinking. The logistics of having three small children is such that there are often situations that you would never consider doing if you had a single child and that you do routinely with multiples. For example, I always buckled Laney into the cart seat, but I can't buckle two in there. Also, when we are in the parking lot I have to leave someone in the cart in the parking lot while I get others in or out of the car. I've had people actually think that there is an abandoned baby in the cart. I usually try to put Laney in the car first so that she isn't running around in the parking lot while my back is turned, but last week at the Desert Museum we loaded the kids and started to drive out of the lot and Gayle said "where's Laney?". I looked in the mirror and Laney was not in her car seat. I almost had a heart attack, I'm not kidding. I ran through a whole scenario in my mind that I left her accidently in the parking lot. She was hiding behind the back seat. Today she was doing the same thing when I went to load up. I was distracted by Richelle and didn't immediately buckle Laney in and my friend Richelle freaked out when she didn't see her. I realized I had the door on the other side of the car open and she could have got out while I was loading the stroller. At Target, I left Kenna in the cart (unbuckled) while I went around the other side to put in G and as I was strapping him in I realized that if she decided to stand up I couldn't get back there in time.
So, all in all, that started me thinking about the concept of risk and how much risk we are willing to bear as parents. Do I accept too much risk by going out to do things? I try to analyze and learn as I go and make changes so that next time there is less risk, but it is quite possible that I might end up with an accident on the first go round at some point (see the baggy pajamas and baby carrying on the stairs incident). I guess all parents make choices about risk, I just feel that sometimes I have to make more of them. Leave an infant in the parking lot to buckle in the toddler first? Put the infants in and leave the toddler for last? I honestly don't know. I just try to do the best I can, but sometimes I worry that it won't be good enough.