I’ve been wanting to do this post for a long time because every time I reach into my coat pockets, I can’t help but hear that line from those credit card commercials, “What’s in your wallet?”  I’m not sure why it happens, but it does.  At any rate, I wanted to write about how, as a youth, I rolled my eyes at the contents of my mom’s pockets A LOT.  As a preschool teacher, she had some weird stuff stuffed in them.  And 9 times out of 10, she washed it.  Seriously, I would think to myself, what is she doing? Then I became a mom and *TA DA!* I magically knew.  Now I wind up with craziness in my pockets that ends up in the wash because I’ve got more pressing things on my to-do list (Wipe Philip! Find Tess!  Teach Max to read!) then remembering what is in my pants.

Anyway . . .

Then Tess started hauling around her purse.  EVERYWHERE.  And I started calling her Laura.

My great-grandma Laura was a spunky gal.  I don’t remember much about her and most of my memories are hand-me-downs.  But she had a great laugh and a fabulous sense of style.  And always, ALWAYS, a large “pocket book.”  In that purse she carried everything she might need for any given moment.  She packed heat – I’m not kidding.  The woman was armed – probably a pinochle deck and a regular deck of cards (you never know when a game might transpire), and some knitting because she didn’t like to have her hands be idle.  These were just a few of the many treasures hidden in her bag.

So when Tess took up her purse – she is rarely without it over her shoulder these days – and started stuffing it with her “necessities,” I laughed at how genetics can be so strong.  The photo above is really the actual contents of her little purse.  It’s magic how she gets it all in.  But don’t you think you need a tea set always on hand?  Or some pirate gold?  Maybe some lipstick, Darth Vader confetti and My Little Pony to save the world?  And of course, a paci.

My favorite part of this purse craziness is this conversation that happens at least 8 times a day:

Tess:  I have to go potty!

No answer.

Tess:  I HAVE TO GO POTTY!

Me:  Then go!!  

Tess: Okay!

Running down the hall.

Tess: (yelling) Don’t touch my purse!!!!

I wouldn’t dream of it.

I’ve heard it said that you can tell a lot about a woman by the contents of her purse.  What do you think Tess’s purse says about her?