Bag Ladies

Ten Handbags

I have raised bag ladies. My girls love bags and they are not picky - it could be a pretty pink purse, an old suitcase, a backpack, a brown paper bag, a wedding gift bag, a plastic shopping bag, or a canvas book bag. No matter what it is, they will sling it over their shoulder and start filling it with STUFF. When I say stuff, I don't mean useful, normal things that you might put in a bag/purse. I mean very random things from throughout the house.

Here is an example of what might be in their bag (and has been in the past):
1. a Mr. Potato Head nose
2. a notepad and pencil
3. 3 broken crayons
4. an insect field guide
5. magnifying glass
6. bag of goldfish crackers
7. sunglasses
8. a "Littlest Pet Shop" animal
9. a piece of kleenex
10. 1/4 of a deck of cards
11. a paintbrush
12. a play clock
13. various shells and rocks
14. a baby picture
15. one lego
16. a spatula
17. a medicine dispenser

and the list could seriously go on and on.....

Now, maybe this is normal. Maybe this is what belongs in a child's bag. Or maybe my children all got the "bag lady" genes. I am not sure. Do anyone else's kids do this? It really drives me insane, because when I end up putting it away it takes many trips around the house to put everything in their proper places again. Yes, I could make them do it, but it would end up in one big pile on their floor, I'm sure.

Now, this typical bag I have been talking about is what they carry around as a 3-5 yr old. Ellie and Kate both went through the phase. This is what Lexie is doing daily. As they have gotten older, they have kept their love of bags, but it has manifested itself in a different way. Now, if one of them is invited somewhere or if they know we're taking a trip, they will start packing immediately. Even if the trip isn't until 3 weeks in the future. They just love the joy of packing and repacking their bag. Ellie and Kate both carry around purses now, and I admit that they are filling them with more useful things than they used to. But they both regress somedays and like to play "shopping" around the house for random items.

I guess every girl likes a nice bag :)