Tips from the Trenches: A Guide to Practical Parenting

Today I made the mistake of thinking I could tackle the job of cleaning out my "All Purpose Bag" (APB). As soon as I started, I remembered why I don't do it more regularly. Usually, I wait until a sippy cup leaks or a half-eaten cereal bar falls apart at the bottom of the bag, but I had some time (not enough) and the motivation (too much) and I thought I could get the job done. In the end, all I was able to do before being so rudely interrupted by my parenting responsibilities was to pull out 5 items.

The items were:

• A Clinique lipstick with Emma-sized finger dents all over it
• A half-eaten cereal bar impaled on a small, wire bristled hair brush (We'll just call that one item.)
• A dried out dandelion wad
• Mud covered, crusty, boy-sized socks
• A blue, Crayola crayon with teeth marks

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to have a little sharing time. So, grab your APB, close your eyes, and pull out the first 5 things you touch. Tell me what's inside.