Last year, when Big Brother started high school, I learned that Back-to-School Night is a dressy occasion. When I got home from this event, TheDad asked, “So? How was it?” I answered, “You mean how was the Handbag Fashion Show?”

He gets mad when I speak of it in those terms, but I call it as I see it. I have realized that since most moms of high-school-age students are working outside the home, they’re probably still dressed in their work clothes at a 7 PM school event. I, on the other hand, have been in my mom clothes all day.

I stress about how I should dress for Back-to-School Night. I completely relate to this post at White Trash Mom (language alert–but she is funny and right on!) I stand in front of the closet and wonder about what I should wear. As if I’ll see anyone I even know. As if anyone sitting in a semidark auditorium listening to a spiel about why we want to participate in the Magazine Sale and why Myspace is bad for our kids cares about what shoes I have on.

But then we wander around, following our kids’ schedule so we can meet the teachers. And we sit there in the student desks with our handbags on the desktops. I see a lot of cool handbags at these things, let me tell you. I guess that next time I go to confession, I’ll have “handbag envy” to add to my list of sins.

I chose an outfit already today but it’s been marked by Little Brother, who gave me a big hug with a dirty face. So I will need something clean to wear after dinner tonight–but that hug was worth the time I’ll be spending staring into my closet searching for the perfect outfit and wondering if I should change purses.