All Rileyed Up

The kids and I went to Irvine Regional Park today and met up with some friends (the ones responsible for our attending A Faery Hunt). Irvine Regional Park is what a park should be. There are trees to climb, grass to run as far as little legs can go, scads of squirrels to chase, multiple species of birds (including… wild parrots?), not to mention great park facilities like a duck pond, train, zoo, horses and ponies, and tons of other stuff.

The last time we met up with this particular friend at Irvine Regional, our kids collected acorns and feathers and other interesting natural finds (the oddly shaped stick, the unique colored leaf, etc). Steel trap of a memory that he has, The Boy requested before heading out the door that we bring a collecting bag for him to use. Upon arriving, the three kids immediately set off with their bags. Each of them promptly found a stick to tie their bag to and hold over the back of their shoulder, a la Huck Finn. Very cute. Not so cute were the things The Boy put into his bag.

Because Irvine Regional Park is so big and so fun, lots of people go there. Despite the number of trash cans provided by the city and the amount of money spent in general on marketing reasons to not pollute, there still seem to be a number of people out there who just can’t grasp the concept of putting the garbage in their hand into a trash receptacle, and instead find the ground a much more appropriate place for their discards.

While Little No Limit and Friend were off and looking for acorns, I noticed The Boy was hunting around the swing sets and walking path. I suggested to him he join his sister and friend and he said, “I’m picking up trash, mom.”

“Oh,” I said. “That’s very nice of you.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m picking up trash so that the earth can be clean and the animals can have a place to live.”

Yes, he really said that. Yes, I had a witness. Yes, she and I both made that little mom-ish “oh, how cute” smile. And yes, I’m still smiling about it now.

Sigh.

It’s moments like that when I really do love being a mother.

Give a hoot, don’t pollute!