Friday...in the Park

Yesterday I mentioned that we go to the park almost every day.

Today we went to the park all day. After breakfast, I loaded up the school books in my handy tote bag, grabbed the picnic blanket, water and apples, and we had a park school day.

Big, big love, people.

History. Geography. Literature. Math. Spelling.

And recess.

For lunch, we walked down to Potbelly and met Dr. SmartyPants. We sat outside, facing a small park and ate our sandwiches and watched the world go by. About the time we'd finished eating, we saw a baby house sparrow flutter to the ground, his mama bird following. He looked a little stunned - sitting back on his legs instead of perched on his little feet. He opened his mouth in a "feed me" fashion and mama bird shook her head and flew up to a tree branch and beckoned him to follow.

Tough love.

He made a couple of hops and then took off, low to the ground and unsteady. He tried to perch on a light post, but couldn't find any purchase on the slick, vertical surface. Mama kept calling and flying, and baby turned and flew toward her. She perched on a tree branch over one of the park's garbage cans, and that baby tried his hardest to get there. He flapped is wings, and up he went.

But he got tired. He tried to land on the garbage can.

Instead...he landed in the garbage can.

Now, I don't know if you've ever watched a freshly fledged baby bird try to take off, but they can't do it vertically...they need a little running room.

There's no running room in a trash can.  Not to mention - these trash cans have tops with a small hole through the top where you toss the trash. There was no way that baby was getting out of the can.

Derek and Joshua and I ran over to see what we could do while Dr. SmartyPants cleaned up our sandwich papers. I tried to reach in and help the baby out, but he was scared, and his mama was screeching at me and he kind of freaked out and burrowed into the bottom of the can, under all the trash.

I finally managed to dig down and find him and lift the trash bag up around him until he had enough space to fly off to his mama, who I'm sure wanted to hug him and beat him at the same time.

As the baby flew away, both of my boys pumped their fists and yelled, "Yay, Mama! You did it!"

I felt a bit heroic.

Then I went to the restroom and washed my hands.

That's motherhood for you. Heroic and messy.

To all you mothers, grandmothers, daughters, aunts, women...

Happy Mother's Day weekend...enjoy, laugh, love, get a bit messy.

I'll see you back here on Monday.