That's Why

One morning, I ended up with several heels of bread in hand, so I told the children we could go feed them to the ducks swimming in the Potomac.  We packed a lunch.  We bundled into our coats.  We strapped into car seats.  We drove to our river spot.  We chatted about feeding ducks all the while.

We forgot the bread.

So we fed those duckies a few of Baby Girl's Cheerios, and then started throwing in pebbles and twigs.  And then rocks and sticks.  And then, well, there was no chance Little Guy was going to talk Buddy Boy out of the branch he found, regardless of how 'smooth and shiny and really cool' the little stick was that he offered to trade him.

I couldn't decide if it was, like, littering to be throwing natural objects into the river.  The Alabamian in me said no, but the DC-ite in me didn't feel like a lecture from a do-gooder.

 So I drew the line right about here...

And good thing I did, because not two minutes later, a runner came by and shouted angrily to some neighboring fishermen to turn off their car engine.  That woulda been us on the receiving end of that runner's planetary good deed of the day, I just know it.  {And I'm certain my comeback could never have lived up to the fisherman's snappy 'YOU turn it off.'  ;)}

Baby Girl was...amused.   And a bit confused.  I mean, they were her Cheerios we were tossing to the birds.

After a few minutes of semi-littering and a little gandering at the fishermen, we made an attempt at the playground, but it was just far too cold.  And obedience wasn't at its best.  {When I say no jumping from the ledge for the fireman's pole, I do mean it.}

Honestly, the day felt like a bust.  A whole lot of effort and not much return.

Would Deana Carter say I packed a picnic for this?

Whenever the Mister finds the boys play-acting, with their inspiration clearly being drawn from our adventures, he'll call out very satisfiedly, 'See?  That's why we take them places!'

And that's all I could think the next day, when the boys went fishing off their beds with hockey stick rods.

 They hauled in some big ones.  An octopus, even.

I didn't take them anywhere far or fancy.  I didn't make any real plans.  I didn't even take all the supplies.  And we went home early.

But it turns out the day wasn't a bust.

It was good enough to inspire.

That's why we take them places.