Salem Pond

Friday morning I met with my homeschooling group at Salem Pond. Warrick found a baby robin on the ground that let him pick it up. He loved it and called him "his bird". It grossed me out that he was handling it, but by the time I saw he had the bird, I realized that the damage was done and I let him touch it. Then I talked him into leaving it by the tree that he found it in hopes that the mom would still help out, but then a jumble of kids swarmed it and the bird became "their bird".

Later that afternoon we returned to Salem Pond for a Varifit company party. (If you haven't heard, Glenn is now working for Varifit.) Warrick greatly anticipated seeing "his bird" again. I tried to explain that it probably wouldn't be there still. He kept the faith and sure enough he came walking through the grass with his little bird in his hands and a big smile on his face. He packed it around with him the entire time we were there. He'd set it down so that he could go and do something fun and then he'd return to it and it would still be in the same area. One time he even hired (for free) two little boys to babysit while he did something else. They took the job very seriously and gave it back when it was time. At one point, I found Warrick on the blanket of a family. The mom was complete with two lip rings, a nose rings and a plethora of tattoos and the teens were of the same make and model. They thought Warrick was great entertainment. They told me Warrick was talking to the bird and saying, "I'm your father. I don't look like you, but I'm your dad now." They even donated their drinking water so Warrick could wash the bird poop off of his swimsuit. Just before we left, the bird disappeared. I was a little relieved since I didn't want to explain that it wasn't "his bird" and that we had to leave it. He was heartbroken and searched everywhere in vain.

Meanwhile, Porter made friends with a grandpa that was there with his family. The guy began teaching him to fish and he caught one just as we were leaving. They became good friends and we exchanged phone numbers so they could call us when they came fishing again.

Ah, the friends you make when you go places with my boys.