Pignic in the Park

As I look back over my posts, I feel I misrepresent myself.  I'm not such a sweet, sentimental person.  I'm a snarky, disorganized bundle of issues.  I see that the problem lies with the camera.  The lens doesn't seem to pick up on just how spastic and sarcastic I really am.  Whatever happened to that whole "the camera doesn't lie" business?  LIES, all lies!  Thank goodness.

This morning was rough.  I didn't want to leave my house for a picnic in the park, as I'd promised Chase all week.  I rarely want to leave my house.  Today I had many valid reasons, in my opinion:

• The ground was wet and surely muddy after yesterday's rain.
• I was tired.
• I needed to prepare for an out of town weekend getaway (cue in the ::squeeeee::)
• The people who were supposed to meet me had all backed out.
• The house is a wreck and really ought to be attended to.

And then out popped the "Youkindewitt Angel" on my right shoulder who started harping on me with all of the reasons why I SHOULD go - and telling me why my original reasons were ridiculous:

• It's Earth Day.  Go out and SEE the earth.  You just MUST.  For once the back deck doesn't count.
• So what if the ground is wet and muddy?  It's 75 degrees outside!  Mud washes.
• You will be just as tired at home as you will anywhere else.  You might as well have fun.
• As IF you will prepare before the eleventh hour.  Don't even pretend. 
• You'll just have more time to interact with Chase if you're not distracted with other people.
• The house is a wreck and really ought to be attended to.

And so . . . I threw some food into our pickinick basket, and we left.  I even remembered to pack everything in tupperware to be extra "Earth friendly" and minimize packaging and waste.  Do I rawk or what?

When we arrived, Chase DARTED out of the car, dashed into the park, and looked high and low.  "Pig?  Pig?  Play pig??"  I was so confused until I realized that he was hearing "pig" in "picnic."  I could not heart this kid any harder.  I tried to explain, but he looked doubtful, and finally gave up, apparently distracted with PLAY.  Do parks EVER change?  Watching him brought back memory after memory of when I romped around on playgrounds as a kid.

What is the draw of the springy thing?  And do we EVER know what those animals are?  It's as if Picasso designed them.  Or some undecided group of amateur artists with flame throwers.  Chase always goes for those, first - a definite fave.  Too bad there wasn't one that resembled a pig.  Maybe that would have cleared up the mystery for him.

I realized as I ran around after him pulling the "mamarazzi" that the other mothers had to wonder what the heck my deal was.  I really need to get a T-shirt that says, "WARNING: Psycho Blogging Mother - Prepare for Prolific Random Pics."

Do you remember doing this?  I swear I did it for HOURS, though I realize kidtime is drastically different from grownuptime.  Still . . . I think I would hypnotize myself.  It's the belly swing zooooooone.

It doesn't matter what you put into a picnic basket - it just LOOKS more fun.  And dignified, somehow.  For the record, today's feast consisted of:

• PBJ (I debated packing it, thinking about other kids prone to peanut allergies.  What is the protocol on such things these days?  I scrubbed him down afterward and was so paranoid about causing a reaction that I don't think I'll ever pack it again)
• Orange slices
• Goldfish crackers
• Cheese stick
• Juice

You know you were wondering.

And because it was Earth Day, we of course had to hug a tree.

And when it was time to go, Chase was very cooperative and serenely waved goodbye to his new friends and the hidden pig.

It was such a good day, despite the standard "time to go tantrum."  I'm quite grateful to my little shoulder angel for nudging me out of the house.  I felt so organized!  So together!!!  So Supermommish!  I was so busy patting myself on the back on an afternoon well-spent that I didn't even notice the picnic basket left on the curb as I drove away.