Good Neighbor

I was so proud of Jack last week. We had just put Sam down for his morning nap when Jack jumped up and exclaimed, "I gotta go pick up the recycling bins!" It was such an urgent and unexpected pronouncement that I wasn't quite sure I heard him correctly. Sure enough, he proceeded to put on his shoes, coat and hat and head for the door. Now, we've done this for our neighbors before, but we always did it together--usually in the afternoons when we're already outside playing--this time he wanted to do it himself and now. So, I watched from the front door as he collected ten (TEN!) recycling bins and pulled them from the curb up to our neighbors' houses. I resisted the urge to run out and help, and I'm glad I did because he was so proud of himself. To top it all off, one neighbor caught him in the act and came outside to thank him.

So maybe he does mess up the alphabet every once in a while. Maybe sixteen sometimes follows fourteen. Maybe every moon is a crescent moon...I'm okay with that. Because my

son collects recycling bins.