This past Saturday was our elementary school's annual Earth Day clean up and beautify event. Last year it snowed--that's right SNOWED-- and only four volunteers braved the weather to join me. This year it was a nice partly sunny day and I had high hopes that a huge work party would ensue. Wrong.

Because this project was "my baby", and I didn't want to stay there all day, I had to enlist my own built-in child labor. They knew they were expected to help out but it ended up being a much longer day than they were promised. Lest you have visions of willing servants, be assured that I heard many more refrains of "is my time up?" than "what can I do to help?" In spite of the whining, they really ponied up and got the job done.

Thanks, boys. You guys rock!

Notice Ben's classmate scootering off in the background. This did not help my cause.