"But I want to go to Abuelo's too"

This morning started with Gavin and I dropping Steph and Liam off at the Charlotte Airport. Gavin seemed perfectly fine until I was about to pull away from the departures area.

Gavin: "Where is mama going?"

Me: "She and Liam are going to visit Abeulo."

Gavin: "But I want to go to Abuelo's too."

Me: "Don't worry, we're going to have lots of fun today...just you and me."

I really didn't know at the moment what I was going to do to occupy him. I had plans for Saturday and Sunday, but none for today (Friday). But as I was driving back to the interstate, I realized that we were only a few miles from one of his favorite places: The Charlotte Nature Museum. So, I asked Gavin if he wanted to go there, and he quickly replied yes. The nature museum is a familiar, comfortable place for Gavin in a city he is still learning to call home.

Here is Gavin at an exhibit near the entrance of the Nature Museum. I admittedly got very few good photos of Gavin at the museum. It's still easy to forget to document everything. Then again, when we're really having fun, I'm too into it to stop and take a photo (which is a great thing). I always get annoyed at concerts when people are so consumed by taping the show with their iPhones that they don't ever really stop and simply enjoy the show. I try to keep that in mind with Gavin as well.

After our visit at the museum, we headed over to Freedom Park (a great public park that is adjacent to the Nature Museum). The blossoms are in full swing now, and they're beautiful. The trees here have white blossoms, but many trees have yellows, purples, and various other blooms too.

After a busy few hours at the museum and the park we stopped for lunch at Firehouse Subs. Of course, I asked Gavin if he wanted to eat "where the firefighters eat." My ulterior motive was to try the new Coke machine that they have--which was pretty cool. I enjoyed 3-4 different variations on Coke just for the fun of it. Gavin had a great time here. The staff was amazing, and they loved him to death. They gave him a firefighter hat, a free drink, and even a small pack of oreos. Here he is with his hat and drink:

After lunch (an awesome grilled veggie sub with chips and a pickle), we did a bit of shopping and then headed home. I didn't want to keep him out late since I had big plans for him on Saturday. He will be riding a commuter train for the first time, and attending a Charlotte Bobcats NBA game (along with a few other stops along the way). So, until next time...