A Thursday Hodgepodge

I have a standing Thursday night date with my grandson, Brendan. I get out of work at 3:30, drive over to Acton Institute where I pick Dylan up from work, we drive over to his house and I pick Brendan up for a few hours of fun.

Some nights we drive all the way out to my Beach House; but at other times, I am too tired to make the trip there and back ... so we find stuff to do around his side of town. Sometimes I am so super tired, that I don't even make any PLAN whatsoever, but just roll with whatever happens. 

 This past Thursday night was one where I was super tired. So we drove over to Schuler Books where we can read books for free (kind of like a library) and play with beautiful toys that we don't have to pay for! We are always very very careful with this unpurchased property! Brendan and I read at LEAST 10 books--many of them Bo Willem's pigeon books and others that Brendan loves.

 We always shop their toys for future gift ideas. I found the IDEAL gift for Aidan's #1 birthday. This "Zany Zoo" is perfect. I did not take a very comprehensive picture of this cool toy, however. Mostly, I  was just photographing the name so that I could look it up on the internet and discover the cost. You see, this toy was not for sale--it was actually out for kids to play with; so that is what we did. It is made out of very nice wood, colorfully painted and had actually 5 sides of activities (if you include the top--which you must because it has very cool play things there!) 

I looked it up when I got home. I can purchase this through Target and it is actually within my budget. YES! 

 After playing at Schuler's, we were hungry. I talked Brendan in to eating over at my favorite fish place up on the Beltline, the name of which completely escapes me as I am writing ... it is right on the tip of my fingers too. Well anyway, we ate dinner there. We always have fun eating out. Brendan is a riot in a restaurant.

 Here he is checking out the underside of our table ... Brendan managed to eat his entire buttery hamburger--CULVER'S!!--the name just came to me as I typed the word "buttery" because that is their boast: buttery hamburgers! Who could resist? I do, however, because I always get their fish instead.

 After we ate, I had a hankering to drive down to the airport because I remembered when the boys were little, we used to drive just beyond the airport to a little grassy area where you could see the runways and watch the planes come and go ...

 But that area is completely blocked off now. We settled for this little grassy area in front of some local small businesses; however, not a single runway was in view. We did get to see a jet take off, but it was while we were driving and looking for a spot to park.

 After that one single jet, we did not see another one coming or going for the 20 minutes we waited.

 Waiting is always an interesting event with Brendan. He just never seems put off by waiting. You see, he is always doing something: singing, playing with his shadow, telling me a story--because he is a happy little person through and through!

 We had a splendid evening doing nothing whatsoever. Just being together was enough.

I am super blessed that way with this Little Fellow.