Chicken Nuggets, Bridges, Train Tracks and Gabriel

Tonight, for awhile, it is just Gabriel and I alone. The other boys are still in Sioux Falls and will be home later tonight. I really wasn't in the mood for cooking - we are leaving for the weekend early tomorrow morning so I don't want a lot of leftovers (at least that is how I justify it!!) So when I picked him up from daycare tonight and he hid behind a door to "scare" me as he jumped out - I told him that I thought we should go and get chicken nuggets at BK.

Gabriel LOVES chicken nuggets. He won't eat the fries - I know bonus for me!! And he likes the little toys that come with the kids meal. So we headed over to BK. Our conversation went something like this....

"Mom, are we going to go and get chicken nuggets mom?"

You see he has been doing this - mostly when he talks to me, putting my name at the beginning and the end of EVERY sentence he says!! It is cute at first...but after about the 30th one...well lets just say it drives me a little nutso. But he is adorable and I love him...so we continue.

"Yes we are going to get you some chicken nuggets, how many do you want?"

"Mom, I think I want seven mom, that's not a lot mom"

"It's not? It seems like a lot to me!"

"Mom, no mom, 30 is a lot!"

OK now I know what a lot is!! I have always wondered! :)

"Mom, I want a toy and some green pop (Sprite) too mom"

"Gabriel, I don't think they make kids meals with 8 piece chicken nuggets, I don't think we can get a toy."

"Mom YES THEY DO Mom"....

He was right...the lady in the drive through asked if I wanted a 4 piece or an 8 piece with my kids meal...schooled! 8 piece of course! He asked if he could eat one in the car - promising that he would not spill. He counted his 8 nuggets, making sure they were all there and was very happy when he discovered that his toy was something Spongebob. He is easy to please!

There was LOTS more conversation just like this as we waited for what seemed like an hour in line...it is much too lengthy to add here, but I am sure you get the picture! :)

Besides his love for the nuggets, he also has a fascination for bridges. All bridges we see he has to point out. Usually he wants to know why we aren't going over them as we drive under them. So tonight I decided to turn right instead of left to head home and take him across the 1-29 Interstate bridge.

This is less than 1 block from the BK and basically I drove over it, found a turn around spot and drove over it again. That was it - to most people that would be very weird, boring, but to Gabriel he was gleaming with joy.

Next he asked if we could drive past the golf course in our town. It is called Bridges at Beresford. and yes - you guessed it - it has several old bridges placed throughout. There is a road that you can drive on near the course and see several of them. So we did that too.

Finally, a few nights ago Dominic took us on a little drive out in the country and by accident we crossed some train tracks. Gabriel loves trains and train tracks. He saw where I was driving and asked if we could go see the tracks again. How can I say no?!

So we headed out of town a short ways, drove over the tracks, turned around, drove over them again and came home so that he could finish his nuggets.

A pretty successful evening for a boy who takes pleasure in the simple things around him. Sometimes I have to stop and try to see things from his point of view. Recognize the beauty in the simplistic and be grateful for it. Tonight I am grateful that I had the opportunity to make Gabriel smile, to see him excited over chicken nuggets, bridges and train tracks. God is good!