Penny was away taking New York by storm this weekend, so it was just me and Ethan at home from Friday night through Sunday morning. I’d been secretly looking forward to this for a while, not because I wouldn’t miss Penny (obviously), but because I knew it would be fun to have eBear all to myself for some good old-fashioned father-son time.

We got up early Saturday morning and played blocks (I built things, he knocked them down Godzilla-style) and then headed over to the YMCA for the open gym. This is something both of our neighbors with kids Ethan’s age have recommended, so I wanted to see what it was all about. There are things to bounce on, balls to throw, kids to play with, and—best of all—a gigantic pit filled with big foam blocks for Ethan to run and jump or slide into. (No adults allowed. I was kind of jealous.) He absolutely loved it.

After the YMCA, I took him to the local municipal airport, which has a little cafe overlooking the runway and air traffic control tower. We shared a plate of banana pancakes, did some stickers, and then walked over to the runway to watch some planes take off. Ethan loved this, too. He’s big into airplanes these days.

I had to leave him with my mom for the afternoon so I could attend a memorial for a co-worker who recently passed away, but when I got home we hit the road again for dinner out: a veggie sandwich for me, a grilled cheese for him, and a shared lemonade for us both. (I successfully went a whole weekend without cooking. Score!)

All in all, a great time with my best little buddy.