Its field trip day!

Today, I am going with Joey's class to visit the Historic Oak View County Park. There are 3 museums on site: a Cotton Museum, a Farm History Center, and an 1850 Antebellum house. They currently have a "Christmas at Oak View Farm" exhibit set up that shows what it was like to celebrate the holidays back in the 1800s. It should be a lot of fun and both Joey an I are really looking forward to it.

Gabe will be spending time with my MIL while I am with Joey's class. I hope he is in a cooperative mood. Gabe is aware that Grandpa is gone and I'm not sure how that will affect his behavior while Vic and I aren't around. When we were over there for Thanksgiving, Gabe was his normal self...moving at warp 9 from one room to another. But, every time he ran through the living room he looked at the spot my FIL used to sit and, one time, he stopped, looked at the spot, and looked at Vic and said, "Grandpa's gone." One time right before Thanksgiving, Gabe came up to me (completely out of the blue) and said, "Grandpa's with God now." After Thanksgiving, Gabe and I had the following conversation...

Gabe..."Grandpa's with God now."
Me..."Yes, honey, Grandpa is with God."
Gabe...referring to the viewing..."I wanted to see my Grandpa."
Me..."Yes, you did. Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Becky took you up to see him."
Gabe...notice the change in tense..."I want to touch my Grandpa."
After choking back tears, I chose to treat it as a past tense reference to the viewing. I know it wasn't. It was a current desire because Gabe is very clear about past and present when he talks.
Me...Yes, you did want to touch him. Mommy made sure you got a chance to touch him and say good-bye."
Then he snuggles in for a few minutes and then went back to tearing around the house.

I hope, if Gabe decides to talk to my MIL about FIL, that it isn't too hard on her.