Carver's Hotel Trip

For the past couple of years (since returning to Asheville), I have taken Carver out to see a play at the Asheville Community Theater as an early birthday celebration-- just the two of us. This year, the show at the theater didn't seem like one Carver would be interested in. I started trying to think of what to do instead.

Carver has a love of hotels-- so I searched for a hotel that also had an indoor pool, and I found one (hooray!). The Friday night before Carver's birthday, the two of us headed out on our adventure.

First we went to the hotel (about 20 minutes from our house!) and got checked in.

Then we went to dinner at Bonefish Grill. One of Carver's favorite foods is grilled fish, and Bonefish Grill was right by the theater, so this was perfect. After dinner we had a bit of time until the movie so we walked over to the Lifeway store and did a little shopping.

He wanted to see the movie, Trolls (again). And it is not my favorite. But I suffered through it (again), and he loved it just as much the second time as he had the first.

After the movie we headed back to the hotel. We stayed up late and watched some TV and talked. He was pretty excited about sharing the king-sized bed :)

The next morning we went down to eat breakfast and then headed back up to our room to change into our swim suits and then spent a couple of hours in the pool. He loved it! (Sidenote; the pool was surrounded by windows. At the end of the room was the windows separating the pool area from the fitness center. Running the whole length of the pool areas was the wall of windows of the breakfast room. This meant that when Carver and I were in the pool (me in a bathing suit in December), we had A LOT of spectators. It was...awkward).

After we checked out of the hotel we did a little  more shopping and then headed home.

It may not be possible to do an overnight trip like this every year, but I hope we can do it occasionally. But even if we never do it again, I think I will always remember that weekend as one of my favorites. Carver and I have a close relationship and he just really loves one-on-one time; he refers to it as "mommy-time!" We have fun together and I think the breaks from his little brother are good for him.

I know that our relationship changes at every new phase and age-- but I hope we are always close. I am so thankful for him and I love him fiercely.

This weekend was the best.