Touch-A-Truck with Tavin

Today Tavin and I had our own adventure.  Lately it's been Doug and Koen that head out on exciting outings and the little guy and I stay home (which we always enjoy), but today was different, Tavin and I had the adventure.  Koen and Doug headed off to soccer practice and Tavin and I walked to the Strip District with my friend Audrey and her kids for the Touch-A-Truck event.  Tavin is so into trucks these days, I knew he would enjoy it.  I was definitely right!  Not to mention all the garbage trucks we saw on the hour long walk.  I didn't know so many worked on Saturday, but Tavin was thrilled with all the "grr, clunk, thunk, thunk," that's his way of saying garbage truck due to a book we had months ago.  When we arrived Tavin immediately got out of the stroller and never got back in.  He stayed with me the whole time, but was so excited to just be around the trucks.  He even did these adorable happy dances while waiting in line to get into the trucks.  Here are the pictures that basically take you through all the trucks Tavin got to check out today...


First up was the digger, or excavator.  The loader, roller and excavator top his favorite truck list, so he was eager to check out the digger up close.  Here he is looking puzzled that he can get this close to this anomaly which is normally viewed from a distance. 

And look at the inquisitive look at the digger device.

Tavin was so patient in line and thrilled when it was his turn.  

So proud of himself pressing the horn (and it was a loud one!).

After waiting in line for the digger, I decided to develop a strategy for viewing these trucks, but limiting wait time.  Tavin totally rolled with the plan.  Look for no line or shortest line and talk up whichever vehicle that was.  It worked marvelously and we spent most our time in vehicles as opposed to waiting outside of them.  Here's Tavin in a massive tow truck.  He was up very high and you can see he is quite brave and totally fine with it. 

Next he visited a huge snowplow from the Pittsburgh International Airport.  Grampa, Tav needs a little help on how to hold a radio mic.

In every truck, the buttons were almost as exciting as the steering wheel, stick shifts and horn.  And as he pressed them he would chat away in his language about what he was doing. So precious!

Eventually he made it into the driver's seat (which oddly was on the right) of the snowplow.

Here he is in the cab of a shiny new tractor trailer.

So proud of himself. =)

Since I feel often as though it looks like I'm not even at these fun things with the boys, I attempted to actually get in a photo with Tav.  He was a little too busy to stay still for a picture.  Here he is saying "cheese" while wriggling out of our photo moment.  Oh well, I tried and at least it's proof that I'm there!

Tav was very excited about the mail truck.  We see our mailman's truck on a daily basis, so it was so fun for Tavin to get to experience the vehicle for himself instead of from the vantage point of the front porch.  

The last thing we did before heading out to get picked up by Doug and Koen (no way I was forcing my prego body to walk up the huge hill home for an hour!) was to sit in the monster truck.  Tavin and Xavier shared a turn since we sort of joined up in the long line with our friends to check in on them.  Xav was really nice to share his turn.  Tavin looks like he's trying to figure out how to get into the driver's seat.  The monster truck driver was there signing pictures of the truck and he gave Tavin one.  Tavin was so proud of himself, it was precious.  He couldn't wait to show it to Brother and Doug!

Around 12:45pm Doug and Koen picked us up (I strategically walked away from the event so Koen couldn't really tell what he had missed out on) and we all headed home for lunch, water intake and the shade of the cool house.  It was a great morning with my little bug.  I loved it.  Thanks, Tavin.