I have been taking my son to and from his martial arts class recently, so we get about 25 minutes in the car together each way. This is becoming one of my very favorite times, since it's just the two of us.
He has begun riding in the front seat with me, which makes it seem more fun for both of us. For him, he feels more mature, and for me, I feel less like a chauffeur. It also doesn't hurt that he stopped requiring me to wear the uniform (see photo at right).
Since I drive a minivan, the back windows don't roll down (unless I fork over money for a newer model sometime soon). As a result, part of the fun of riding in the front seat is the ability to play with the windows (and the radio, and the A/C controls, etc.). One of his favorite things to do is to crack the window just a hair so that it makes a high-pitched squealing sound from the wind. This is particularly fun for him when I am on the phone, and it seems to provide true joy for him.
The other day, he asked me, "Can we ride home with the windows down? I want to get that "wind-blown" look!" No, he didn't actually use air quotes (although I have seen him do this) - it just seemed to make more sense when I was writing it.
Needless to say, we both arrived home with that special wind-blown look that he wanted. It was a lot of fun! He usually likes to lay his head on the door for maximum effect (full-on wind blowing). If you haven't done this lately, you are missing out on a good time.
We have some good conversations, too. For example, on Tuesday, I found out that he likes simple cartoon characters "with beady little eyes and no noses". He also told me that he wished that he had a cartoon face like that sometimes, with "eyebrows for strong emotion, like a unibrow, and a thin little smile, pencil-drawn". Very specific!
Spend time with your kids one-on-one when you have a chance. You won't regret it. I generally have at least as much fun as they do!
Jason, nice ThemThem to your son. Isn't it great watching them grow up!