E's First Movie Theater Experience

An early afternoon on a weekday is a rarity in my line of work. So, I had to take advantage of this one with my two big boys. That's right, M, E, and Daddy all piled in to the "big blue van" to head out to the movie theater for a matinee showing of the new "Bee Movie". M had been to the theater a long time ago when "Cars" first came out. Unfortunately, it proved too loud for him and we walked out about half way through the movie. So, I didn't know what to expect this time. Clearly though, it had been a long time since I went to the movies, because when I told the young teeny bopper clerk, 3 for the Bee Movie, and I saw $6 appear on the cash register, I exclaimed, "wow, what a great deal". She laughed, and said, "that's $6 each, that will be $18 sir". Dang! When did matinee prices get so high, or am I just that old that I still remember when an evening movie used to be around $6. Oh well.

M and E proudly walked in to the lobby and we scooped up some overpriced popcorn and 2 drinks that were each the size of a child's swimming pool. Luckily we made it to our seats with out spilling a drop. Both boys sat up in their seats with big grins on their faces and smacked on the popcorn and happily slurped out sip after sip of root beer. The previews rolled and after each one ended, M would exclaim "wow, that was a great movie" to which the other adults in the theater would laugh. We finally got in to the movie and both boys sat there with intense looks on their faces. Granted, E every now and then had to stop and free himself from his seat that seemed to fold up and swallow him every couple of minutes because he didn't weigh enough to keep it down. Surprisingly, with the our giant drinks, M only had to hoof it to the bathroom once ... maybe he's getting over his T.W.B. (Teeny Weeny Bladder). After our quick sprint to the bathroom, E decided he had enough of his chair and and sat on my lap ... smart kid.

In the end, we had 90 minutes of great laughs and many new things to talk about. We drove home with big smiles on our faces and shared our favorite movie parts with Mom. I just hope they don't expect to go back out again anytime soon to the theater. I think I'll take my $18 and buy a DVD and portion-control the root beer to something the size of a thimble. Oh well, at least if they have to go, we can hit pause and the bathroom is right nearby.