First Time

...to go see a movie in an actual movie theater!

That's what we decided to do tonight.  After our religiously-observed Sunday afternoon nap, we piled the kids into the car and drove up to the mall (such as it is in our neck of the woods).


The Muppets at 6:45, two adults, three kids.

We were early enough that I went and bought tickets while Hubby, realizing that Santa was holding court at 12 o'clock from our current position, took the kids up to meet the right jolly old elf.  I joined them after I'd gotten the tickets.

No surprise here...Medium and Large were right in the thick of things, and happily chatting with Santa, while Small Fry came straight to me to show me her stickers and candy cane as soon as I walked up.

Oh, what the heck.  It's Christmas.  I can't decorate because of the impending move (and the fact that the tree is here while the ornaments and nearly everything else are over at the new house), and I've been chafing under the lack of Christmas cheer in my house.

Fries, let's get a picture of you with Santa!

Large and Medium were all for that one.

Small?  Not so much.

She wouldn't even stand next to the kindly gentleman, even with Hubby nearby (and yet cropped out of the picture).

I bent down to Small-Fry level.  "What if Daddy or I hold you?"

Thumb tucked securely in her mouth, she shook her head.  "Want to go see da Puppets."  (We haven't quite grasped Muppet yet, and, well, puppet is pretty accurate.)

A few minutes of cajoling, and we agreed that we would all be in the picture, I would hold Small Fry, and we would all smile.

Hubby picked out which of the three shots was the best, and we shelled out the dough.

I'm not sorry.

Even if I heard my dad's voice in the back of my head, telling me it's highway robbery.  Which, naturally, is why I never went to see Santa at the mall as a kid.

It's a great memory.

Then we moseyed back down to the theater, spent even more money on popcorn and drinks, and went to sit down.

The kids did really well for their first theater experience, even if the concepts of previews and advertisements were lost on them.

Medium and Small both had to go potty during the movie.  Large didn't...but I think she ate her weight in popcorn.  Even as the credits rolled, she asked if there was any popcorn left.

I'd say our first movie trip was a raging success!