It’s always nice to have something of a reward to hang over the kids in exchange for good behavior. My latest was a trip to see the new Pixar movie, WALL-E. (Rewards such as “dinner” and “getting to sleep inside” no longer have the shine.) So the kids were golden throughout the day, as they were jazzed to see the movie. And I know some of you say that being good should be its own reward, and that children should not be bribed for good behavior. To that I say: HA! Good stuff, there.
Anyway, we bought tickets online, which was a first for me. I lag behind lots of things in terms of online convenience. Back when I was in charge of household finances, I wrote checks for every bill, some of them even on time. My wife saw this as a less than ideal way to manage your budget/keep the electricity on, so she opted to do most of our banking online. Should my wife decide to run off to Tahiti, it will be only a matter of time until creditors descend on me, as I will have no clue when/how/where to pay any bills.
When we got to the theater, I was glad that I had ventured into the online world, as I saw person after person being turned away at the box office. I overheard this conversation:
PATRON: Two tickets to WALL-E.
BOX OFFICE: It’s sold out.
PATRON: Sold out?
BOX OFFICE: Sold out.
PATRON: Completely?
At this point, I mentally awarded the Medal of Restraint to the box office worker who simply nodded, rather than saying, “No, it’s sold out, but not completely sold out. It’s just a ruse to trick those who are not clever enough to ask.”
When we got in the theater, I had to do some serious strategic planning. There were quite a few issues at play:
-- The movie was sold out, meaning we had to scramble to find three seats together
-- Concessions were a must
-- Parker was doing an interesting little dance/hop, which meant somebody needed to get to the bathroom quickly.
Fortunately, both kids are at the age where they are a little more independent and responsible. It’s nice to get to the point where you don’t have to actually stand in the stall when your child is going to the restroom, doing that over-the-top conversation that lets other people know that you are a perfectly normal adult standing in a stall talking about potty time. It also helps to know that you can have your eyes off of your kids for three seconds and know that they will not, say, eat a rock.
Because of these two developmental milestones, I was able to put Allie at our seats while Parker went to the restroom and I stood in line at the concession stand. I am still somewhat paranoid, and did make a point of standing where I could see our seats and the bathroom door. I probably looked like someone with a nervous tic, or perhaps someone watching a tennis match, as I swiveled my head back and forth to keep an eye on things.
When Parker was done, he came to assist me at the concession stand. After explaining to him where his college fund went (“You HAD to add Skittles...”), we settled into our seats. Parker, showing the gentle sensitivity of a child, announced, “That man’s head is big. Can I sit in your lap?”
After moving away from Mr. Big Head, we were settled in. One nice thing about going to a Saturday matinee of a G-rated movie is that you are surrounded by families, and people understand that it is not exactly a quiet zone. While you don’t want it to turn into a Chuck E Cheez, some chattering will go on. Actually, truth of the matter is, the most common thing you hear during a movie is the parents talking to their kids, saying “SHHH!!!!” and “Stop talking!!!” and “You have to pee again!?!!?”
The movie itself was fantastic. I rank it was my new favorite Pixar movie (booting the first-place tie between Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.) and one of the best films I have seen in a long time. While kids can certainly enjoy it, it’s just a beautifully done movie that any fan of film will enjoy. In fact, I found it so entertaining, I may take the kids to see it again. If they behave.
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