For multiple reasons, Alex has never been to see a movie in a movie theater. First, she does not like to sit still for very long. Secondly, she has a tendency to scream, really loud and usually at inappropriate times! Thirdly, she has never seemed to really have a very long attention span and finally, if she is bored, she will drop her head and typically make frustrated noises and bite herself. Not a fun time for anyone involved.
Aaron and I have been juggling Zach so far over the summer around our work schedules and this morning Aaron had a doctor's appointment mid morning so I had to make arrangements to come into work in the afternoon. My friend Noreen had taken Zach bowling yesterday so that he didn't have to be bored accompanying Alex to physical therapy and while her son and Zach were playing that afternoon she mentioned taking Sean to the movies today because every Wednesday the Regal Cinemas have $1 movie days. Tammy had pulled up the movie schedule a week or so ago and we discussed the $1 movies. I told her we frequently discussed taking Alex to a movie and we always wondered how she would react. With me having to be off in the morning anyway for Aaron's appointment and having Tammy with me I decided to take both Alex and Zach and see how she would do - the movie was only $1 so if she didn't do well no big loss, Tammy and I could take her back home and Zach could stay and finish the movie with Noreen and Sean. Tammy has been working a lot with Alex on her behaviors and holding her more accountable so before we left we explained to Alex where we were going and that we wanted her to act like a big girl with no yelling! Plan in place, we set off to go see Arthur Christmas!
A little dark, but the lights went down for the movie to start....here went nothing!
OH MY GOSH - I wish I could have video taped her watching the movie. She LOVED it! She was quiet, she was engaged - she sat there following everything that was happening and frequently with her mouth wide open in amazement. When the movie hit some not so exciting parts she would look over at Tammy like "is it over or is there going to be some more excitement?" She got anxious at the anxious parts of the movie - shaking her legs and flapping her hands and at the end of the movie when Arthur finally delivered the last present she had THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST smile on her face!!! It was PRICELESS - I felt better than if I had won the lottery watching her.
After the movie was over....
And giving her review of it to Zach and Sean :)
She is showing more and more lately that she is maturing - and that we definitely do not give her enough credit for what she actually understands. It's times like this I would give anything just to have a 2 minute conversation with her.
Next week, the Lego Movie! :)
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