Movie night prep was a success! Jon had an excellent time at the movies with his mom and I!

We got the little guy up from his nap at 4:45 and made it to the theater by 5:15! We picked up our tickets at the Fandango keyosk  then walked into the cinema. I was cognizant of what the grand lobby, with all of the standees, video game noises and monitors showing trailers, might look to a little guy who's never been there. It still seems magical to me only because I relate it to all of the distant universes, far off kingdoms, funny slapstick and spectacular escapes these places have taken me my whole life.  He doesn't have that connection and I was afraid it might startle him with the giant cardboard cutouts, flashing lights and electronic explosions. Nope- didn't phase him a bit. He walked right on through, following our lead.

Cathy (Mommy) took him to the restroom while I picked up popcorn... no... Sweetarts... no... BOTH, plus a drink! I had a "free popcorn" ticket from our last date night, so it didn't require our first born- which is good, because that's who we were taking.

Mommy handed him his ticket and told him to give it to the man. Ticket stubs in hand, we walked into the theater. Cathy and Jon and I sat in our usual spot, "center-middle" and sat down. Not as full as we expected- good!

We planted him between us and put the small popcorn in his lap, which he dug into immediately.  As movie trailers came on little Jon responded with "I want to see that" or, "that's a little too scary for me."  The commercials didn't bother him because he's never known a movie without them. They still grate my nerves! There was a scary moment when Jon choked a little on the popcorn. Both of us immediately sat him up, patted him on the back and made sure he was ok. Cathy had read that popcorn was one of the leading foods that cause choking in toddlers, so that freaked us both out a bit! After a drink he seemed fine.

The lights go down and the movie starts. Through the movie, there are scary parts- no, downright creepy parts with new characters like that damned screeching monkey with the symbols and a ratty baby-doll with a lazy-eye that would've scared me as a 7 year old, but not sure it would've at 3.9 years. I was hoping it wouldn't, anyway. Jon, did fine. He did move to Mommy's lap, but not in a scary part. He just wanted to be with her. Sweet :)

The part that got to us is when the Pixar writers pulled out their sadistic side and did the "montage of tears" where "little Andy", all grown up is donating his toys top a little girl. Cathy starts crying, this is when Jon (sitting in her lap) turns and asks "Why are you sad Mamma?" This, of course send her over the edge and bawls. I can't really say what happened over the next minute because my vision was blurred (it was a dusty theater). Anyway, Pixar did this sort of special torture in "Up" during the "marriage montage" in the beginning. We both cried like little schoolgirls.

The movie ended and we had a great time!

This morning Jon said "I really liked the movies." That made my heart happy. "So do I little fella, so do I."

Here's to many happy adventures together in the future!

To infinity and Beyond...