Max's first movie

I took Max to see his first movie today: Wall E. He earned a big adventure for going to bed 5 nights in a row at 7:15 without asking mommy and daddy for things and protesting. I picked Max up from school and the whole drive to the theater he kept asking "is this it mommy?" over and over. "It's going to be so exciting," he said.

We bought our tickets and when we walked into the theater, I wish I could have captured the moment on film. With the widest eyes, Max exclaimed, "look at all the seats mommy. Why are they all the same? Where are the other kids?" We essentially had a private screening of the movie. He tried to sit in the chair and was so perplexed why it kept folding him up that he sat perched on the edge clutching the seat in front of him almost the whole time. Half way through the movie he settled back in his seat, so proud that he had figured out how to keep it from folding up. The previews started and Max kept leaning over asking me, "is this Walleeee mommy?" After 5 long previews I was wondering myself if we'd ever see Wall E. Then it came on and Max was beside himself. Not knowing the quiet movie voice, anytime Wall E wasn't on the screen Max would yell "where's Wall E?" then Wall E would appear and he would say "oh, there he is." I kept feeding Max rice cakes and banana chips as he stared at the screen. I handed him a jelly bean and with wide eyes he smiled and just said, "wow!" I have never seen someone savor a jelly bean like that. Then in the middle of the movie he announced "That is the biggest TV I have ever seen. Why is it soooo big?" At one point he just leaned over and hugged my neck and smiled, almost unable to contain his excitement "This is a big present mommy. Can you see ok?"

The movie was dragging on and Max said "Mommy I am getting very tired. I really really want to go home." I tried to leave and he freaked "NO! We can't leave because I never ever saw this part before." As the end approached it was clear that Max was exhausted and had to pee really badly. As I carried him out to the bathroom he cried at the top of his lungs over and over again "FREEEEEZE it Mommy. Freeze it". He is clearly part of the on-demand generation. Then the movie was over and we walked out and he desperately wanted to go into the men's room like the bigger kids who were sitting in front of us. Outside, Max ran to the car with so much energy and happiness, telling me not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk. As we were climbing into the car, Max spontaneously hugged my legs and said " I love you mommy." He chattered the whole way home about climbing a tree with Olin and Daddy.

I think this experience was almost better for me than for Max. At one point I looked over at him perched on the edge of his seat, staring at the screen and I welled up with tears. I wish I could bottle up our afternoon. Seeing life through the eyes of a three year old is a huge gift.