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| This was her reaction when I said smile. |
Anyway, I knew that I wanted her first theater experience to be fun and positive so that we may continue to take her for years to come. So, when I saw that Beauty and the Beast (one of her favorite movies ever) was coming, I knew that would be the one that would be easiest. No new things that might scare her, and no worries that I'd miss something if we had to give up and leave. Sean gets sick at 3D movies, so this became a ladies only event. She was particularly excited that this was something that was happening sans-Xander.
A loves popcorn, so a few weeks ago, Target had these popcorn things on sale, and I picked some up for the kiddies. This is the perfect popcorn holder for Lady A.
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| Previews and popcorn! |
I'd told Ainsley we were going to the theater yesterday, so we spent a day talking it up and getting her excited. It worked. By the time we left, she was completely geeked.
We picked up Big Sarah and headed to the Carmike (my favorite theater that is out of the way enough that I've yet to go to a packed theater there). Once we got there she was both overwhelmed (at the size of the place) and excited (there was a bucked of popcorn the size of HER for goodness sake!).
We got our seats; there were very few people in our theater. Mostly a few moms and their kids. I was relieved that if A did anything too kiddy, they'd understand. A started mawing down popcorn and enjoying the previews. She expressed interest in quite a few upcoming movies. Of course, her love of all things Studio Ghibli made her really interested in the Borrowers remake or sequel or whatever it is that's coming out in February.
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| The 3D glasses were still a bit big |
I would have preferred her first movie not be a 3D movie, but we didn't have much of a choice considering Beauty and the Beast is only in 3D. A didn't mind the glasses, of course. When the movie started, she did pick a few flowers from the Beast's house and gave them to me and Big Sarah.
Eventually though, she declared the 3D glasses dead to her and watched the movie without them. "It's not fuzzy!" she claimed when I tried to get her to put them back on. Ok...so no more 3D movies for the wee one.
She was pretty engaged in the movie...and only asked to go home once (I think it was because it was a boring part of the movie).
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| SMILE! |
These are the things I learned as a Momma taking the wee to the movies:
- The light up shoes Grandma Fitzgerald bought for Ainsley is not a good idea in the theater.
- Carmike doesn't sell chocolate milk.
- The lunchbox purse is LOUD; bring a softer purse with distraction toys.
- Ainsley gets in for free until she's 4. Ainsley will be 3 for a LONG TIME.
After the movie, Ainsley posed with the Beauty and the Beast cutout thing. As we were entering, she showed it to Big Sarah and pointed out all the people. Cute.
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| Shoot 'em up! |
As we were leaving, Ainsley discovered the shooting game and grabbed onto the gun. Momma was proud (as that's my game of choice as well), Big Sarah declared that Ainsley needed to spend more time with her because clearly Ainsley should have been hugging the giraffe in the Madagascar cutout thing. A did eventually go after the Madagascar animals.
All in all, I think it was a good time. Sean said that Ainsley said she had fun. When I ask her what her favorite part was, she tells me, "I don't know." Of course, she's playing on the iPad right now, that may be why she is less than cooperative--I'll be blogging on that later. When I tell her she can't play the iPad unless she answers me, she says, "It was Beauty and the Beast. With Mrs. Potts and Chip and the fire and that clock." Lasting impression there. Yessiree.
