at the movies

So we thought we'd try something new. A first. The plan: movie outing with the Mak-Tatos. But first... a little research on the computer by this girl scout nerd. Is my child ready to see the movies? I typed. For real. Leave your judgement and amusement at the door, please. Lo, and behold. A checklist! Thank you, Google. You really do have the answers.

Exhibit A

Is your child above three? CHECK. Can he sit through a movie at home? CHECK. Wonder if that would exclude multiple pee breaks? Does the movie have familiar characters? CHECK. This is Ice Age. And every kid loves a dinosaur. Bring drinks and snacks. CHECK, CHECK and an extra CHECK. MacDaddy was armed and ready for war. Popcorn, smoothies, nachos, quesadillas, you name it. Explain what the movie is about. Half a CHECK. I did. Apparently, MacDaddy told them it was about penguins.

Conclusion...Throw out the survey, take the leap of faith and see for yourself. This is real life, after all. There are no cue cards or a script. Or even a guarantee of a happy ending. Four seconds after we sat down, Tato wanted to be anywhere but there and chose to stay by the entrance. Popcorn in hand, we both sat on the carpeted floor figuring out the plot by relying on the audio and absolutely no view of the screen. MacDaddy, MacYaya and Mak enjoyed the feast and the film... in that order. All went well until Mak noticed, an hour into the film, that Tato was gone too long. And realized he missed his brother more than he cared to know how the story would end. And... that was Sunday at the movies.

Exhibit B