Movies...

We're actually supposed to be at the summer movies this morning.  It's Wednesday, our movie day. Buck checked the movie tickets yesterday and exclaimed, "I'm not going!  It's An American Girl movie and there's no way I'm sitting through a movie about dolls."  Buck is our movie kid.  He has memorized more lines from more movies and he's really the reason we go to the summer movies. I take a vote. It's three to one against the movie. Majority wins, so we take the day off, which is fine with me. I was actually thinking about taking a small flashlight and working on our softball line-up during the movie, while the kids watched.

It's Little League All-Star season right now and my mind is consumed with one thing at the moment - softball. I'm getting nervous for our Friday game as we are trying to make one cohesive team of players who have not played together before. It's challenging, but I'm confident we'll put the right combinations together for our weekend tournament. The pressure is mounting and I'm starting to dream about the game. I realize, too, I'm not familiar enough with the rule book. Fortunately, I'm paired with the most tremendous coach and we make a good team - he makes up for my weaknesses. Still, I must cram. So, with the vote from the kids being to skip the movie today, I can stay home and prepare for softball. 

Last week, we saw Madagascar 2 for the summer movie and we took a vote there, too. Not about going, it was unanimous in favor of, but about where we would sit. We got there a little earlier than normal. The kids had been naughty at home, bickering, as we had gotten ready for the movie that day, so they lost their pop corn privileges before they ever left. They got to the movies a little dejected, but I reminded them to be grateful they were going at all. They mumbled to themselves as we walked in to find seats. One of them suggested sitting in the front section on the floor. Typically, we do not sit here unless the theater is packed. On this day, it was not. We could sit anywhere. As a group, we agreed we would sit in the floor seats for a change. We chose five seats in the back row and settled in.  

Colton spoke up, "Mom, let's sit in the very front row this time."

My reaction came quickly, without thought. "No!"

Colton looked defeated and started chatting with his siblings about his idea. I heard at least one no, but there were others he persuaded.  Three of them asked me this time.  I thought about it and after seeing it was three in favor of moving to the front row, I had been outvoted. (I should clarify here that I am in favor of family votes on certain things....where to go out to eat, where to sit, things of this nature. I do have veto power, which the little people know and there are many situations where voting is not an option. But, I do feel it important that the kids feel heard on issues that are inconsequential in nature.)

With the three to two vote in favor of sitting in the front row of the movie theater, we moved down. We sat, at first, slightly askew and off to the right of the screen. It felt funny to me, but I said nothing. One of the girls suggested we move to the left a little.  We got up as a group and moved left. Still not centered, I said nothing. Colton got up and decided that he should count the seats in the entire front row.  He walked all the way to the left isle and began counting.  He did this three times. (I'm sure those seated in the higher section were quite entertained by the mental patients in the front row.)  After a third and final seat count, Colton informed us that there were 27 seats and we need to be in seats 11 - 15.  We moved again and he was right, we were dead center looking straight up.

So, as we sat there in the front row of the movies, the only way that I could actually see the screen was to lay my head back onto the top of the seat. I'm not sure what others think about when sitting in the center seat of the front row at the movies, but I thought about head lice.  I've never had lice, nor have our kids. But, I have vivid memories of being in the third grade while our entire class went to the nurse's office to have our scalps picked through by the nurse. I remember the horror of it and I remember the little girl who had them. I don't remember her name because she never played with me. She always wore dresses and did not partake in our games of recess tackle football and obstacle course challenges. She had a sweet face and the longest hair - it was beautiful and went all the way down her back. I remember the day that she left the line and stood to the left while we were cleared and moved right. I remember feeling sad for her and when she came back to school, her beautiful long hair was gone. Cut short, like a boy. Head lice impacted me in the third grade and I'm slightly terrorized by them whenever my head needs to touch things where other heads have been.

I worked through my obsessive lice issues and finally pushed the thoughts from my brain. I was glad that I had already seen this movie, because from the center seat in the very front row, one can only really see the very bottom, middle of the screen. I noticed unusual things, like Gloria's belly button was square. I also noticed that my neck was sore. About half way through the movie, I realized that the kids were actually getting me back for taking their pop corn away. I had a sore neck and a small headache for at least a day.

So, today, I'm just as happy to skip the American Girl movie. I don't like dolls anyway and I'm with Buck on this one. The kids have friends coming over this afternoon and I'll have some extra time to work on my softball. Without a flashlight.