A typical movie experience with E is both entertaining and exhausting.
We start our movie watching experience with a trip to the concession stand. No movie experience would be complete without popcorn. Of course, this being a story about E; the enjoyment of popcorn itself is unique. If you ever wanted to enjoy popcorn that was been pre-moisted for easier chewing, one must share popcorn with him. E loves to lick the salt and butter off the popcorn and return the "used" kernel to the community bucket. Obviously, as a family, we continue to enjoy "fresh" and "used" popcorn without any squeamishness. A secondary aspect of sharing popcorn with E is the popcorn being strewn about our general seating area. After a movie, our seats are similar to the feeding of pigeons. I am sure the theater workers are not fans of E's popcorn eating style.
We usually don't see movies on the day or in the month they open. We wait for a quieter time of day far from the release date. Yesterday, there were only three other families enjoying the movie. Less is more. I could be a bit more relaxed (but I rarely am) when there are fewer people in the theater.
Once the trailers start, E settles in and begins watching. There is nothing like a good set of movie trailers. E's iPod is loading with many movie trailers. He is a big, big fan. In fact, one of the two quietest of moments with E during the movie watching experience is the trailers before the movie starts. He will usually identify some aspect of a trailer that he likes. Whether it is the fact that it is a Pixar or Disney production or involves characters from other films he's seen, trailers are mini-movies to be enjoyed.
After the movie begins, it becomes an active movie watching experience. Between holding the popcorn bucket, make sure he isn't bouncing out of his seat like Tigger, handing him his bottle of water, going to the bathroom, giving him his iPod or telling him to whisper, our movie experience is full contact. Yesterday was no exception. In addition to the foregoing activities, E discovered that when he leaned back slightly in his seat it squeaked, which he took great delight in replicating over and over again.
E is what I call a multiprocessor. He can watch a DVD, play a video game, listen to music and multitude of other things at the same time. The cacophony of noise is tolerable by his family, but we try to not subject the public to it. Thankfully, no one has ever complained about E's multiprocessing at a movie theater. About half way through the movie, E tapped his head above his ear, which is E-sign for iPod. I handed him his iPod, while juggling the bucket of popcorn, water bottle, his hands and arms and stopping him for launching himself skyward.
The last couple of movies we have gone to a theater to see haven't been good choices. E has ended up E-signing that he is done as well as shrieking at the top of his lungs. Taking our cue, we have left the movies early. I still don't know how the Smurfs got back to their village or how Puss in Boots' adventure ends. Yesterday, we didn't leave the movie early. We stayed through the end. However, E took advantage of the dark, quiet, comfortable theater and took a nap. Not the cheapest or most expensive nap he has ever taken, but somewhat disappointing given that when he naps he doesn't usually sleep well that night. Normally, I would take advantage and take a little nap myself, but there is no way to sleep with the squeak of chipmunk voices through digital dolby sound.
Sandi and I finished the movie while E napped across three seats, the ends occupied by Sandi and I. She got to deal with his snoring, I got his slightly wet boots. I woke E as the credit begin to roll. This is the second quietest moment of the E movie watching experience. Yes, we are that family that sits through to the very last frame of the movie credits. Here is a pics of E enjoying the credits. I am not sure where his fascination with credits evolved from. My guess is the music combined with the order of the words is the draw. E has even invented a game related to movie credit watching. We compete to find all of the individuals who contributed to the movie production named either Thomas (signified by E pointing up and saying Ta-Ta-Ta) or Arthur (signified by E again pointing up and saying Ar-Ar). Sadly and incredibly, no Thomas or Arthur were found yesterday.
No movie experience would be complete without playing a video game. This theater was no exception to the modern movie experience contained a small arcade. After one driving video game, E was satisfied with his Sunday afternoon. We left the theater with a content, happy and rested E.
Thanks E for changing movie watching from a passive activity to a full contact sport.
Thanks for reading; more to come
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