Family Movie Night

Many areas of our lives have gotten a lot more fun since the twins turned three.  For starters, they are potty trained, sleep all night in their own beds, can get themselves dressed (sort of) in the morning, and they no longer need sippy cups anymore.  They have graduated from babyhood into true childhood, and it is a grand, wonderful time for our entire family because of this.  

One of my most favorite things to do, or should I say one of the experiences I have most yearned for (believe it or not), is having a family movie night.  A night when Danny and I could take all four kiddos to a mutually enjoyable family friendly movie, and all kids would sit and watch the movie through its entirety.  Well, folks, that happened on this very night.  We have tried family movies before, but the kids have never been able to make it through the whole show without getting bored, needing to go potty, or just plain having a meltdown mid-show.

Tonight we decided, at the very last minute, to run down to the mall to catch a late matinee of The Muppets.  Now granted, I am not a Muppet fan, like, at all.  I never got into it, and I could barely make it through the last Muppet movie.  The kids were interested, and the time was right, so we all loaded up into the car to watch the movie.  We were the only family in the theater!  That has never happened to us! We picked our favorite seats, broke open the bag of saltwater taffy, and watched preview after preview.  The Toy Story short movie was a definite treat, and I actually thought to myself that the short would be my most enjoyable viewing moment of the whole night since, again, I am not a Muppet fan.  Oh was I wrong!  And might I add, I have grown to slowly enjoy being wrong, shockingly!  The movie was so sweet, so funny, and so well acted!  I laughed, and dare I admit....I even cried at the end.  The kids loved it, and we all walked out of that theater happy...and a little hungry.  

Sometimes those unplanned, last minute evenings are the most enjoyable of all.  Have I mentioned that I love my family already? Because I do.  I love my little family.  Even when Gigi laid flat out on the floor in the theater.  Even when J.D. melted down at the drinking fountain when he couldn't reach the spout.  Even when the girls begged and begged and begged me for quarters to ride on the mall cars.  I love my family.  God is good.  And I am glad He gave me this perspective on those little hair-splitting moments of only a few hours ago, and now I can laugh.  

P.S.: See the Muppet movie....if only for the Barber Shop Quartet's version of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit.