We went to the movies!

On Monday, we took the boys to the movies for the first time ever. We saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

They both did really well and we're proud of both of them for making it through the entire show, including the 4 trailers, without taking a break. 

Isaac sat on my right. Nathan sat on my left. Randy was on Nathan's left. We flanked him to make it easier on everyone, including the other movie-goers.

We bought the biggest bucket of popcorn, and the smallest lemonade. May as well go all out!

We packed Nathan's backpack with his weighted blanket, Pink Kitty, and headphones. Nobody stopped us to inquire about its contents. He also had his iPod to help him get through the lines. 

We got a booster seat for Isaac, but he decided he didn't want it. When the scroll started at the beginning, I leaned into him and started reading it to him. I was sucking on a peppermint candy cane because I didn't want to have stinky breath. Isaac is the type of person who will tell you if you have stinky breath. He gets that from me. If you have a booger in your nose or something stuck in your teeth, I'll let you know. 

So I start reading and he politely whispered, "Mom, will you please stop?" I was surprised. And I whispered, "You don't want me to read it to you?" And he shook his head no. Ok, little dude, no problem. 

There were a few times during the movie that Nathan started to get overwhelmed, but he held it together. He ate most of the popcorn, but spilled some on the floor, which was a potential for a meltdown, but he didn't.

He waved his hands above his head during the end because he was excited. But he put his hands down when we whispered that we need to respect the people behind us. He leaned forward and waved to his brother a couple of times, which was really sweet and made me smile. He did bounce a few times in his seat, which is difficult for me to not do, so I get it. There were separate times that Randy and I each asked Nathan if he needed to take a break; he said no. He leaned forward and let me gently rub big circles on his back, and it helped calm him.

After he accidentally spilled his popcorn, he chewed on Pink Kitty's tail so much that her entire tail, as well as her rear end, were soaked by the end of the movie. But Pink Kitty's job is to provide comfort. He's had her since he was 3 months old and she is very loved. And she's very well made; been through the washing machine several times; and with all the chewing he does, I've only mended the tip of her tail once. But after this experience, she needs to be mended again. And that's totally ok.

 

Here we see Pink Kitty, who does her job amazingly well.

After the movie, we had a challenging time getting Nathan out of the building because he saw the video games and made a beeline towards them. After Isaac and I hit the bathroom, I sent Randy and Isaac out to bring the truck to the front door, and took Nathan into the bathroom. Fortunately, the ladies room was empty, we got in and out, and then left the building.

We talked about the movie, and Nathan said he liked it but "there was too much dying." Isaac loved the entire experience. Like his father, he takes his movies very seriously.

The only thing Randy and I didn't anticipate was how Nathan would be on Tuesday, the day after. It was pretty rough. Nathan had a lot, and I mean a LOT, of seizures. So much so that, in hindsight, I should've given him an extra dose of his medication to help him out. But I was so fried from watching the movie twice and sitting for 5 hours that I didn't think of it until he was asleep last night. I feel badly; but he's doing better today.

So the lesson is that he can go to the movies, but the next day will likely need to be a lay-low day. And that's totally fine with me. I am thankful that we, as a family, had a milestone in that we went to the movies. I am also thankful that I learned what to do to better help my kiddo with special needs.