A Memorial Day to Forget!

So, we told the kids we would go see Night at the Museum 2 today to celebrate the "almost end" of school. We have never taken all 4 kids to the movies with us. There may be a reason for that. We have lived here almost a year, and I had never been to the movie theater here. Now I know why.

We decide to go to the earliest showing - 12:05. We could get popcorn, and that would be our lunch. No, I have absolutely no problem feeding my children popcorn and coke for lunch, why do you ask? So, we get there, and even with the child's tickets and matinee prices, it costs us $41 to get in. Then, I take the 3 younger kids and go find seats while Steve & Levi get the snacks. I told him to get 1 large bucket of popcorn because you get free refills, and I brought along some paper lunch bags in my purse. And even doing that, it cost us $35 at the snack bar. When they get there, I start to divide it up between the sacks, and I am immediately aware of how greasy it is. I really just expect it to be greasy on the top because I know that Levi wanted to put the God-awful butter-oil stuff on it, But somehow that child managed to get so much pseudo-butter crap that it was pooled in the bottom. The sacks were immediately soaked from the oil, but I passed them out anyway, and sent Steve to get a refill before the movie even started.

So, we are all set. Everyone has popcorn and a drink, and the movie starts right on time. The only bad thing about the bags was they were a little noisy, but I figured what with Joey kicking the seat in front of him the entire time, that little crinkly sacks would be the least of the poor people's worries who were sitting around us. Sam was the first one to have to go the bathroom. Steve took him. About 20 minutes later, Lily-Grace had to go. She and Joey had both taken off their shoes, and we couldn't find them in the dark, so we headed off to the bathroom barefoot. Eww! Somehow in the midst of the movie both Joey & Levi managed to drop their drinks on the floor. So, pretty much the whole aisle where we were sitting was a combination of greasy, sticky mess. There was fighting over who got to hold the actual "bucket" of popcorn, constant battles to keep Joey from kicking the seat in front of us, Joey moving back and forth between Steve & I, and Lily-Grace climbing in my lap and grabbing my hands to cover her eyes from the scary parts. I really can't tell you much about the movie. It was cute, I think, but not as good as the first one. But really, my opinion shouldn't count for much. At all.

When the lights come back on, we find everyone's shoes and try to get out of there as fast as we can before the poor workers see the mess we have made. Levi sees someone else's almost-full bucket of popcorn and grabs it and takes it with him on the way out! I couldn't even stomach the thought of more popcorn - I was starting to feel sick from all that pseudo-butter. Sam felt the same way I did because he asked Levi to please put it in the back so he didn't have to smell it.

On the way home we discussed how much nicer it was to just rent a movie and stay home. That was pretty much the worst $75 bucks I have ever spent. But it gets better. I left to run some errands, and came home a couple of hours later. When I came in the house, Lily-Grace was laying on the floor of the living room, moaning and crying. No one was paying her the least bit of attention. Steve said she was complaining of her stomach hurting. She wanted me to hold her, so I picked her up and sat down on the couch. We had been sitting for about 5 seconds when she started barfing all down my back. Nice. My main thought was for the couch. Thank God for leather! I jumped off the couch and Steve sprang into action and got the trash can to catch the rest of the barf. I have to say, that is the worst I have ever been covered in throw-up. I hope to God that remains the record. Both of us had to have showers after that.

Soon after that, Steve had diarrhea, and I was still feeling nauseous. Later, another child, who shall remain nameless, had diarrhea and couldn't make it to the toilet in time. Wonderful. Let me just say, whatever that pseudo-butter is, it is evil. Really, really evil. Let me also say, the next time we go to the movies (in about another year or so) there will be no snacks. That is why I am writing about it here, so we will never forget, as much as I would like to. I think I'll go to bed now!