"Ironman 3" with Brayden and Whitley

If you are one of the millions that went to see "Ironman 3" this last weekend - don't tell me how it ends.  Because, even though I'm among the statistics for people purchasing tickets for opening day of this movie, I didn't actually get to watch it all.  Actually, I probably only got to enjoy the first third.

Whitley felt like I ought to enjoy watching her more than the movie.

That's fair.  She's 8 months old.  I can't expect her to be into comic book action movies yet - but, it won't stop me from trying in the future.  However, thanks to her behavior Friday morning, the future won't be starting for a couple of years.  She's been kind of banned from being my movie date until she's at least old enough to ask to be able to go.  =)

At least Brayden got to hang in through the whole movie on his day off from school (one of the rare ones where his middle school doesn't have school, but Mikayla's elementary did).  In an effort to maximize our chances of Whitley sleeping through, we picked the earliest showing to accommodate her (usual) morning nap.  (And, also so that I could get my concession food and eat it before being banned from eating for the rest of the day for the sinus procedure in the afternoon....You know, priorities!)

Things started out VERY promising (and actually stayed that way through the previews and my medium sized popcorn container...bless her heart!).  

But, then she woke up.  And, despite all the action scenes, there are some moments of dialogue in which the other movie-goers might prefer to hear the actors on the big screen vs. Whitley's adorable rambling review of what she thought.  

So, we stepped outside of the theater for a while.

Then, we visited the bathroom and she found the mirror in there to be HIGHLY ENTERTAINING.

Finally, I gave up completely, and stopped trying to return to our seats and instead set up camp in the hallway of the theater.  Ironically, Whitley LOVED sitting in the booster seats out there.  She also thought the 3D glasses (fresh from their individual wrapping...so not as "un-sanitary" as it could be) - were a hit - though I think she missed the point of them.

Ultimately, the biggest hit for Whitley was watching and laughing at her own videos on my smartphone.  I'm not going to say she's narcissistic or anything...I think she just knows what is "true quality entertainment".

It was one of those experiences that I walked away only slightly bummed that I missed the movie (and a little bored), but even as I'm typing this, recognize how blockbuster movies are a dime a dozen, but my experience on this day at the cinema was truly never to be repeated.  Priceless. 

(For the record, we attracted a lot of smiles and attention from theater-goers finding her antics to be absolutely delightful and amusing.  Among our crowd was one of the managers who gave me a free pass to the next movie I plan to go to.  Thanks Cinemark!)