"Let's go to the Movies"

I love getting together with my girlfriends and having a GNO {Girl's Night Out}. It's the perfect opportunity to catch up, complain rave about our husbands, share notes on parenting and gossip discuss foreign affairs, of course. All while having a meal all to ourselves complete with an adult beverage, or two.

Last night I had a GNO, but it was very different from what I described above, because it was with Autumn. After Steve got home from work, Autumn and I got dressed and headed out all by ourselves. It was the first time, in a long time, that it was just she and I. So, we commemorated our first Mama-Daughter GNO with another first, we headed to the movies!

Autumn loves to watch movies at home, on the couch, surrounded by her collection of princess dolls, but we had yet to take her to an actual theater. She was so excited when I explained to her where we were going and even more excited when I told her we would be seeing "Monster's University". On the drive there she kept telling me to go super fast so we wouldn't miss the show!

Once we were at the window to purchase our tickets, I let Autumn tell the employee which movie we were there to see. She proudly told the woman and was thrilled when she was handed her own ticket to get in. As we walked towards the entrance of the theater the smell of buttered movie theater popcorn filled my nostrils and I heard Autumn say Mmmmm Mama, it smells good!

After a quick pit stop at the bathroom and spending Autumn's college fund on candy and drinks, we were finally headed in. We walked through the double doors into the dark theater and as we rounded the corner to climb to our seats, Autumn saw the screen. WOW Mama, it's so BIG, she said. I smiled, imagining just how big that screen must seem to a three year old.

Autumn sat in her own seat, next to me, with her blanket covering her legs, popcorn in her lap and a chocolate milk in the drink holder. She held onto my arm for most of the movie. She watched the whole thing, beginning to end, with only one bathroom break. She laughed when all of the other kids laughed and clapped her hands at the end.

While Autumn watched the movie, I watched her. I couldn't help but think that in the not so distant future it would be a boy she would be sitting next to, holding onto his arm instead of her Mama's.

I loved being Autumn's first date to the movies.