getting there to enjoy the movie was a huge .... but very ironically funny.... moment in the whole process!!!Our poor little helper..... some days I think no one needs volunteer hours this bad!! Here is sort of how going to the mall . movie went!
1) We finally corral all six of the kids, get winter coats & gloves on cause of the ice cold wind chill then get them in the car...... course two manage to poop after they have been buckled in so we have to start over!
2) We drive to the Mall...about 30 minutes away and of course no handicapped parking available anywhere near the movie entrance or any entrance I can see. I actually hate to use the handicapped parking, but there are very few places you can actually fit a 15 passenger GMC van in. Course I finally manage to find a spot and squeeze the van in, but opening the side doors is next to impossible!
3) I make the kids leave the dolls int he car (thank heavens)! Courtney and I manage to squeeze out the wagons and the strollers and "pen the kids into between the cars while we unload, and make it into the van having to stop and pick up the wagon 4 times to go over a speed bump, a curb , and 2 medians. BUT WE MAKE IT! WE ARE IN THE DOOR! WE are halfway to our quest of seeing the movie.
4) We go upstairs to get the tickets in the elevator. I swear all malls have the slowest elevators on the planet! During this time Adrian is pointing out how many times she could have been up and down on the escalator to the top while we are waiting. (Scariest thing is she was right....almost 15 times could she have gone up and down while we waited for that elevator seemed an accurate estimate)
5) We wait in line meet a few really nice people who comment on how well behaved the children are (course they are at this moment.... they all missed the arbitrarily throw your coat off and onto the floor a few moments ago that four of the six participated in!) and they know to get to the movie they have to not drive me nuts! We get four children's & two adults tickets and then head back to the elevator to go to the food court! Another long wait for the elevator!
6) It is 1:45 pm.... and the food court is PACKED all the normal lines where the children would are about 40 minutes long (at least 20+ people / orders) so we go for the Japanese grill. I go to get in line and take Adrian and Melea with me.... While Courtney is getting the rest situated at the table.
Most of the way there I am arguing with Adrian who is furious there are no little tables..... (this mall has children's tables and she remembers that as well as that they have a two story merry go round) and of course they are all taken! Somehow I am supposed to kick out the other people and there kids to make Adrian happy. NOT This becomes a most interesting discussion with Princess Grumpy and why we wait. Now we have been waiting to order for almost 8 minutes, we are one person away when.........drumroll................MELEAS SAYS "I have to pee!"!
This is great.... cause we are potty training, but of course requires us to leave the line and go to the bathroom! Then we all love to play in the " self flushing bathrooms and the sensor operated toilets & sinks.
We finally get back in line and wait about 10 more minutes to get tot he front, mean while Melea has been coning the "Sample Guy" to keep getting little samples of the chicken ....cause she is so hungry..... that after we finally get our food and we sit down and divvy up the two dinners for five of the six kids....Colin eats noodles and shares it with mom and some of it with Melea!.
Melea keeps signing all done and only wants her water. I am concerned for a few moments till she empties her pockets. I then realize that Melea has 11 tooth picks in her pocket.... so she probably really is full from the samples.
7) We finish lunch, and head off to the "up and down" (merry go round for the rest of the world! My favorite part of the trip tot he mall is that the "Up and down" is next to Starbucks!!! Boy do I deserve one, and I need to get Courtney something... she is starting to look worn out! (My six kids can do that to ya!) Then I see how long the line is!!!!!!!! Why oh why did I promise we would go!8) We manage to buy tokens, wait in line.... my tights have suddenly started to creep down as we are waiting! Eventually we get all the kids on the ride, everybody on an animal..... Colin is no longer freaked out, but he still only chooses animals that do not go up and down! BUT THIS IS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT! But somehow I get so we are all close to each other, get the tokens to the nice lady. As the "up and down" starts I swear the centrifugal force somehow manages to cause my tights to fall further
By the end of the ride my tights are all the way down to the tops of my boots (I guess the diet & exercise program is helping.... just didn't need to find that out NOW!) I am so thankful I have an ankle length skirt on..... BUT it is making holding Jordan and Miranda next to impossible to get back to the strollers (AND I SWEAR WE STOPPED AS FAR AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE FROM THEM!!)
We finally get to the strollers and we start walking to the elevator. I am panicked that everyone can see my tights have fallen.... there is no way to graciously or even ungraciously pull them up.... I am hoping I can at least do it in the elevator before the fall farther and I actually trip over them ! Course now there are two other moms with strollers waiting to get on! SO I just keep praying I won't trip and that we make it to the theater!
9) We go into the huge metro plex..... all the children need to be changes, tights still around my knees and I am trying to keep them from falling further...... I make it to the bathroom and we fix mine and of course Adrian needs to pee so she gets out of line for the family changing room (only place I can whip through 5 diapers and etc in 5 minutes) so We have to start that wait back over .....not everyone is as quick as me at doing this! So we wait 10 more minutes (8 minutes till movie should start) before we can enter.......
Today I take the same pattern we always do...... I ask who needs to go to bathroom .... I never actually expect a response and Courtney is setting up the massive but quick changing line...... and I turn around at Adrian's beckoning.... and there is Colin sitting on the potty! I am astounded. Then Melea and Eliza decide it is time to do the same! OK slightly over joyed......
We do some quick diaper changing after that and then off to sit in the theater!
10) Courtney and I manage to get all the kids and strollers, and wagons into the theater. We get the seats and then I take Melea and Adrian to get popcorn (I should have just stopped while I was ahead....but no I am really craving popcorn and Colin has been signing it on and off since we passed it!)
We get to wait in line again..... I am so tired of lines by this point, we make it up to the front, we order the popcorn, drinks and I get everything set to go.....Melea is bouncing off the wall with her bag and soda! She is so excited and she is helping carry it..... then the absolute worst thing that can happen at this moment does.... the FIRE ALARM GOES OFF with instructions to evacuate. I am panicked, cause I can't go back the way we came to our theater (against flow of traffic) and poor Courtney is in the theater with three non walkers, and Colin. The strobe lights and sound are going off so loud that I am worried that Colin will have a panic attack and hold onto the chair for dear life! I am worried about Courtney with the other kids, and I am trying to get Melea to come and she spills her popcorn! SO she is now screaming that I should stop and pick it up! (I left the other five bags on the counter with the sodas ) and Adrian for a change is following directions and holding onto my hand and Meleas leg (I have her draped over my shoulder now cause she is kicking and screaming about her popcorn!)
Luckily it was just a false alarm! They let Melea, Adrian & I back in the front, I stop and get the popcorn, and the nice clerk gives Melea another bag (THANK YOU!!!!) and we head down to find the others. Well they are not in the theater. The wagon is there. I get Melea and Adrian situated with their sodas and drinks, still now one is returning at all. Another mom notices I am a little panicked and offers to watch them (BY THE WAY THEY NEVER STOPPED THE MOVIE! SO it is rolling) I go outside and find a teenager, oh... she hasn't seen them. I mention it is four kids, and a teenager and about 50 other people who have not returned. She calls her boss... and then we realize that no one ever gave them the "all clear" and let them back from where they exited. After they get them out of the cold corridor and headed back... still no Courtney and the other four .... I peer down and I see her slowly trudging up the walk with all of them and Colin pushing Miranda. I hug them all and realize......
OK this has been Mom and Courtney's terrible, awful and horrible bad day!!!! And at least we can now enjoy the movie! I promise Courtney..... this has never happened to us at the movies before! (I HOPE IT NEVER EVER HAPPENS AGAIN!)
and then we sit there watching the Veggies..... I realize for the first time ever.... THEY DO NOT HAVE ARMS! OK now I am perplexed!
11) We all make it home and the kids all enjoyed the movie, and their popcorn and the fun! So at least it was fun for them.
Anyone think Courtney will ever volunteer to go to the movies with all of us again?
At least there was no puking or pooppy diareaha etc on this visit! Just a strobe light and a lot of screaming!
Presendents's Day is next month on the 18th.... anyone want to come with us then?
By the end of the ride my tights are all the way down to the tops of my boots (I guess the diet & exercise program is helping.... just didn't need to find that out NOW!) I am so thankful I have an ankle length skirt on..... BUT it is making holding Jordan and Miranda next to impossible to get back to the strollers (AND I SWEAR WE STOPPED AS FAR AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE FROM THEM!!)
We finally get to the strollers and we start walking to the elevator. I am panicked that everyone can see my tights have fallen.... there is no way to graciously or even ungraciously pull them up.... I am hoping I can at least do it in the elevator before the fall farther and I actually trip over them ! Course now there are two other moms with strollers waiting to get on! SO I just keep praying I won't trip and that we make it to the theater!
9) We go into the huge metro plex..... all the children need to be changes, tights still around my knees and I am trying to keep them from falling further...... I make it to the bathroom and we fix mine and of course Adrian needs to pee so she gets out of line for the family changing room (only place I can whip through 5 diapers and etc in 5 minutes) so We have to start that wait back over .....not everyone is as quick as me at doing this! So we wait 10 more minutes (8 minutes till movie should start) before we can enter.......
Today I take the same pattern we always do...... I ask who needs to go to bathroom .... I never actually expect a response and Courtney is setting up the massive but quick changing line...... and I turn around at Adrian's beckoning.... and there is Colin sitting on the potty! I am astounded. Then Melea and Eliza decide it is time to do the same! OK slightly over joyed......
We do some quick diaper changing after that and then off to sit in the theater!
10) Courtney and I manage to get all the kids and strollers, and wagons into the theater. We get the seats and then I take Melea and Adrian to get popcorn (I should have just stopped while I was ahead....but no I am really craving popcorn and Colin has been signing it on and off since we passed it!)
We get to wait in line again..... I am so tired of lines by this point, we make it up to the front, we order the popcorn, drinks and I get everything set to go.....Melea is bouncing off the wall with her bag and soda! She is so excited and she is helping carry it..... then the absolute worst thing that can happen at this moment does.... the FIRE ALARM GOES OFF with instructions to evacuate. I am panicked, cause I can't go back the way we came to our theater (against flow of traffic) and poor Courtney is in the theater with three non walkers, and Colin. The strobe lights and sound are going off so loud that I am worried that Colin will have a panic attack and hold onto the chair for dear life! I am worried about Courtney with the other kids, and I am trying to get Melea to come and she spills her popcorn! SO she is now screaming that I should stop and pick it up! (I left the other five bags on the counter with the sodas ) and Adrian for a change is following directions and holding onto my hand and Meleas leg (I have her draped over my shoulder now cause she is kicking and screaming about her popcorn!)
Luckily it was just a false alarm! They let Melea, Adrian & I back in the front, I stop and get the popcorn, and the nice clerk gives Melea another bag (THANK YOU!!!!) and we head down to find the others. Well they are not in the theater. The wagon is there. I get Melea and Adrian situated with their sodas and drinks, still now one is returning at all. Another mom notices I am a little panicked and offers to watch them (BY THE WAY THEY NEVER STOPPED THE MOVIE! SO it is rolling) I go outside and find a teenager, oh... she hasn't seen them. I mention it is four kids, and a teenager and about 50 other people who have not returned. She calls her boss... and then we realize that no one ever gave them the "all clear" and let them back from where they exited. After they get them out of the cold corridor and headed back... still no Courtney and the other four .... I peer down and I see her slowly trudging up the walk with all of them and Colin pushing Miranda. I hug them all and realize......
OK this has been Mom and Courtney's terrible, awful and horrible bad day!!!! And at least we can now enjoy the movie! I promise Courtney..... this has never happened to us at the movies before! (I HOPE IT NEVER EVER HAPPENS AGAIN!)
and then we sit there watching the Veggies..... I realize for the first time ever.... THEY DO NOT HAVE ARMS! OK now I am perplexed!
11) We all make it home and the kids all enjoyed the movie, and their popcorn and the fun! So at least it was fun for them.
Anyone think Courtney will ever volunteer to go to the movies with all of us again?
At least there was no puking or pooppy diareaha etc on this visit! Just a strobe light and a lot of screaming!
Presendents's Day is next month on the 18th.... anyone want to come with us then?
1 comment:
Oh my goodness Jane! This TOTALLY has me cracking up!!! I swear my mouth hit the floor when you wrote about the fire alarm! TOO funny! I've alwaya wondered why the Veggies don't have arms too! LOL
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