Silly Old Bear

 
Thomas hit a milestone this week.  He got to go to the theater and see his very first big-screen movie.  Our friend, Kami, took him to see the new Winnie the Pooh.

Now, for those of you who know our Thomas, you know that he's not exactly a sit still for an hour-and-a-half kind of kid.  He's not really a sit still for five minutes kind of kid.  But I hoped that the animation and simple storyline of Pooh would combine to help his restless little legs be still.

Before Kami picked him up, I had a talk with him.  "Thomas," I said, "You are going to a movie.  We don't jump or run in movies.  We sit in our seats."  "Okay mommy," he said.  "Thomas, do we run in a movie?"  "Nooo."  "Thomas, do we jump in a movie?"  "No."  "Do we sit still in a movie?"  (emphatic) "Yes!!!"

Just to be safe, I had that conversation with him once more before he left.  And then Kami had that conversation with him twice in the ten minute drive over there.  I told her to call me if there were any problems and she needed me to come get him.

The movie ended and my phone had not rung.  I called Kami (wondering if she had just dealt with my little monkey's rowdiness without calling).  "So," I said, "How'd he do?"  "Oh," said Kami, "Remember how you were worried about him sitting still?"  "Yes." (Somewhat nervously) "Well," she continued, "You do not have to worry about him sitting still in a movie."  "I don't?" "No," she said.  You don't."  "Okay." I said, somewhat surprised and relieved. "What you do have to worry about is how much he gets into the movie.  The whole time it was playing he was shouting loudly at the characters.  Every time anything went wrong, he would shout "Nooooooo!!!" at the top of his lungs.

Remember how he wanted to go to college with Steve, Joe, and Blue? I'm thinking there will soon come a time when a pre-movie conversation will involve somehow teaching Thomas that life and media are not actually one and the same.

But perhaps, I can let him stay engrossed just a little bit longer.  He may look like a five year-old, but he only gets to be almost three for a very little while.

"I don't see much sense in that," said Rabbit.  "No," said Pooh humbly, "there isn't. But there was going to be when I began it. It's just that something happened to it along the way."