New experiences

This weekend was full of new experiences! Saturday was the day I have been waiting for since Donovan turned three. It was his first trip to the movie theater!!! I am not 100% sure he was really ready, but I was so I kinda forced it on him. Plus I knew he would have a great time. We went and saw "Monsters University" as it has been out for over a month now and I thought it would be pretty dead in the theater in case we had loud kids or had to leave early. We went with Dono's bestie Ian and his mom as it was Ian's first time at the movies too. Here are the little tykes posing in front of a "Turbo" advertisement. There weren't and "Monsters" posters still up.  The boys were really excited! We went to a 10:00 show. Perfect for the 4 yr old crowd.

We made sure to get some refreshments to keep the boys happy. They got popcorn, M&Ms, fruit snacks and a slushie. Luckily 4 yr olds can't eat all that so I got to help too.  This was Dono waiting for the show to start. He refused to relax and sit back in his seat. For every preview he would ask, "Is this the movie mom?"

Pretty whited out but still a fun one of me and Dono in the dark, waiting for the main event. Can you tell how happy I was to be back in the theater seeing a movie?

The boys did really well and both made it though the movie! Ian would ask questions in his regular loud voice so that was funny. Dono spent about half the time on my lap and jumped pretty high at one point but didn't really get upset about anything. This was the boys afterwards.

We already have the next movie for the boys to go see all planned out for them.  I think they will agree to it as long as they get to hang out together.

Then on Sunday we got this awesome opportunity to go to the cardinals game and sit in a suite. One of Tom's friends from college was in town for his 35th birthday and his (apparently awesome) wife got him the suite as a present. So a bunch of us and kids were invited and Tom and I jumped at the chance to go as a family because, hey, free tickets! And plus we figured this would be the best way to ease Reese into the baseball atmosphere. It was her first cardinals game!

She was pumped! Walking around the stadium to get our tickets before the game she leaned up to my ear and said "I am a baseball girl!"  Dono requested the below picture by Dizzy Dean's statue, but then some people were there by the time we got back with my phone to take a pic so we settled on the Ozzie Smith one instead.

After we got our tickets it was straight to the build a bear store. I envisioned both kids making a Fredbird for YEARS now but they had other plans. Dono wanted a cardinal bird, which I was totally fine with, and Reese wanted a flipping Hello Kitty. Seriously. Couldn't even sway her with the clydesdale.  But alas I let her get it because above all I like my little girl to be happy and happy she was. Then it was up to the suite for more playing with Ian, free food and baseball.

Reese got to partake in some Cotton candy on behalf of Ian's daddy. She was in heaven.

About mid game (just as the Cardinals were about to score all their runs) the kids decided they wanted to go to the kids area and play. As we were almost there we ran into FREDBIRD!!!!!! Reese was so excited! She was a little hesitant at first but then stood there like a champ and then NEVER STOPPED TALKING ABOUT HIM THE REST OF THE GAME!  It went a little something like this:

Reese: "I saw Fredbird. I want to see Fredbird again. Where is Fredbird? Fredbird was missing me. I want to go see Fredbird again. Fredbird was missing me. I not want Fredbird to come in my crib. I not want Fredbird to come in my house. Fredbird was missing me. Where is Fredbird?"

I finally had to tell her that Fredbird was resting or taking a nap so that she gave me a break asking where he was and if she could go see him. Everytime we saw him in the crowd she would point and get all excited like she saw a celebrity. Who knew she could love that bird so much.

Here are the three amigo's on the way to the play place. A little blurry but still cute.

Overall the kids did really well, especially considering neither of them got a nap that day. We ended up staying for the end of the game (although we were walking out as they made the last out) and hitting the team store for some new cardinals shirts. And the cardinals even pulled off a win! It was a very fun and enjoyable game, as far as those go with a 2 and a 4 yo. Tom and I joke that next game when we have to go sit in the cheap seats and there are no new shirts or stuffed animals gotten, the kids will get a real taste of what baseball games are like and be pissed. Guess we should not have started with such a high bar.