Movie Night

On Friday night Ava went to her first movie.  I wasn’t sure if Ava was ready for the theater experience, thinking that she wouldn’t be able to sit through a whole movie, let alone sit quietly.  Our school had reserved an entire theater for a special SSIS movie night, so I figured that it was a good opportunity to take Ava, knowing that the theater would be filled with excited kids.  The featured movie was The Lorax, showing as a special closing in celebration of Earth Week at SSIS.  In preparation for the big night, Gary read Ava The Lorax before bedtime and she was instantly captivated by the story (Dr. Seuss is magic at all ages).  I also began talking to her about going to the movies so that by the time Friday came, Ava was so excited to go.

We of course began the big night out with a giant box of popcorn that also came with a pencil Trufala Tree.  We then climbed the steep stadium steps and headed for our seats. As soon as the lights dimmed and the screen came to life, Ava was at the edge of her seat.  During the movie, Ava asked a few clarifying questions, but for the most part she just smiled, laughed and was carried away with the bright colors of the scene unfolding before her.  Every once in a while I glanced over at her dimly lit face and saw that she was mesmerized by the figures on the screen.  I just imagined what she was thinking when the fabled Truffula Trees appeared on the screen looking so real that you could almost feel the touch of their tufts that were softer than silk and thinking if she breathed in that she could almost smell their butterfly milk.  

Back in reality under the bright lights, someone asked her “Ava, what did you think of the movie?” and in return she said “The Lorax was sad because the Once-ler cut down all of the trees.” That night we went home and she requested that I read “The Lorax” for her night time story. Sitting on her chair, we snuggled up and the story began, “At the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows…..” and before I got to the very sad scene where the Bar-ba-loots got crummies in their tummies, Ava had drifted off to sleep.  Before tucking her into bed, I kissed her honey-sweet skin and tried to remove the Truffula tree that she held fast in her hand.  Then in a sleep-filled, buttery voice she told me without opening her eyes “No, I can’t let my Truffula tree fall to the ground.”  So, I let her snuggle up with her blanket and her tree and imagined her dreaming about running through the tall green grass blowing in the fresh morning breeze claiming “I am Ava and I speak for the trees.”