Ben and I wanted to do something special for the kids for Christmas. They’ve been cooped up for months on end, turning down invitations from friends, staying sheltered at home. They finally got their vaccines and we wanted to celebrate their success in staying healthy through the pandemic to that point.

Jack was very excited for the latest Spider-Man movie, but resigned to the wait for streaming. For Christmas we came up with a way to take them to the theater with minimal risk.

We picked a matinee, weekday showtime, hoping it wouldn’t be a full theater. Then we bought our tickets in the last row so no one could sit behind us. Then we bought the seats to the side and in front, to guarantee some distance between us and other guests. It worked!

The kids were so excited when they opened the envelope of tickets and we explained the plan. They had a great time at the movie.

We made them keep their masks on, so no snacks or drinks. Don’t worry, we pre-tipped our server generously and told him to get lost 😉 We treated the kids to Culver’s burgers and shakes on the way home to make up for missing the full Alamo experience.

Jack said it was the best movie ever. There were so many surprises. I don’t think we could have made it to streaming release in February without spoiling a lot of it. I worried Sam was too young, but he loved it too.

It was a very merry celebration!