It all started with a dinnertime gimmick to keep P-Finn planted in his chair for an entire meal. We'd watch movie previews on my iPhone Trailers app in between bites of pasta and sliced apples. A total dad move on my part. To be honest, it worked wonders in keeping him seated... though the videos mostly distracted him from eating. OK. So that trick didn't work as well as I hoped it would.
Patrick noticed the Lorax trailer right away from a small thumbnail image; something about bright orange color and signature mustache that made him jump off the page. Dr. Seuss was a steady part of our bedtime book rotation, especially The Lorax. Seeing the image, he jumped at the opportunity to watch the trailer. And re-watch the trailer. And re-watch that same exact trailer all over again.
It had become part of an obsession on our part. We started to read (and re-read) the book several nights a week. Then, right before bed, we would turn off all the lights and watch a few trailers under the covers of his bed. He would manipulate the iPhone's touch screen. Anything in the "Family" genre was game: Hugo, Puss in Boots, The Secret World of Arietty, Brave, and especially The Lorax.
After five months in waiting, The Lorax opened on Dr. Seuss' B-Day-- also celebrated as "Read Across America". In light of P-Finn's steadfast devotion to both the book and movie trailer, my wife and I decided take him to the movies as a surprise. I have to admit, we had some reservations about bringing Patrick to a packed theater during the movie's opening weekend.
Our previous movie-going attempts were characterized by P-Finn's sprints up and down the staircase mixed with marathon bouts of 'not listening'. Idle threats of, "Keep this up and we're leaving," even though I didn't want to miss the last 30-minutes when I paid over $30 for admission. On top of that, Maura was irritable due to a recent change in her medication. Recipe for a good time.
We arrived late-- at least 10 minutes into the previews-- and had to sit towards the front row. Maura did break down into a fit of Kepprage and pre-nap irritability. Caroline nursed her to sleep. P-Finn was firmly planted in his seat throughout the entire movie. Success! Funny enough, Patrick started to recite the lines he memorized from the trailer during the appropriate scenes.
And the best part? Patrick repeatedly asked, "Is it over? Dad, why is the movie over?" when the credits began to roll. This morning he even asked if we could head back to see Lorax in the movies. Time to get Patricked hyped up for Pixar's Brave so he can be ready by summertime.
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