Let’s go to the movies!

Remember the movie Annie? When Daddy Warbucks takes her and Ms. Farrell to the movies…it’s Annie’s first movie and she’s in awe of all that’s around her. I wish going to the movies was as glamorous as it is in Annie. Anyway, yesterday we took Ella to her first movie in a theatre. It was hot outside and we had just had lunch at a nearby restaurant, so Joe wanted to check out the movie selection. Let me say that since Ella’s birth I’m usually the one making the suggestions to “step outside the box.” I’m the one that has to convince Joe that a swingset is a good idea, or that she’ll love riding the carousel, or that Sesame Place will be so much fun! But yesterday, Joe was the one that had to convince me. He wanted to go to a movie and he was convinced that Ella would be fine. I was convinced that we’d sit there for 30 minutes then she’d get bored and we’d have to leave.

So we went into the movie theatre just to check out what was showing. Joe wanted to see the A-Team, but I knew there was no way Ella would sit through that. Option 2, Robin Hood…again, that wasn’t going to happen. However, the second Ella heard about Marmaduke she was hooked! A movie with talking dogs…what could be any better? So we went to see Marmaduke, and I am pleased to admit that Joe was totally right! Ella sat through the entire movie, clutching onto her doggie every minute, afterall, doggie loves a good talking dog movie too. She started out on Joe’s lap, then about half way through she came to my lap, then toward the end she decided to stand up. And yes, she talked much of the way through the movie (“Look mommy! That doggie is very sad!”), but so did all the other kids in the theatre so it wasn’t a big deal. She loved every minute of it. In fact, this morning when Metti arrived the first thing Ella told her was that she went to see a doggie movie!

This opens up a world of possibilities for us! Ok, not a WORLD but definitely more than we had before. Our summer activities are limited because it’s always so stinking hot outside, which means parks are mostly out of the question. Going to the pool isn’t as easy as just going to the pool. It involves a complete bandage change, and if the pool is far from our house then we have to ride home with completely wet bandages (imagine having a sponge all over your body…that’s what the bandages are like). It’s just very complicated. You can only go to the library so many times a week. Anyway, since Ella’s movie experience I learned that the theatre has free family movies every Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 10 am. They offer a G rated movie and a PG rated movie. When I got online I discovered that their movies include The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything (Ella’s a big Larry fan), Curious George (a show she watches every morning), and Horton Hears a Who (you know about her and Dr. Seuss). There are several other movies, but these are ones we’re sure she’d enjoy. So it looks like Ella’s summer activities have just expanded.

After the movie we headed to Toys R Us to get Ella’s birthday present. Yes, she got it a week early, but that’s because we’re leaving for Cincinnati this week and will be gone until Saturday, so I wanted to get it set up before her birthday. Ella got a play kitchen and it even makes real noise! It makes frying noise and boiling noise, and it has a phone that makes noise. She was so excited, although I think she was most excited that with the kitchen she got a little food pack with McDonald’s food. She kept asking for a yummy orange drink.

In other Murray news, Metti, Ella and I head out for Cincinnati this week. This year our clinic appointment coincides with the EB Patient Care Conference, so we’ll have the opportunity to connect with other EB families from around the country. Since Joe is studying for the bar, Metti is going with me to help with Ella. I think it will be a great opportunity for her to hear first-hand what the doctors have to say and she’ll have the chance to ask questions. She’ll also get to see other kids with EB, which will be good for her, but I’m sure will be emotional as well. We will spend Wednesday afternoon and all day Friday at the PCC, but Thursday will be spent at the EB clinic. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through the appointments. Ella has to get a bone scan this year, so that’s going to be a new adventure that I’m sure she won’t cooperate with. The good news is that now that she has an ophthalmologist here, that’s one less doctor visit we’ll have. Thursday is always a very long day, so please pray that Ella remains cooperative and content as all these strangers are looking her over. Please pray for Metti and I to have the wisdom on how to best deal with Ella in this new setting, to ask the doctors the right questions, and to retain the information we learn at both the clinic and the conference.

Thank you all for your support and prayers. We appreciate them so much!