My Purple Hayes Daze

Hayes loved the film Madagascar.  (What’s not to love about talking zoo animals when you’re three years old).  And when I saw the previews for Madagascar 2, even I laughed.  This is enough to qualify the movie as a win-win.  Because, of course, Hayes would love it.  But even better is that I would not have to spend an hour and a half hoping he would fall asleep so I could scoop him up and sneak into a better movie (see Alvin & The Chipmunks).

So, I googled the nearest cinema and sent Hayes with Stacey so I could jump on the train and buy tickets two hours in advance.  I went back for Hayes, made a quick detour to the pizza shop to scarf down a bag of garlic knots–that I didn’t mean to end up becoming dinner.  (Shame on me).  Then back to the train on the way to the cinema.  Straight to the restroom, of course.  Tinkle-tinkle, wash-wash.  Arrive to the theater just in time…to find all of the seats are taken…except for a couple…in the very first row.

Hayes did not seem to mind that we had to position ourselves on the edge of the seat and throw our heads all the way back on our necks just to see the screen.  In fact, he prefered it.  Because when I tried to convince him to move with me to two vacant seats in the row behind us, he told me ‘no.’

And that’s how Madagascar 2 gave me a major crick in my neck.