Night at the...

Riverwalk.

Yesterday Eric and I planned a "surprise night" for the kids. We are usually homebodies. Our entertainment budget would be renting a movie, going to Target on a Friday Night, or playing cards and eating dinner with friends or family at home. We go out to eat a few times a month. And splurge for a movie a few times a year.

Yesterday morning Taevy mentioned how she would LOVE to see Night at the Museum (the sequal that just came out). I honestly responded that I didn't think we would be doing that. It's so expensive, etc., etc. But after she went to school I thought, why not? Eric got off at noon yesterday. We pre-purchased tickets. When the kids got home they were looking forward to going to Target (yes, this is our Friday night ritual) but were dismayed to see that Eric and I had already gone by ourself. "Oh mom! Now we'll just be at home all night!"

Taevy said, "I sure do wish we could go see Night at the Museum." I truthfully said, "Taevy, I would have had to buy tickets early in the day today to see that movie, because it's the first night it's out."

Eric and I said, well maybe we would go and do something. Maybe Blockbuster to rent a movie. Or driving around to see what we could see. Samren started in that he was hungry. I assured him that we wouldn't let him starve. "Please mom, can't we just make some mac and cheese before we go driving around?" Hee, hee.

We got into the car like we were going to blockbuster. Oops! I drove past it. Well, let's see what's on down here. Oh! We are by Big Daddy's. [Big Daddy's is a BBQ place that has the HUGE baked potatoes piled high with ranch, cheese, meat, bacon bits, sour cream...all sorts of stuff that sounds weird but makes for the BEST baked potato.] We pulled in to Big Daddy's. The kids were elated! What a surprise, they thought!!!

We ate our yummy potatoes (we buy 3 between the 5 of us and still can't eat it all). We got back in the car and pretended to wonter some more. There is a new development here in Tulsa called Riverwalk Crossing. Our family had never been but we had heard it is pretty and "the" place to be. We drove over and walked around the river area with our kids. They thought it was great fun. We watched people take a try at the trapeze attraction; we let the kids climb on the ampitheatre; we walked the path along the river; we ended in front of the RiverWalk Movies.

This is where Eric and I told the kids about the BIG surprise! We had tickets for the movie!! The kids were so excited. The jumped up and down and gave us big hugs. Taevy laughed that she had been carrying around the bag with our movie candy in it the whole evening, and hadn't realized what was in the bag. We headed into the theatre, bought two $4 sodas (What a RIP OFF!), and enjoyed the movie.

We liked the first one better, but the sequal is really cute too. There were times when we were all just cracking up laughing! There was one cuss word (D*mn), which added NOTHING to the movie. I'll never understand why they feel they need to do that. We give it 10 thumbs up though.

The night cost us like $75 all together--a huge splurge for us--but it was fun to surprise the kids. It was a good memory. Maybe our last big hurrah before Kendi comes home.