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It's Friday night, and I wanted to do something special, so I took Ava to see The Lion King at the theater.  As I explained waaaaay back in my first blog entry, The Lion King actually played a bit of a role in the naming of this site.  Each time we left the hospital with one of our babies, I would hold them up in the air like in the "Circle of Life" scene and cry out, "Look!  Look what I have made!"  And there you have it - Look What Danny Made!

This is the first time I've had the chance to see a movie just with Ava.  I've been to plenty with Blake, who loves movies, and a few with the whole family, but never one with just her.  I didn't tell her where we were going until we reached the theater, and when she saw where we were, she was so excited.  She asked if we could have popcorn, so of course I said yes.

I've seen this movie a LOT of times.  It came out when I was still a student at A&M, so I can never forget the experience of watching this in a room full of other Aggies, for whom an elephant graveyard has a whole different significance, and laughing as all the juniors in the theater whooped at that scene.  Anyway, after seeing it so many times, my mind wandered during the movie.  Here's a loose transcript of my inner monologue...

"Oh man, I totally was not ready for the father-son stuff in this movie.  Ouch.  Hmm?  Nothing, sweetheart, there's just something in Daddy's eyes.  There sure are a lot of lionesses and cubs in this movie, but no adult male lions except Mufasa and Scar.  I think Simba wasn't the only cub to lose a Daddy in the stampede.  Huh.  I can't be the first person to notice how similar Triumph of the Will is to the scene where the hyenas go marching past Scar.  Way to enjoy the moment with your daughter, Holwerda.  She's going to town on the popcorn, and you're thinking about Leni Riefenstahl.  Simba is led through underbrush and tunnels by Rafiki, an eccentric shaman, until he sees his own reflection and realizes that his father, who is voiced by James Earl Jones, lives in him.  In Empire Strikes Back, Luke is led into a tunnel by Yoda, an eccentric shaman, until he sees his own face in Darth Vader, who he later finds out is his father, and who is voiced by James Earl Jones.  Whoa."

Here's a loose transcript of Ava's completely verbal reactions...

"Daddy!  Let's move to the back of the theater so we can see the whole screen better!  Daddy!  That's my favorite shirt of yours that you're wearing!  Daddy!  Where's the popcorn?  Daddy!  Why is Scar so mean?  Daddy!  What's Mufasa's last name?  Daddy!  Does Simba miss his daddy?  Daddy! Is that an octopus or an elephant?  Daddy! Hakuna matata!  Daddy! Can we see Papa in the stars?  Daddy! Do I have to wear these glasses the whole time?  Daddy! They got Scar!"

One time I shushed my own mom at the movies.  That's how crazy it makes me when people talk through the movie.  I have to admit, though, I was loving every word out of Ava's mouth.

3D Ava