at the drive-in

Last week we went over to Barstow to see a movie at the drive-in theater. We had to go to town anyway to get a smog check for the van so I could get it registered, and we never go to town for just one reason if we can help it. So after sitting at the auto shop for a while, we did a little shopping and had a goumet dinner at Jack In the Box. It still wasn't time for the movie though, so we stopped by a park and the kids got to swing and slide for almost an hour. It was a beautiful evening- not hot at all, which was very nice.

So finally it was time to go sit in line at the theater- the gates open at 7:30 and when we got there at 7 the line of cars was already starting to form. There is an open field right nest to the driveway though, so the kids ran around and made a new friend who had a soccer ball to kick around. At 7:30 we paid for our tickets and went on in to find our spot. You then have an hour to goof off, because the movie doesn't start until 8:30 when it is almost dark out. The girls had fun getting settled though, and I got some knitting done while we waited. Jason could be found in the front seat with the satellite radio on, as there was a Mavericks game on that night. We took out the back seat of the van, got our blankets situated, and the cooler nearby with cold water to drink and plenty of candy to munch on (what is a movie without Whoppers, M &M's, and Twizzlers?).

The movie we went to see was the new Pixar flick, Cars. We were all very excited to see it, and of course we were not disappointed. Pixar just gets better and better, and this movie was jsut so funny and enjoyable for us all! I personally cannot wait to see it on our own TV at home though, as the drive-in screen leaves out a good bit of the fantastic detail that makes Pixar movies so great visually. Everyone agreed that their favorite character was "Mater", whose voice was expertly done by Larry the Cable Guy. If you have not seen Cars, we highly recommend it! And on the big screen if possible of course.

Stella made it almost to the end of the first movie before falling asleep. She climbed in my lap when there was about 20 minutes left and asked for her Zoe and her B (her favorie stuffed animal and blanket) which I was thankful I remembered to bring. She was out within 5 minutes of getting settled, and I was able to lay her down on the van seat where she comfortably slept through the entire second movie (which was called Stick It, and was just OK- not fabulous by any means and I really wouldn't waste your time/money on it. If it had not been playing with Cars we probably would have never seen it. The girls thought all the gymnastics stunts were pretty cool though.) We left tired at just after midnight, wishing we didn't have to drive 40 miles back home, but we all had a great time. I was a little ticked off that the bathrooms were already locked when I tried to go on our way out, but I made it home.

Another successful family event! If you have a drive-in near you, make sure you go sometime soon. Lots of fun for all!