Date night with the girls

On a whim, we decided to take the girls to the drive-in on Friday night. My parents used to take us when we were little and it was one of those exciting adventures. I saw a commercial for the drive-in that was in Belleville, IL and it was playing Up. We all wanted to see that movie. I looked up the theatre on line and was so excited. They play double features! Kids under 12 are free! Tickets are only $9 for 2 movies! That's awesome! What a deal.

We took Cameron over to Grandma and Grandpa Scheidt's to have a sleep over. Then we went to the gas station to get sodas and let the girls pick out one special treat.

We got to the drive-in about 30 minutes early. It wouldn't hurt to get there earlier next time. It was already busy and all the center spots were taken. But we still got a good spot. We set the van up with sleeping bags and pillows for the girls to lay down and watch and we put our lawn chairs out. Then we headed to the bathroom and playground before the movie started. The playground alone was so exciting for them. Any playground they go to quickly becomes their favorite. During the movie, the girls climbed in and out of the van. They'd lay down for awhile then they'd want to sit in their lawn chair or on mom or dad's laps. They actually paid attention to the movie. (It was good, but the story line was a little over their heads. They liked the action though.)

After Up was over, I took the girls to the bathroom again while Greg got the van jumped. The battery died during the movie. Then he turned the van around facing the screen. We put the girls in their jammies and they settled into their sleeping bags and fell asleep while we watched The Proposal. We sat in the front seats with the AC on. We didn't realize how smart this was until it started down pouring during our movie. We sat in our dry van watching the people scramble to fold up their chairs and get into their cars. A lot of people left early due to the rain. We stuck it out. The girls were asleep and we don't get many chances to go see movies. Only one time, could I not actually see the screen because their was so much rain.

This was such a great idea and we are new fans of the drive-in. What a cheap family outing. You get to bring your own snacks and sit in the comfort of the van. The girls just thought this was coolest thing and love telling people about it. I was so excited to go, I had to call my mom on the way there to tell her.