Let's All Go to the Drive In!

That's just what we did last night!  The boys and I cleaned out the van, grabbed some Popeye's (superyum!), and headed out to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes at the drive in.  Good movie, great dates. I recommend going if you have kids - or even if you don't.  It was fun. I do have some thoughts, though, and would do a few things differently next time:

1. Start earlier - This is a problem for me overall, but last night I wish I had started the process earlier. We were clearing out the back of the van still when we should have been hitting the road, and that set us back for the rest of the evening.
2. Ask for plates & spoons - Evidently they don't give this to you when you order the humongo family meals unless you ask for them.  And so we had delicious mashed potatoes, green beans, and red beans & rice that we couldn't eat.  Kind of a bummer. Well... as much a bummer as Popeye's can be.
3. The kid(s) will be wound up - Just deal.  Remember that they can either remember the awesome drive-in y'all went to, or they can remember the yelling ("Just throw it into the big trashcan!", "Get buckled up or we can't go anywhere!", "For the millionth time, grab your pillows and get inside!").  Maybe I'll make sure we go in jambes, or lay them out before we leave so they're ready to go when we get home.
4. Sit farther away from the people smoking pot - Don't know how to plan this, but seriously, this is not what you want for the kids.  Or maybe you do.  In which case... well, I don't know what to say about that.

We had a great time and the movie did spark some good conversations. Plus, D spotted Draco Malfoy in the movie - maybe he has the moviespotter gene? We'll see!

Figured it out?

I have figured out that if I keep some time in my day to be creative and/or inspired, then I'm much happier. To that end, I spend time online reading these blogs (here, here, here, here - are some recent ones I've found) and have learned how to quilt.  (Well, I'm stuck in the middle of an unfinished first quilt, but that detail is just a minor one...)  I take it where I can get it.  I've taken my sketch pad to work with me to get a few minutes in when I need a breather - drawing mandalas is surprisingly relaxing, and mentally very refreshing.  I'm exploring lots of traditional media that I've never really looked deeply into before, like paper art (sherenschnitte and quilling), quilting, embroidery, printmaking - primarily by reading about it.  I'm finding that I have an itch to sew, and if I could only get that stupid machine into the repair shop I'd be golden.

So this weekend I've spent a ridiculous several hours working on a photo that my boys want made. It's a composite of several sources and involved costuming, a brief photo shoot, and lots of Photoshop Elements. In the end, I suppose I'm ok with it - they boys are thrilled, though, and that's what really matters.  Not sure what we'll do with it, but they love it and it gave me an outlet.