Drive In Movies - Karate Kid and Grown Ups

Last night we took the kids to the local drive in movie theater for a double feature.  We mean to go every summer we are hear but the movies don't always comply with our timing - This year though the double feature was Karate Kid and Grown Ups.  It's a good thing my kids can stay up late and then sleep in the next day because the movie didn't start 'til 9:15pm and was done at 1:30am. 

We took our camping chairs and sat out under the stars and enjoyed ourselves.  Grown Ups was the favorite movie according to my husband and kids, they love comedy and Adam Sandler is one of their favorite comedians.  Personally, I would wait until it hits DVD and rent the movie.  There is some gorgeous scenery of the lake and the surrounding countryside but nothing that needs a big screen to be appreciated.  The story itself was predictable and the kids laughed at some parts but for all the talent I felt it came up short in the laugh department.  Then again I've never been one for slap stick humour.  The message of the story was not lost on me, and since we are spending time at the cabin with no video games, computer, TV or cell phones the kids are living the outdoors. 

I preferred Karate Kid, it was filled with amazing scenery and culture.  After watching I was so impressed I wanted to visit China for the first time.  I was blown away by the images on the big screen but felt I missed the full impact by being so far back.  It is a movie to see in the big theater.  Jaden Smith was amazing and the amount of work he put into the role proves that he is a talented hard working actor in his own right.   Its rare that I want to watch a movie twice, or want to pay theater prices to watch it once let alone twice on the big screen, this is one of those movies.

The outdoor experience of the movies and the rare drive in experience was truly a great family movie night moment.

Summer at the Lake - A Time to Read.

I'm not sure what it is about life at the family cabin, but everytime I'm there I go into a slumber.  The cabin is a great place for me to catch up with my cousins and their families but I go into an anti-social stuper.  All I feel like doing is sleeping, eating, swimming, and most of all reading.  This is the one place where I read fiction novels and I consume a book a day at least.  I always take parenting books etc with the best of intentions to catch up on my non fiction reading but I rarely break their spines.  I picked up a bunch of novels at used book stores and garage sales, yes I am very behind when it comes to reading the annual best sellers or Oprah approved books. 

Along with some good reads by John Grisham and Joy Fielding, This year I picked up:

Memoires of a Geisha
Letter in a bottle
She's come Undone

I loaded the car down with books for the kids to read, since there isn't much to do up there except swim and read.  NO TV, internet, cell service, video games, or computers.  This year I left their portable video games at home.  My daughter spends almost every minute in the water or playing with her grandparents.  My son always has his nose in a book and avoids swimming or exercise.  This year he has an excuse though, on our first day of camping he was hit by a tree and sprained both ankles, that's for another post though.   Since there is no TV, cell service, video games, or computers at the cabin they have little choice but to occupy their time reading or running around in the great outdoors. 

I'm always looking for a good book or a good writer at garage sales just before I head out to the cabin.  This year I found a few but I've almost exhausted my favorite readers and am open to suggestions.... What's your favorite book to read at the beach or curled up with a glass of wine. 

I've been talking with other kids we've been visiting with, trying to find another series of books the kids will like.  So far Percy and the Olympians and something about the Ranger's apprentice are the front runners for my pocket book.  What books do you're kids like to read?