One of my favorite summer traditions as a child was when we would bring our TV out on the front lawn along with an abundance of blankets and pillows. We called it a drive-in movie.
No drive-in was complete without caramel popcorn, red licorice, and friends. Almost every Friday and Saturday night the neighbor kids could count on the McAllisters having a drive-in the front yard.
Some summers we had a theme. I remember one summer our front yard theater only showed musicals. Another summer, only Disney movies. Another summer, only the classics like
Some Like it Hot,
Harvey, and
Breakfast at Tiffany's.
As time went on our make-shift theater got more advanced. We'd bring out the couch, we'd hook up loud speakers, we upgraded the TV, etc. When my family moved out and my college roommates moved in, we made the term "drive-in" much more literal.
There's another reason why drive-in movies hold a special place in my heart. At the end of my freshman year of college, Brett and I went on our first date. We made caramel corn in my kitchen, picked up some Twizzlers at the grocery store, packed up my laptop and blankets, and set up a drive-in movie at the press box at East High School. We watched Roman Holiday. It was shortly after Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck kissed after escaping the police, that the battery on my laptop died and we ended up talking late into the night and doing a little kissing of our own.
For these reasons and many more, I love drive-in movies. This summer we decided to continue the tradition and introduce Madeline to my favorite summer pastime. This summer definitely didn't disappoint.
Brett hung a white sheet between two volleyball posts and we borrowed a projector. We pulled out surround sound speakers and brought the trampoline over so it was front and center. And of course, we didn't forget the caramel corn or Twizzlers (thanks to my Mom who makes it better than anyone, it is her secret recipe after all).
Maddie loved it. Each night that we had the drive-in she was a perfect angel baby. She seemed to really enjoy the music of
Up! and
Tangled. But we were surprised that on the night we showed
Pirates of the Caribbean she was completely captivated my the film. Her eyes didn't move from the screen. She was so into it. It was adorable.
It is sad to see summer go, because with it goes our drive-in movie season. We look forward to opening up our back-yard theater again next year with a few more upgrades.
