I am at a loss to rationally explain what my girlfriend and I have seen, not once, not twice, but three times in a week!

What my girlfriend and I have seen in the Eastern sky defies any rational explanation.  We have seen it three times in the last week, and I saw it to the North 10 days ago. It appears to be a planet, but it moves it short streaks and arches. I understand Jupiter is in the east right now, but this thing wanders about impossibly.  We even when out driving in an attempt to explain it as a Chinese lantern or SOMETHING(!?), but our perspective didn't change despite miles traveled.  The last few times I saw it it would brighten and dim while moving about in the same general area, finally dimming completely out after a few minutes.  Tonight it has remained bright and relatively stationary, besides the now expected "to and fro".  I am at a complete loss! I tried to capture its movement with a digital camera on a 64 second exposure, but it only came up looking like all the other stars, blurred at the same angle of rotation, but I can see it moving about with my naked eye!!  
Anyways, maybe my girlfriend is right, and there are somethings that should remain mysteries, but dammit, I'm a scientist!!!