Staycation Report: Thumbs Up!

I think if you stay in a hotel it is technically not a "stay-cation" but richies who are used to leaving town every weekend won't understand. So I'm trying to be really clear--for all the richies who read my blog. Hi richies! (They're burning money again.) Thanks to everyone who encouraged me on my single-parenting vacation and thanks also to all my blog stalkers who didn't break into my house while I was gone. Even though if you tried you would have been attacked by a de-barked dachshund mother and her litter of three puppies who are staying temporarily in my garage. I'm trying to be really clear to all the blog stalkers out there. Oh hai gyz! Weenerdogz r in mi garage guardin mi stuffs.

Our stay-cation technically started on Thursday with a viewing of Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D. Then we went to Where the Wild Things Are on Friday. This was an interesting movie about childhood, but not really a kids' movie. My kids liked it but it's kind of boring and full of awkward parts where monsters act like brats. I was talking about the movie with my kids later that night at dinner. It was clear that my 12 year old sort of "got it." That saddened me because I think you have to be a little removed from childhood in order to "get it." At the same time, it was fun to have a conversation with him about it. Do see it. But remember that it's not super appealing for the 2-8 set. My kids thought it should be rated PG-13. (They're prudes.)

After the movie we went to Salt Lake City and checked into our hotel. Here we are taking a picture of ourselves in the mirror on the bathroom door.

We went swimming without incident. And by that I mean that a life guard did not have to save Maggie. The swimming was probably the part I liked least, and it wasn't even that bad. So that's pretty good. Then we went to dinner.
I had the french dip. It was good. They put ketchup in little trays for us. All of the kids drank out of glass goblets--including Ellen. Nothing broke. I figured out the tip in my head. Then we went to Star Wars in concert which was more awesome than I even imagined.

C3P0 was there and narrated the show. It was remarkable. He wore normal clothes--NOT his robot outfit. His posture is impeccable. I posed with the imperial guards. I am the one in front.

Ellen fell soundly asleep at the end and I pretended to sacrifice her to Darth Vader and made Sam take a picture. It was really dumb. But I did it because I am fun and we have fun together. See my backpack? It's full of suckers. When security searched my bag I told them I had candy in there, but I had to spell it out so Ellen wouldn't hear because I wanted to save it for an emergency. I didn't even have to use the c-a-n-d-y. As we left the arena some homeless people played the Star Wars theme on their harmonicas. My kids referred to them as hobos. We didn't give them any money, but we did give a homeless man one of our extra egg McMuffin's earlier that day before the movie because we were full.

These are my wonderful hard-sided suitcases. I always look for them at DI. I am grateful for them and for the stuff in them.
Here's Ben in our posh suite. I'd like to thank the Radisson for putting us up for the night for free in exchange for this mention here on my blog, but I'm not Dooce y'all. So I won't. Cuz I paid.

And there you have it! I did it. I drove. I parked. I paid. I checked in. I carried and swam and did everything. And so can you, unless your kids are younger than mine or less obedient and more prone to mischief and running away from you in crowded arenas. If that's the case then I suggest you stay home for a few years. You aren't missing anything. Don't get me wrong--I had fun. But staying home and watching TV would have been fun too.