Sundance: a mommy-cation

"Mama, I not happy. I was so sad when you was going to the airport"

This is what I heard from my angel girl after I took a much-needed Mommy vacation away to Park City, Utah last month. Did I feel some guilt when Keifer said this to me? Yep. Did I feel like my heart would break when I left her and her baby sister that morning of my departure, knowing I wouldn't see them for another 3 days? Yep. But we all survived and it was a very joyous reunion when I got home.

What an amazing time I had, visiting my friend Michelle and her family. It was a month ago, the first weekend of the Sundance film festival. I originally visited Michelle and the festival 5 years ago -which seems like a blink of an eye ago. At that time, I was still trying for a baby with CJ, and we had miles to go before we'd have our two angel girls. Michelle had just had her baby, Mia, and now Mia is 5 years old, and a big sister to Lila, age 3! My, how times have changed.

I left on a Thursday afternoon, and came home on a Sunday. The festival opened the weekend I visited, and Michelle had a hard time getting tickets to many of the movies we wanted to see. She did, however, manage to get some tickets to a Shorts premiere, and on Friday morning, we were lucky enough to watch a Documentary called The Fence by Rory Kennedy, and observe her do a Question and Answer session after the premiere. She was really a cool chick, and I highly recommend her movie, which will be out this summer on HBO. Watch it! It is a must see!

It was a shorts documentary that was shown in conjunction with a Spike Jonze short, called I'm Here, about Robot Love. That one was a hard one to explain, other than it has to do with giving yourself to the person you love until you are nothing but a shell of yourself. There were two other, um, odd shorts, that were also shown, called LogoRama and Seeds of the Fall.

Rory Kennedy answering questions after her documentary The Fence was shown

Michelle and I were so excited to see the Spike Jonze short, but alas, he didn't show for the Question and Answer session after. Poop. Oh well, it was fun just to get out at a film premiere at SUNDANCE! and be in the company of a beautiful friend that I rarely get to see.

We picked up Mia from school, and then I spent the afternoon lazing around: reading and napping. Heaven. My favorite things: sleeping and reading. Michelle and I went out for a nice dinner that night at a really cool place, and then hit a nearby bar, hoping to see some celebrities. Again, we didn't see anyone, but it would've been pretty difficult to see anyone while traipsing along the sidewalks in downtown Park City. The snow was falling heavily, it was dark out and literally everyone was covered from head to toe in warm winter gear. We *think* we may have seen Charlotte Gainsbourg, who may have been playing guitar and singing inside an art shop that had been converted into a private party. We received a free CD of hers outside the said art shop, which makes it more likely it could've been her (we could see inside the windows). Michelle and I enjoyed our drinks together at the bar, talking and giggling away. What a fun night. We cabbed it home in the white out snow conditions, and I slept like a baby that night.

Saturday morning. Michelle had booked massages for us to enjoy. We did so, ahhhh heavenly, and then we putzed around a local TJ Maxx and grabbed a Starbux (chai tea for me!). We hung out with her girls in the afternoon, and then we traveled back over to the Eccles Theater,w here we had seen the shorts movies the day before. We went to pick up some insanely overpriced Sundance merchandise (I got my standard hat which I buy on every vacation, and I also picked up a long sleeve Tshirt). I later read, in People magazine, that we literally had just missed Bradley Cooper arriving at the same theater we had just been at, for a movie that he was starring in. Oh MY! Had I seen Bradley Cooper, I probably would've keeled over in shock! LOL.

Michelle and I then picked up some Chinese food to bring home for dinner. Afterwards, Michelle and boogied our bodies with her girls to the many songs of Laurie Berkner and laughed until our stomachs hurt. This was good times.

Lila & Mia dancing to I know a Chicken (and laying their eggs!)

Me, Michelle, Lila, Mia and their doggie, Lucy. A sad note: poor Lucy had a something wrong with her leg while I was there, and ended up having some serious medical complications that week. Only 3 days after I left, poor Lucy, 7 years old, passed away at their vets. I was devastated to hear the news, and I feel so bad for Michelle and her family! Hugs- RIP, Lucylulu- the sweetest Bull Terrier around! :(

Me loving on those beautiful girls! (and Lucy!)

Of course, the entire time I was there, I was phoning home and CJ was phoning me, about our girls. We were able to Skype each other on Friday afternoon, so Keifer could see me. She had a difficult time with Mommy not being home, and was so confused that I was gone. She kept talking about me and how I was visiting my friend's house, and CJ told me she even made my friend a "present" (essentially wrapping pair in a ball!). The first night I was gone, when CJ arrived home with the girls, and Keifer saw my car in the garage, she asked him, "did mommy walk to the airport?". Because really, how else did I get there? Makes sense to me. The whole weekend, every time they saw an airplane, Keifer thought I might be on it, and she also told her Daddy that she too, could fly up in the air on a plane, and that she would "hold on tight" up in the air.

I departed for home on Sunday morning, sad to leave a mommy vacation, sad to leave my good friends, but excited beyond belief to be reunited with my love bug girls and my CJ. And my fur kids, of course! I traveled safely through 2 plane rides, and even arrived on time back in my city of residence! It was a wonderful weekend,and one I hope to share again in the future with my family even! The dads and kids can ski, while the moms hang out and enjoy movies!! Or, me and bloggy buddy, Kir, have agreed that someday, we will be visiting Sundance together- soaking up the atmosphere :)

I also have to add, having an IPod touch was so perfect for me! I was able to watch 2 movies on it while traveling, as well as play my beloved games (I have to say I'm addicted to Uno these days!). (*and this was a product endorsement entirely on my own- I have not been paid to say this. I LOVE this thing!!*)