Park City photos in random order

 Bridge at Sundance Resort in my new scarf which was not arranged correctly. We just did a quick drive over there to have lunch and look for Robert Redford and check out the Sundance store. The resort is tiny and not well marked, Sean thinks on purpose to discourage people like us from just popping in to look around. The film festival is no longer held there, that is in downtown Park City. Just too huge now. Leo, we are coming to stay with you for that this winter. You must comment here if that isn't okay. Silence = permission.

 Adorable little patio space in downtown Park City. I'm sure this is packed in season. I personally love off season. Empty and cheaper. And not cold!

 Another photo of me, how lucky for you. I'm wearing one of my new "daytime bathrobes" that I bought on this trip. I was in dire need of them as WINTER IS COMING. This one was $515 at the Montage Resort where Leo works. I would obviously never brag about how much my clothes cost but I will brag about a deal. I got 70% off that because it's the off season. Only someone willing to pay $35,000 to stay there for a week would buy a sweater that costs that much-- and that someone is not me. We got a great deal on a friend's condo at the Canyons Resort which is also a very nice resort.

 Utah beignets. Not nearly as tasty as they look. Overall the breakfast places were a disappointment compared to the Chef. I know it is annoying when people think they have the best of something where they live but sorry, it's true and I'm happy to take anyone to the Chef to prove it.

 The views in Utah are amazing of course, there is no denying that. Sean lamented many times that he just would love to live in the mountains. And then he was angry by the real estate prices and would rant about how we are in the same tax bracket as people who buy a $16 million dollar home and don't live in it full time.

 Here we are, back that Sundance store. So cute but no Robert Redford. I guess he doesn't work the register. Too old for that crap.

 People were getting married at the Sundance Resort when we were there. I'm sure it was fabulous and paid for by someone who gets a $16 million house for vacations.

 No doubt many a wedding photo was taken here.

 We did have a good lunch there though and I had to have a glass of wine to prove I am Catholic. Then I was asked if I wanted a second glass. It was 1pm. I'm Catholic, not an alcoholic, come on.

 Shot of the restaurant without Sean. The mantel was really cool.

 We went for a short hike by our resort where they are putting in a new golf course.

 We had three dinners with Leo and got to hear about his new life which is going pretty awesome. Already has a lot of friends, including dateable women so that's good.

 Houses in downtown Park City are too cute and not at all affordable.

 Cool art that didn't fit in the suitcase.

 In honor of Leo when we stopped at his resort... he had been talking about how he has to have a pumpkin spiced latte in the fall, like all the moms in America, so I caved and had one. It was a good energy boost.

 Lobby at the Montage. Very luxurious place and they don't allow snowboarders on their slopes. Plenty of other places for Leo to do that though and for $150 he will do it all season and can also go ski in Vail and Lake Tahoe. I guess Vail bought Park City, because cities can buy other cities? I am confused but in the end it means the "epic pass" is a great benefit to working there. The dream coming true for Leo.

 And deep fried twinkles for dessert was another dream come true. Now I am kind of sick looking at them, so rich.

 Leo did get a photo of Sean and I together after dinner the first night. Lots of cool restaurants there, so it was fun to try a few with Leo.

 Here is part of the condo we rented. I suspect in-season it runs ten times what we paid.

 This made us laugh so hard. The parking garage was ridiculous and we were thankful for the tiny car we rented because then we could fit in the spots. I still don't know how this guy (you know it was a guy) got out of his truck.

 The last day we had extra time before heading to the airport so we went to check out the Great Salt Lake. It is 4 times saltier than the ocean (12% vs 3% and in some parts it is 24%!). So no fish live there, only these tiny things that they harvest to feed to fish. Also, the average depth is 12 feet. This sounds like my kind of lake, except I bet you are super itchy when you get out.

It is apparently great for sailboats though, I never would have thought that. Again, it's the off season...

Anyway, the kids had a great time with my parents and everyone seemed sane when we got home so it was a success. Only our second trip without kids and Megan will be 13 soon. The other trip was Miami and this was better due to no huge disappointing game. I am happy to be home though, don't judge this homebody. I love my normal life and my home (and the Chef!).

iPhone photos!

 Sean took the kids to Star Wars day at the library and Patrick was too embarrassed to do the Jedi obstacle course but Emily rocked it.

 The gift Sean ordered himself for his birthday, some sort of laser carving representing House Lannister. I don't think that's our house. I took a quiz on Facebook and that is NOT what I got.

 I won the year of bread from Radina's Bakehouse at the auction and also a bread making lesson. I don't branch out much from making our normal sandwich bread so this might be inspiring.

 Went to Lady Bird Diner, something like that, in Lawrence with Carrie after several people recommended it. I recognized the art on the wall, a commission by our favorite artist Zac Barnes.

 Patrick was going through a phase where he wanted to sleep in his closet. Notice his Batman alarm clock watching him. So weird.

 But such an innocent face. Last night he was up counting his coins until 10pm when I finally forced him to go to bed and he was too tired to drag his bedding to the closet so he actually slept in the bed. Perhaps he will be less crabby today after getting better sleep? Also, note the big truck under his pillow. So comfortable!

 Patrick warming up for his soccer game (far right). I don't care enough to take the good camera to get good action shots, sorry Patrick. It's all I can do to get there with two mugs of hot tea to get me through the cold morning game. 40 in the morning, 78 in the afternoon, kind of annoying. I don't think I would be a good all-day tournament mom.

 Took the kids to the K-State volleyball game on Saturday night because a) it was $1 tickets and $1 hot dog night, b) I thought it would be good for Megan to see how real volleyball is played, and c) Sean was able to watch the first half of the ND game in peace. It was really hot up in the stands so we didn't last that long.

 It's like a whole different sport than the 7th graders play. Very impressive even if they did lose to Texas. They have some very devoted student fans down low who do all sorts of things like slamming their chairs open and shut loudly to distract the other team when serving.

 We bribed the kids to leave early with promises of Purple Swirl. I thought Patrick wanted a break from the girls and was sitting by himself but no, he wanted to watch the Harry Potter movie on the TV over there. The girls were quick to point that out and how it was inappropriate for him. There were some arguments.

 This is how Emily announced Sean's birthday on the driveway. She also wrote out the whole song in her version of the words in his card, it's like a whole new language. Or the way some people text.

And then she had to write all the kids' names and how old they are. Not too upset that she left me and my age off!

My new religion

My new religion is turning off lights around here. The kids haven't quite converted but every time I send them back up to turn off their own lights, they consider it. That was a tip from Carrie Raney, they need to feel the pain if they are ever going to get in the habit. This is all part of bringing down the electric bill of course and every day we go without a/c or furnace is a victory in my book. Loving this weather.

I also love the part of fall when it's too early to start raking. Waiting to see if the yard guys grumble when they have to mow over some today. It's good for the lawn though, according to Stephanie on Facebook. Any study that makes my life easier is going in my memory bank.

Megan's volleyball season (finally) ended last night. They started off winning the first eight games but then kind of fell apart at the end and did not do well in the tournament. Ah well, they can chew on that until next season. Megan will start basketball in a few weeks. Not sure how much she likes it but she will still work hard. A lot of other girls don't bother with basketball which is just too bad. This is a level where they can all play and have fun. I think starting Megan so late in sports has helped with lack of burn out, so I am using that to erase guilt from not putting Emily in soccer this year or Patrick in basketball (he also wants to wrestle, err, NO). They both get a lot of backyard playing time with Sean and really, that is a win-win for everyone. And now that it's nearing hibernation time I am motivated to cook lots, so we are having real dinners again. We seem to be adjusting well to Sean's new schedule, although it cuts into Megan's SIMS playing time. I'm waiting for her to realize that we could just move Sean's laptop upstairs, ha. Not that she needs more playing time...

I am done painting most everything outside so now I am mulling over inside projects. Timeline for the remodel is undecided right now and I'm not sure how long I can live with some of the existing colors in here. Unfortunately the worst one (that a designer picked out???) is in the two story hearth room. I'm wondering if I can just do halfway up and then hire out the top. Might squeeze that in with the garage ceiling repair from the busted pipe last winter. Also considering bumping up the laundry room/locker room remodel because I cannot deal with the mess in there anymore. Our existing lockers from Pottery Barn are just too small for all the kid junk, so I want to have four super big lockers installed and then that leads to new utility sink and cabinet and new closet and new tile and of course then I want new washer and dryer because they only work part of the time and are just kind of yucky. I assure you the non-functionality of the cabinetry in this house is epic and would drive anyone bonkers. I am going to try and do this project on the cheap though, we'll see if our guys understand that.

My other consideration is not painting the rest of the doors in this house white, but rather staining them darker when we replace the oak trim. Black doors are a trend right now that I like but I think a dark wood door is more on the classic side as in many of my books about historic homes have them. I could in theory do this project myself but I think that involves about 87 doors and will look weird if I do it before we update the trim work. Also, just imagine how crazy my blog posts would be after all those fumes? Up next, iPhone photos!

Happy birthday to Sean (and some crazy financial tips)

Okay so yes, Sean is 40 today and that is the last he wants to hear about that. However, he will agree to open the presents I got him in Lawrence when I went to see Carrie there this week. Yes, I left Manhattan city limits, zipped along in Sean's car, which I dub Peppy. When I gassed up Peppy I remembered how cheap it was and thus I am now driving it anytime I don't have all four kids. Too much fighting, too many booster seats with all four. We are trying our best to stop wasting money on utilities and gas so this should help. Operation: save money for kitchen.

With so many friends sending kids off to college and paying crazy amounts of cash, I thought I'd research financial aid and how to structure our investments wisely. Bottom line is that we will be better off if Sean goes to part-time when the kids are in college and I think he is fine with that, ha. Also, investing in a remodel project is another wise move. I swear to God, I am not just making this up because I want my kitchen. There are three different financial aid methods that are used and two of them consider how much equity is in your house but I just can't see them sending out an appraiser. I suspect that they look at tax value and then how much you still owe on the house. Of course any investments not locked into a retirement fund or 529 plan (yes, you read that correctly, they do not expect you to spend ALL your 529s unless it is under the control of the student-- and what fool parent sets it up that way?) are considered 100% available for tuition and room and board. So rather than writing a series of fat checks to colleges, I'd rather write them to my contractor. Hey, if this doesn't turn out to be true, sorry kids,  ha ha! Investing in solar panels and geothermal equipment might be another good move if it would bring down our monthly expenses while we are living on part-time salary too.

I would also like to mention that I think college spending it out of control and these campuses are so ridiculously and unnecessarily luxurious. College is supposed to be about living lean because you don't care then! It's about the experience of being on your own (mostly) for the first time, meeting new people, taking new classes. So that state of the art gym they are working out in.... setting them up for huge disappointment when they have to go to a regular gym again. I am also sick of hearing about how much the cafeterias have improved . Seriously? Good luck after college when your student loan debt forces you to live on the cheap stuff. I will not be subsidizing my kids forever, there are going to be lean years where character is built. Sean still reminisces (not fondly) about our years of eating rice and stir fry.

Yes, turning forty is resulting in many "back in my day" stories and rants against taxes and rising tuition costs. Shaking my fist in the air right now! I am also remembering that I can do many projects on my own and have started my exterior painting projects. Did the shutters yesterday, ordered myself a trophy today... and maybe taking some Tylenol for sore arms? Birthday boy is still sleeping in preparation for his seven nights of work coming up. Emily is still sleeping just because she is Emily.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas!

So much so that it's making me a little ill. I used my birthday gift card from Kitra to get this from Ralph's new store:

It is a diffuser so Sean doesn't have to burn candles in the basement all the time. I know this scent sells out well before Christmas season so I thought I'd get it early. And then I thought the scent would just stay in the basement. Nope. I am not sure how to make the smell stop... put it all in a ziplock bag?? Or will this house smell like frasier fir until the end of time?

I am seriously going to skip decorating for fall this year because I can only focus on Christmas now. Also, fall colors do not go with this house, at least I don't like it with navy blue walls. I don't mind an orange accent but there is a limit. I also don't think Christmas is going to look good in here either but I'm not sure I feel like repainting just yet. After lots of tea I start planning to repaint all the cream trim to white but then I have to go drive kids around and I am reminded that it is a huge project that would take months of interruptions to complete. However, I know how much painters charge and if I do it myself it will be the most money I have ever "earned" by the hour. When I suggest that you look into a vocational school for your kid instead of an expensive private college, this is why. I don't even want to discuss how much I pay the guys to fix the stonework in our landscaping but if there is a school for that...

Also in preparation for winter I have bought my "daytime bathrobe". Sean is rolling his eyes. Thanks to Lisa for telling me that it was back in stock, I am now all ready to hibernate.

It's not super flattering but I'll mostly wear it around the house. Lucky for Sean, he is home all the time now to see this. One more night left in this round of shifts but he seems to be going strong still. He is considering adjusting his hours so that he starts earlier when it is busier so he can get more productivity pay. I am planning to dial back the kid activities so he would still have time with the kids then. Megan and Patrick have a few weeks of volleyball and soccer left, cross country has ended. I am hoping to keep Anna and Patrick from signing up for anything else for a while except swim lessons at home, that should simplify life. Maybe they can all help me paint instead...

Almost forgot the Renaissance Festival photos!

 Everyone needs to train their preteen how to throw a star, right?

 I cannot believe Sean paid for them to do this again.

 Seriously, we took major advantage of the Wintergreen passes during deployment summer. The kids did it for free probably 30 times, so to pay for it now seems silly. I wasn't there to point this out. And I don't want to know how much it cost.

 For Lisa, look, my kid is on a horse!!

 And she likes it!

 But wait, she is also riding an elephant.

 We are definitely not buying an elephant.

 The annual knighting of Patrick.

 Kind of looks like that guy is about to get nailed by the swinging ship.

 This looks perfectly safe.

 Thanks Hunger Games, for bringing archery back.

 And now she's on a pony?? Fourth child so spoiled.

 Okay, this is a dream come true... allowed to have a fake sword fight. Sean said this kid was being nice and agreeing to play with Patrick, this was during the rest period. I think then they blow a whistle or something and it is game on.

 Patrick took him a bit by surprise by doing some crazy twist in the air. Guess who has been practicing in the backyard for an entire year?

 I hope no one did any Christmas shopping here.

 The magician's assistant. "They're not tricks, Michael, they're illusions. Tricks are something a whore does for money.... or candy!"

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