This video was my first attempt at using my new Sony CX150 AND the updated version of Imovie on my new MAC. A close friend told me about this open call audition and asked if my daughter would be interested. I told her I would have to ask my daughter. She said “Sure” and “Cool! I love the Judy Moody Book Series!” So we got down to it. Two days of trying to get a real performance out of her. A performance that I KNEW was in there somewhere. The protesting and non-cooperative ATTITUDE! She was tired, cranky, hungry, bored. And OH… and don’t forget “I have to go to the bathroom!” Maybe she just wasn’t ready. So, we took a break for two days. On the day before the audition submission was due, I told her it was now or never. We went into the garage to shoot and she blew me away on the first take. She had “processed” everything I told her about how to approach it to make it real. Apparently she needed TIME to do that ON HER OWN. I learned something from my daughter about how she operates that day. And it revealed something very important about me. I’ve taken a long (LONG) time to get to this place of being able to share what is inside of me with the world. Clearly I needed some extra time to “Process” too! Apples and trees. I think I need a hug.

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I love being in the car with my daughter.  I love driving her to school and picking her up at the end of the day.  Our “Car Time” is a time for us to connect.  We engage in cunning conversation most days.  Other days she downloads tearful sobs about an incident at school.  Some days she just wants to chill and read a book.  But on the days when we really “Get Our Dog and Pony Show” Groove on… it is a total BLAST!   We LOVED the Old Navy Booty Reader Commercials that aired for a spell.  My daughter is as aspiring actress and is totally into memorizing funny commercials and movie lines.  If there are “dialects” from other countries, she is ALL IN!  I get to experience the show a zillion times before she moves on to the next.

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Deciding to become an actress is a pretty big deal for a nine year old. It should be “no big deal” for a child who is a real “natural”… or so you would think. My daughter asked for it BIG TIME. She wanted it BAD. But the actual going and getting it was mortifying! So when she decided the night before to QUIT her dream, to NOT go…”I don’t want to be an actress mommy. I don’t want to go.” I dug a little deeper. (We have a “pinky swear” pact to not let each other quit our dreams) I found out the real reason she wanted to back out of going was that she would miss her summer camp bus party that included DONUTS! We never have donuts at our healthy house. Daddy is an athlete and pretty much the “health food police” and mommy won’t buy them for personal reasons that involve fitting into my clothes, but I digress. LIGHT BULB MOMENT! She was back on board when I suggested that I could take her to get donuts in the morning so she wouldn’t miss out AND take her to her first interview with a Hollywood Agent. I hoped that focusing on the DONUTS would take the attention off of the interview and the pressure she didn’t need and I was right. And boy did I get flack from friends about taking her to get a Happy Meal afterwards. TWO questionable food choices in a ONE MINUTE video… let alone in ONE DAY! ARGHHHHHH!!!!!!! For the record, I always let my daughter have one fast food night per week so she would never feel like I was keeping it from her. Now it is on her Karate Spar Night after she burns a zillion calories. Her choice includes a grilled chicken wrap these days. She decides what is best for her and darn it, my gal can make some great decisions when I give her the chance AND when I take the time to really understand where she is coming from, so I can get her where she really wants to go.

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