Continuously Amazed...

Chris (Freak Show) - Taylor is in the green shirt behind Chris during a group dance lesson. Not the best picture but it is the only one that she is in. I'm not allowed to take pictures on set.

My Taylor...I don't know what to say. Taylor has been in Atlanta for the past six days for a movie she is shooting. She has a supporting role and we have no idea if she'll have any lines but she's here and ready to do anything they ask of her. Her intensive dance lessons with Freak Show (Chris) from Royal Flush have been amazing!

In the short time we have been here she continues to amaze me! Taylor's hard work and dedication earned her a spot in the music video. Additionally, she made her opportunity to sing back up on the theme song. After hearing that three of the kids from the movie had been chosen to sing back up. Taylor was really bummed out that the Director didn't remember she could sing. Taylor decided that she would approach the Director to let her know of her desire and talent. I discouraged her from doing this because I wasn't sure she could handle the rejection. Low and behold, after feeling defeated by her own mother, she decided to move forward with her plan.

The next day she stopped the Director and I heard her give the most polite intro possible. Then on the spot the Director asked her to sing. The response...silence. The Director asked her to return to her dance group. An hour later the Director called me outside with Taylor and the Assistant Director. I thought for sure we were in trouble. Taylor was asked to sing for the Assistant who confirmed that Taylor had the right sound. On the spot they told her, "Taylor, apparently we have a spot open for singing back up. You want it?" Of course she said yes.

Sometimes I can't believe this is my child. Taylor is aggressive but in the most mature and polite way. I don't know if any of this will lead to anything. If not it doesn't matter. I'm so proud of her for her willingness to take risks, put her self out there and her perseverance.

If you want to check it out, the movie is on FB. Search for Show Kidz.

Next Project...

Just a quick update as I am scrambling for time. Taylor auditioned for a movie over Memorial weekend and got a part. Since then our lives have been crazy busy. I can see now why stage moms and dads drink and take all of their kid's money : ) Not that I would ever think to do such a thing.

Anyway, it's not as big of a deal as it seems. It's a low budget film called Show Kidz. The production company is shooting for the Camp Rock (Disney, straight to DVD) market. Apparently there is money to be made in this market. Taylor has a supporting role in the film. She will have to act, dance and sing. We will be flying down to Atlanta next Wednesday and staying on location until July 5. A whole month away from Kong and Ayden. Makes me sad just thinking about it.

The exciting part of this is that Taylor will be taking dance lessons and working with the crew of Royal Flush from MTV's ABDC. The dance crew members will also have roles in the movie. Additionally, she will have the chance to shoot the music video with an up and coming Disney star. Taylor has been extremely mature about this whole experience and looking to learn all she can from it.

That's it for now. More to come when we are down in Atlanta.

The run is almost over...

Opening Night!

Today is the last show of the King and I. The girls have had an amazing time. The cast and crew were so wonderful. What a great experience it has been. They are both wondering what their next project should be. I'm dreading it already : )

I don't think I've ever seen the girls so committed to doing something that has required so much of them. They've done a wonderful job keeping up their school work and other obligations. For as young as they are, both girls have showed great professionalism. Last night Ayden had a major nose bleed on stage. She didn't freak out or cry. This was during a scene where she has a spot light moment (Ayden and Mrs. Anna do a dance during "Getting to Know You"). The whole situation was handled so well I don't think the audience even knew what was happening. The entire cast never stopped singing or miss a beat.

I'm so proud of the girls. Here are a few pictures from the run. Enjoy!

Hanging out backstage

Taylor as Little Eva in the Ballet

Presentment of the Children to Mrs. Anna - This is Ayden and her twin, Natalie Tran.

Backstage with Chyanne, Ayden's King and I Mom.

Vegetarian

I recently found out that I have gout. I had my first official attack in the foot (big toe to be specific) on Saturday. Flip flops are my new best friends. I still have a small amount of pain in my foot but it is much better than it was on Sunday. Looking back I think I might have had minor attacks in my hand and my heal but brushed them off to Kuk Sool injuries.

To manage my gout I've gone vegetarian. I've been meat free for five days. So far so good. Unfortuneately there are a lot of non meat foods such as spinich, cauliflower, oats, etc...that are high in purines so I'm really limited on what I can eat. I have a headache but I'm not sure what's the cause. So much going wrong with my body. I'm just falling apart : )

Lutsen

Okay, this is old by now but wanted to post some pictures from our trip to Lutsen. It was a nice experience to be able to hop out of our door and ski down to the lifts.

With such a warm spring a lot of the snow had melted. The slopes were well groomed but early morning skiing was rough. The snow was completely ice in the morning and slushy in the afternoon. I worried a lot on this trip. The slopes are much longer and more challenging. Runs often time changed difficulty levels half way down. You think you are going down a green but once you get to the bottom it's a blue. Being unfamiliar with the runs made me nervous which in turn made the girls scared.

One time Adyen was headed off the run and right into the woods. Even though she was going pretty slow it scared me to death. I raced up to her and grabbed her in the nick of time. We both fell awkwardly right where the run dropped off and just missed the trees. I'm not exactly sure if Ayden was hurt but I was in pain. Am I already too old for this? I hope not.

All-in-all it was still fun. The view was beautiful. We’ll go back next year but during the heart of winter when the snow is best. After that…Taos here we come.

As you can see, there's not much snow.

Breezeway from outside of our door to the run below.
The girls trying to catch up with their dad

Going Up! Much steeper in real ife.

Riding the gondola back to the lodge.

First run of the day. The view was beautiful.

Moose Run. It's a long, smooth run which connects you to some more difficult runs. We did not know that when we decided to take the girls down this route. Where we are headed is mostly blue and black runs. Not a good idea.

I like this picture because you can see Lake Superior in the background.

There is a nice stream that runs through the resort.

Holiday Season

Three holiday realizations.

1. Kong and I despise Christmas shopping. We like giving gifts to those we love, we just dislike the crowds, noise and commercialization of Christmas. It would help if we didn't wait until the week before Christmas to begin our shopping.

2. We love the snow. We have been sledding fools this year...just can't get enough of it. (Pictures and videos on their way)

3. Putting up the Christmas tree is so much more enjoyable now that the girls are bigger. It was such a source of stress for me to ensure the girls were given the opportunity to help put up the tree and Christmas decorations. Looking back, I should have done it myself when they were small. My stress over shadowed the fun.

Live and learn!

I like this photo because the little hand made ornament has a picture of Taylor when she was 4yrs old in the center and she is standing behind it. It was not staged, just happened to be. Ayden looking for something specific to put up on the tree. Not sure what but I'm sure it's pretty and shiny.
The final product. I love the way the Christmas tree and the garland around the house makes me feel. As if somehow we too are preparing for something amazing to happen. Hope you had a wonderful Holiday!

Camp

Taylor's Hawaiian Luau 10th birthday sleep over party

Taylor spent her first long overnight away from Kong and I last week. Her school took her to a camp four hours north. She was gone for five days and four nights. As we packed and got things ready for her trip I didn't have any emotions about her leaving nor did I cry. In fact, I didn't think about it until I spoke with other moms who talked about how sad they were or how they wanted to cry. I wondered why I did not have the same emotions.

I am generally very emotional about my children, the idea of them growing up and about letting them go. Why wasn't I sad about my baby leaving for nearly a week? What kind of mother does not cry when her first born goes on her first, long, extended overnight?

All I know is that drop off was at 9:00am that Monday morning which was perfect because I had a 10:00am call. I anticipated a quick drop off but things didn't turn out as I had planned. I helped Taylor haul her things into the school atrium. Then I found myself waiting around until the children loaded into the bus. I was one of the handful of straggling parents who stayed around to help load their child's things into the coach bus. Next I found myself standing outside in the frigged temperature for 45 minutes until the buses pulled away. Before I knew it, it was 10:15 and I was late for my call. As the buses pulled awy I waived to my child even though I had no idea if she was even looking at me (the bus windows were tinted).

With no tears or sadness I got into my car and went on with my day. I am still reflecting and wondering what this experience and how I responded means. Not sure if I'll ever find the answer.