Paw Paw

My husband's father passed away in May of 2006, a few months before Gilly turned three.  She doesn't really remember him now, although we show her lots of pictures and tell her as many stories as we can.  Every now and then she'll have a vague memory of playing with him, but for the most part her memories come in the form of the anecdotes she's heard and the snapshots we show her.  It makes me sad.

 I wanted more of this.

And definitely more of this.

 And good grief, the man put on bunny ears for his baby girl.  More of this.  Look at her cheesy face.  She just ate him up.  Loved him so much.

We got a check from Gigi today to help with Shine.  Paw Paw had some specialized shoes still in the closet that she was able to sell and wanted Gilly to know that her Paw Paw loves her and would be so proud of her and would want to help. 

I cry while I type.  We miss him.  I'm so glad that she's got one more concrete thing to remember him by, since she didn't have time to make very many memories.  I think I'm going to use part of the money on the packing list, so that when she puts on those special shoes or that favorite sweater, she can think of Paw Paw.

Roommates!

I am SO SO excited.  Now that the summer season is over and the winter people (US!) are the focus of all the classes, we're starting to think about logistics at Shine.  It's at the Gaylord Palms.  For seven nights.  And even though we get a very good discount, it's still rolled into the hefty fundraising total.  They've got a deal where you can find another mom and daughter team to room with, and the hotel will allow you to split the cost.  We've been having a really hard time finding one- every girl G meets at a workshop is going with her entire family.  On the AMTC bulletin boards last week I found a family looking for roommates and we've been emailing.  Tonight I talked to the mom on the phone for an hour and I think it's going to be such a great match.  The little girl is wheat free also, and loves American Girl dolls, and is doing modeling and acting.  I'm very relieved and excited to have found people to room with that sound so nice.  This puts the hotel cost down to the equivalent of Motel 6, rather than a luxury resort.  Much more doable, plus we'll have friends to hang out with who understand our food woes. 

Now we just need to find cheap airfare!

Acting Classes

We've been signing up for every acting and modeling workshop AMTC is offering so I'm a little behind on updating.  She's in an interesting time with this- it reminds me of how I felt when she was a brand new tiny baby sometimes.  You get pregnant, you're SO excited and nervous to have this baby, you don't really know what to expect but you know it's going to be GREAT!  You're prepared and you know what to do and all your friends say you'll be an awesome mom!  Then the baby is up all night screaming and you can't figure out why and in the morning you're just so tired.  You don't feel like an awesome mom and you're pretty sure you're going to ruin this poor kid.... It doesn't mean you're planning to give up, and it doesn't mean you love that baby any less, but it's just been a hard night.  You're overwhelmed.  It's harder than you thought it would be.

That's where it seemed like she was after our last session.  She LOVES runway modeling- it doesn't make her nervous at all and she's got the moves down and thinks it's so much fun.  The photography part started to be harder this time and she got pretty frustrated.  The timing is difficult for her- they were trying to teach her how to move really slowly and just change one body part at a time so that the camera can have time to capture each pose.  She kept wanting to pop from one to the next, which is going to make for blurry pictures and not give her a big range of emotions on camera.  And when she's having trouble doing something it makes her angry, and so of course then it's even harder to get it down.  I like that they don't make a lot of differentiation between adults and kids- they just throw her in, but at the same time, there were only a couple kids in there and she was the youngest.  I think a little bit of one on one time would do her good, but they haven't had time to do that so far.  There are usually at least a hundred people in these sessions.

The acting scares her a bit too, but it's inconsistent.  I can't always predict it. Sometimes she'll get up in an improv act and get on a roll and just go with it, and sometimes she sits there frozen and lets the other people carry her.  Sometimes she struts up there and does her monologue with confidence, and other times she weasels up there sideways and mutters while wringing her hands.

On the drive home she was upset.  "I just want to be in movies and commercials and tell people about God.  I didn't think it was going to be this much work!"  Well, yes.  It's work.  I'm finding out that models do MUCH more work than it looks like from the outside.

So we have another workshop next week, and she's a bit apprehensive about it.  I'm hoping that this is the time she breaks through that wall and really starts to be confident and have fun.  Actors have to have no shame, and she's in the stage of life where everything is embarrassing and you wonder constantly what people think of you.  It's a hard combination.  I really think that if she gets it now though, it's going to save her so much grief later.  I'd love to have a teenager who didn't cave to peer pressure and did what she wanted and knew was right.

Here's a 60 second improv she did.  I don't know how well you're gonna be able to hear it but I'll give it a shot.  The prompt was that they are all neighbors on the same block and somebody new just moved in.  They're deciding if they should go introduce themselves.  I was really hoping she'd leap in and talk about gluten when they went in the pie direction, but she didn't think of it until afterwards.  My favorite is the two girls on the end- what if they're killers?  well, killers like pie!  let's take them a pie and maybe they won't kill us!  haha!!!

And just because, here's the hair we're not allowed to cut.  This was in May and it's even longer now.  I wish it looked this shiny and straight all the time.  She's starting to say she wishes they told her to cut it off.  I told her with that kind of attitude, she'd get a job like Emma Watson did for Hermione Granger and not be allowed to cut her hair for eight years.  :) 

Fundraising Update

All along I've said that whether or not this becomes a career, I feel like our family has something to learn from the experience.  Just the fact that hubby said we should go for it is pretty out of character and surprising.  I had a feeling that God was really going to work in our hearts with our finances- budgeting, saving, learning to prioritize, all that. 

His company has been talking about changing his position there for over a year.  This month it finally all came together.  They created a new position for him, with more responsibilities, doing the fun stuff he actually has been wanting to do all this time, and with a salary increase that makes it easy for us to make Shine payments without stressing.  This is such a blessing that I cannot even begin to describe it.  We're still going to do a couple more garage sales, but we don't have to freak out and scramble every month when the payment is due.  And after we come back from Orlando in January, that will be extra money in our budget that we can put toward paying off debt, or maybe even using for travel expenses if she gets jobs.

Thank you Lord!!!

Style Evaluation

As mentioned, we received the results of the style evaluation.  They love her hair and she is to leave it alone.  She's mostly okay with that but keeps having bouts of wanting to hack it off.  It's kind of nice to throw the style team under the bus on that one and just avoid a fight.  Nope, sorry.  They said you can't.  You have to obey.  So go brush it for pete's sake!

They also said for her to leave her brows alone.  It wouldn't have occurred to me that we should mess with them, but they reminded us that she is a kid and her brows are fine.  I guess maybe they've had issues with moms thinking their kids are bushy and plucking too much?  More of a toddlers and tiaras thing than an AMTC thing, I'm thinking.

Face and skin are good, keep drinking lots of water and use a moisturizer and sunscreen.  Only chapstick if needed.

Body- I love this.  Copying directly:

Good. Your body is a temple! Stay active and make healthy eating choices. Take this as an opportunity to substitute junk food with healthy alternatives, like rice cakes instead of chips and trail mix instead of skittles. Those things are fine every now and then, but take care of your temple.

 She's so like me.  I remember being CONSTANTLY hungry as a kid and wanting to snack all the time, and obsessing over junk food.  Hello, cans of chocolate frosting hidden under my bed... I'd love for her to avoid ending up overweight like me.  This is great advice from an outside source rather than her crazy mother.  :)

So then there is a ton of information about the clothes.  They gave links to four or five of the articles online that I need to go read.  There's a complete packing list there.  From what I gather so far, they don't want you to show up to the photo shoot with outfits in mind.  They want you to bring multiple choices for layering and lots of accessories and they will put together the looks they want when you get there.  I like that.  I also like that they give you some specific ideas, with pictures.  I haven't shopped at some of these stores before- have y'all?  Seems like a good list of choices and not too crazy expensive.

Stores for Inspiration

Our style team loves these stores. We want you to be economical, use what you have, borrow, thrift shop and try to bring good new options to the photo shoot. Here are stores we love. Look at these styles and try to duplicate. 

GAP

Forever 21 Girls

JCrew

Zara Kids

H&M

Target

Then they sent a bunch of pictures of individual clothes, along with a girl about G's age and hair color modeling some of the looks.  Extremely helpful.   I also love "IF YOU DON'T THINK THESE ITEMS ARE COOL, WE DON'T CARE!"  :)  There's an article about etiquette and being cheerful no matter what the photographers put you in, and how having a prima donna attitude is so detrimental to your career.  Again, great advice from someone NOT mom.


For Shoeaddict and any other clothes-minded folk, here is the packing list just for "Look One".  She has to have two looks, and bring multiple options for each.  (The other one is supposed to be shades of blue, purple, and green.)  Also she's supposed to bring more outfits that she's thinking of to wear for her showcases at Shine so the team can approve or veto.  Clearly this is going to require the most shopping and planning of any event I've ever attended, including my wedding.  Honestly it's a little daunting... but maybe this will actually get you out here for a visit, if I lure you with shopping, Shoe?


Denim Bottoms:

• Dark Denim Only.
• Skirts, pants, shorts, skinny jeans- bring a variety.
• Dresses in black or denim are great too. Daytime dresses.
• ONLY well fitted denim will be used. Leave your faded & baggy clothes at home. Men, please downsize in whatever denim you normally wear (unless you avidly study men’s fashion and are an expert at fit). If anyone does not have the right fitted options, we may ask you to run to the closest Target which will delay your shoot.
• Important to bring lots of options.

Black Bottoms:

• Black Only.
• Skirts, pants, shorts, skinny jeans- bring a variety.
• Dresses in black or denim are great too. Daytime dresses.
• ONLY well fitted options will be used. Leave your baggy clothes at home. Men, please downsize in whatever pants you normally wear (unless you avidly study men’s fashion).
• Important to bring lots of options.

Assorted Tops:

• Black & Grey Only.
• Cool fitted t-shirts, v necks, tank tops, button ups, sweaters, blouses, etc.
• Important to bring lots of options.

Layering Options:

• Black, Demin & Grey Only.
• Vests, denim jackets, blazers, motorcycle jackets, hoodies, cardigans, etc.
• These layers will make your look & character style!
• Important to bring lots of options.

So.  There you have it.  Every time I think I'm starting to get a handle on the scope of this thing, I realize we're just scratching the surface.  She's also got her monologue written and approved now, and is working on memorizing and performing it for camera so we can send it to the acting coaches for critique.

Garage Sale

So we finally got to have our first garage sale this weekend!  It got rained out before, but it worked out nicely because a lot of people brought more stuff over.  Friday night it was looking like it might rain a little bit and we discussed the possibility of canceling again, but I think my poor hubby would have an apoplexy if all the piles of stuff stayed in the living room any longer.  So we carried on.

It went well, and thank you so much to all the generous people who gave us their treasures to sell!  We made $276 and I have enough leftover things to fuel another sale in a month or two when I get my breath back.  I didn't even go through my closets and attic because we had so much donated.  The next payment gets drafted on Wednesday and we are ready!  Love it.

G ran a lemonade stand in the morning before she had to leave for her softball game and made three bucks.  She was pleased.  Then they went to the game while I finished up the sale.  She hit a TRIPLE.  First game of the season I've missed and she hits a triple.  It was their best game yet.  So sad I didn't see it.  But oh well. 

Next acting class is Thursday night, so we'll see what info we get from that.  She also got the style team evaluation back and got lots of great feedback about clothing for the photo shoot and what to wear for Shine.  more to follow on that.

Frazzled

We could use some prayer going into this week, just with scheduling and general business.  The fundraising is going well, thanks to some generous support from aunties.  Thanks Kate, Danna, and Dianne!  We do need some more to make this month's payment though, and I carefully scheduled the garage sale around G's off week in softball.  Come to find out I read the schedule wrong and she DOES have a game, plus practice, plus she and I are doing a night camp every night this week.  I'm feeling terribly stressed about getting the stuff for the sale ready in time, and being able to run the sale while getting her to softball.  I don't really have the luxury of waiting to do it because the payment is due before our next available sale date, and also I want to get this stuff out of our house since multiple people have been so generous about donating sale items.

I just feel very frazzled.  And she's got an acting class next week and she needs to write a monologue for it and I feel unclear on the directives and I want her to be prepared.  I'm having trouble though with knowing how much to step in and help, and how much to step back and let her take ownership.  She is only almost nine, after all, and I don't want her lack of experience to penalize her, but I don't want it to look like momma did it all.

Ack.  Prayer please.  Peace, scheduling help, delegating tasks, a successful sale... and a softball win would be good too.  Her poor team has lost every game this season and they're getting mighty discouraged.