call backs – oh snap

We were sitting on the couch talking and doing nothing Sunday evening when I randomly checked my phone’s email and saw that the casting director had emailed me.

oh. snap. O got a call back.

Wow. I couldn’t believe it.

They wanted to see O back for second round auditions the following day on site. C and I told O and she was stoked. I am not sure if she knew what I was even talking about but she was excited because C and I were excited.

I went to work and left early to go pick up O & C. We arrived onsite and hung out in the waiting room with all the other families and their little boys. Hmmm. We were the only family with a little girl.

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The producer introduced herself and brought the sign in sheet around and basically was wondering what we were doing there, even though she was so so so nice I’m pretty sure she probably thought we were not supposed to be there. She took a few families back and even paired O up with a nice fake mom and dad that could pass as her parents. We went back to the audition room and I stood outside and watched them do all their scenes. They were in a glass room so it was so cool to see them all performing.

O was so adorable, of course. I even tried to sneak a couple pictures but to be honest I was scared I would get in trouble!

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One of the men in the room came out and asked if I was O’s mother. They asked me to run a few scenes to see if O would have more natural reactions with me. It was a pleasure for me so we did our thing and went back to the waiting area.

They asked me a lot of questions about o when I was in there and my gut was telling me they really liked her – but as a mom i was afraid I was reading into it too much.

Then they asked to see O in the pool scene. I updated C on O’s performance and said we were supposed to go get in the pool for another portion of the audition. C noted that many of the other kids had left and there were only a few that stayed for the pool scene. I was a little more excited.

Right before the pool the CD asked to see O with another fake dad, so she went back in and ran a few more scenes. I wanted to be excited but I kept telling myself not to read too much into it. They even asked me to run a few more scenes! I wasn’t even here to audition!!!

Then like that the day was over. Back to reality. We left and went and picked up baby W from Grandmom’s house.

timing

Isn’t it so weird how things work out sometimes.

I was in an allllll day killer work meeting Thursday December 5. I checked my email during my lunch break and saw a same day casting call request for kids age 5-6 (with a note that said small is better). I had submitted O’s picture a couple times before and she had actually been pinned for a Health Insurance commercial but she was eventually released and didn’t shoot it.

Even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to submit O for this casting because I was in the meeting I didn’t delete the email. And she was also too young, being almost 4 – but the casting did state “small” so….

Low and behold the meeting ending early – by 4 pm so I shot the casting agency over O’s picture. She immediately responded “bring her in by 6pm“. Wow. Okay! I ran to the kitchen and grabbed some snacks for the girls and shot over to their school to pick them up. I told O we were going to her first audition and she was super excited.

When we got there the room was full of kids.

We got paired up with a lady that could pass as O’s mom and the CD came out to call O for her turn. He looked at her and said she was too young and requested the mom bring her son in. I was floored!

Luckily I spoke up and mentioned we had been requested to come in and that I was actually O’s mom. They CD was super cool about it and said O could watch this mom and her son go through the motions and he would give O a chance.

At this point I was thinking ugh i just wasted so much gas driving out here, but I wanted to see how O would react taking instructions from the CD anyway to see if it would be worth pursing this any further.

The mom and er son left and I peeked through the door crack and watched the CD work with O. He had her run through a couple scenes and then opened the door and asked me to come inside. I had W with me since I couldn’t get in touch with C so I was a little panicked W might flip her lid at any point. Lucky I had an emergency lollipop and she sat peacefully on the couch in the audition room (ugh, miracle!).

The CD said O was great a taking directions and super adorable so he was going to go with it. COOL!

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He asked me to do a couple scenes with her and then we were done. It ended up being so fun and an experience. She did so great. I was super proud.

i <3 NY

December 3, 2014. The real Lois and Cass adventure began.

Rose invited me to go to NY for an acting workshop with her. I have never been to NY but have always wanted to go. There was never any reason for me to go before so with a real legitimate purpose I was ecstatic. We took the train up and it was only like a little over two hours, so surreal.

We got on the train and sat down and started yapping away to realize we were on the quiet car, as the lady next to us so kindly told us.

We walked so much that my calves were actually sore the next day. I wish I had wore my Fitbit. It probably would have blown up. It’s a wonder all New Yorkers aren’t skinny – or maybe they are.

It didn’t even feel like NY, it felt like Baltimore to me. Until we saw the view from a rooftop bar. WOW. We ran around took a cab a few places, ate some sushi, then ran around some more places, had a mini photo shoot – see me as a coach model. Then we ate some hamburgers and went to our workshop.

So awesome.

Totally bombed the workshop, I was off book and was so excited to be there – obviously because the teacher said I had a “perma-smile”, which is some trendy way of telling me I was way too excited to be there reading in that room. Totally true. But whateves.

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bombshell

Sooooo I had to promise O I would bring her with me to the hair salon next time I went since her friend at school got her hair cut. We went after Thanksgiving. Black Friday.

It was so cute. The girl who does my hair did O’s also while mine was processing.

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She had a wash.

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Then a little trim and even a blow-out. I think it made her day. Such a little diva. She probably could have gone another ten years without a hair cut at it’s current rate of growth but at least it’s all even and she had such a great time. Plus I like seeing my hair dresser she is smoking hot.

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Since this I have tried to blow-out her hair and she tells me I am awful. She said Daddy was even better at hair drying than me and honestly I don’t recall him ever blowing out her hair so I must be bad.

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Then we went to 2 Walmart’s to find hair chalk – on Black Friday. It worked out perfect though because I bought some Christmas presents for the cousins and I got the new season of Arrow for less than half price. Had I known that before I got home I would have bought some additional TV series’!

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Complete with pink hair chalk, oh boy.

MET showcase

It’s our showcase we can cry if we want to, which I almost did because I was almost very late! There were protests going on and SO MUCH TRAFFIC. I left work and drove to Rockville for an audition (first one from being in that principal database, whoo-hooo!) anticipating getting to the MET with an hour to spare for rehearsals with Rose. Rose is my scene partner and newest BF. She is the most awesome person ever, I am so lucky to have met her. Hi Rose!!

We did a scene from Wonder of the World. It’s some crazy play where Rose just finds out her husband swallows Barbie doll heads because he likes to, uh – erotically pass them. I know, right. Who thinks of this stuff? Gross. My role is a drunk and my husband leaves me because of my excessive drinking and bad manners. We meet on a bus to Niagara Falls where I am going to kill myself and Rose is going to start anew. An unlikely friendship and adventure. Cuteness.

We did the bus scene where we first meet.

Bravo Rose! You were spectacular.

stubs

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Oh. My. Goodness.

I just got direct cast in my first short film and I am SO EXCITED. A guy in my theatre class is filming it and asked me to play the wife! It will be called STUBS. I will post more as it becomes available.

I can totally pull off mom/wife. I will be washing dishes and making a frozen pizza, I mean this role is made for me. I am SO good at washing dishes and making frozen food. Eeeek! Can’t. Wait. I hope I get to yell at some kids or something, maybe throw a plate against the wall! That would be so dramatic.

things just got real

I just got accepted into my first principal database by a known local casting director. I am on cloud nine right now. I don’t know the significance of that saying but I know it’s supposed to be very awesome and I feel very awesome right now.

I auditioned for this office back and January and never got a call back. So I knew I sucked. That is actually why I decided to do the Improv and the Theatre classes. Guess it has finally paid off! Now if I could just book a gig…

I performed the monologue I studied in class at MET during the summer session. I even got real tears going! It felt good!

So now when (ahem – speaking) roles become available for ladies with my stats I will be emailed to go audition. I can’t wait!!!!

wild canoeing

C’s brother and wife invited us wild canoeing. I know that’s not actually a thing but it was canoeing in the wild, we would be canoeing all day and then set up camp on the river bank, then canoe again all the next day to get back down to our trucks. I was totally excited to do something so crazy, but C was like, uh — whaaaaat, that sounds like so much work. It took some persistence but I finally convinced C that we were going hard-core wild canoeing. He was absolutely certain that I wouldn’t make it but I assured him I could survive.

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I packed only the essentials since we would be loa   ding all our stuff on our canoe for the two day trip. I was actually really freaking out because I had never done this before and I was worried we were going to flip and all our gear would get soaked and we would be in the middle of nowhere, cold, wet and hungry. Or we would just get eaten by a bear. It could happen.

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We never flipped, it was awesome and I had so much fun. I did however have a hard time sleeping because I was terrified a bear was going to eat me. Luckily I am still here today to happily report we didn’t see any bears. Lots of fishing! –no bears, thank god.

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OBX Family Vaca

8/2014

I wait all year for this trip. 1 week in the Outer Banks. It’s amazing. No work, the sun, lots of shopping, never having to cook… I could get used to living like that. Too bad I’m not independently wealthy and have to work for a living.

Last time W was at the beach she was an infant so I was a little worried how this trip would be with a 16 month old running around. When O was around that age she wouldn’t touch the sand, which made it very easy to hang out on the beach since she confined herself to the beach towel. I doubted I would be so lucky again with Miss Independent pants (W). So I just planned on lots of baby pool time since it was fenced and I wouldn’t have to worry about the girls getting too far if they decided to run away.

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pool O

We did end up venturing to the beach. I may have mentioned I have slight paranoia about certain things, like the ocean, so I brought a baby gate with me for peace of mind. As crazy as we looked it was so worth it. And several passer-byers came over to give us parent of the year awards.

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O loved the ocean, a little too much for my taste but what could I do. She did wear her life jacket.

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Counting down the days until next year!