Babies and Way-Off Broadway

Brynn thinks this image is cute. I think it looks like that thing that crawled out of that guy's chest on the movie Alien. Well...maybe not that bad. She does have a cute nose. In any case, we found out she was a girl. We were kind of hoping for a boy to even things out around here but we are excited for a girl. Even Spencer, who will have to share a room regardless, said "I think I like another girl. That way Jane can have someone to play dress ups with." Anyway, she's due on July 4th. So much for the name Yankee Doodle!


Brett's Bravos and Boos

BOO

For those thespians out there who acted, stage managed, or did anything else under the regime of Leslie Giles-Smith at Brighton, you will appreciate this boo I think. My seven year old, Samantha, is currently in a production of a musical for a local high school (I probably shouldn't name names here). She auditioned because they needed some younger kids and I thought it might be fun for her to be in an actual production. It started out as any productions seem to do, choir rehearsals, read-throughs, blocking, etc. But as time went on, things became a little more...shall we say, disorganized? Let me give you some examples of what I mean.

During blocking rehearsals, the students openly disregarded the director or argued with her, some calling her names to her face that I would not care to repeat. The assistant director kept shouting at full voice over the mic from the booth: "Shut up! I can hear you from up here! Shut up!" approximately every 5 minutes or so, while the director was onstage directing and students were asking her questions.

The makeup person is a Mary Kay consultant and is currently telling everyone in the show that they need to buy--in addition to the rather expensive Mary Kay cosmetics she's selling--facial clenser that costs approximately $40 (instead of a washcloth, some soap, and water, which works just as well).

The costume lady seems to think that everyone is out to get her. Tonight, which was supposed to be a dress rehearsal (the show opens the day after tomorrow), was changed so it was not a dress rehearsal. Samantha went unkowingly in full costume and with stage makeup on, done by Brynn. The costume woman, who apparently has no idea what stage makeup should look like, said that Samantha looked like a clown, chewed her out for playing in someone's makeup, and made her go wash her face (Brynn wasn't there at the time).

I could go on; I haven't mentioned the forgotten lines, forgotten song lyrics, forgotten entrances (did I mention it opens in two days?), and many, many other things. So this week, a very large BOO goes out to the one who should have earned a degree in all this and should have provided some semblance of organization, the director. (This is also an indirect Bravo to Leslie who never put up with anyone's crap and directed quality productions. You spoiled us all Leslie.)

BRAVO
This week my Bravo goes out to a grandma. Not my grandma (though she certainly deserves it too). This goes out to a woman named Angela Suleman. Some may recognize that name. She is the grandmother of Nadya Suleman's octuplets. Nadya, for those who may not know, is a single mom who happens to be addicted to having babies. Lots of babies. Many, including myself, think she is just plain irresponsible having all those kids, especially without a Dad to help guide and take care of them. But that's not what I want to discuss. I want to talk about her mom, the grandma. Psychiatrists believe that Angela is enabling her daughter's irresponsible behavior by helping her with the children and believe she should just walk away. She, despite the fact that she openly disagreed with her daughter and even went to the press about her feelings, still feels like she needs to be there for those helpless little ones. To me that is a clear example of selflessness, sacrificing your own needs and wants for the good of someone else. She may not be a perfect person for her tirades to the media, but my hat goes off to her for swallowing her own pride and doing what needs to be done for those kids.