Trick or Treat!

Dropped Little Red Riding Hood and James Bond at school this morning. I love Halloween but the morning the kids get to wear their costumes to school is somewhat less than enjoyable. I've tried, since they were tiny, to be one of those uber prepared parents who orders costumes online in August but my kids just won't cooperate.

I tried to pin them down early this year on what they wanted to be but the final decision was made yesterday afternoon. The result of such a tardy commitment to a costume had me frantically scouring Burbank's vintage shops until 6pm last night. We did eventually find what we needed but then spent the evening putting it all together.

The biggest challenge this year was James Bond's bow tie. We stupidly bought the kind that is not fixed and needed tying up. After several hours of trying to tie the bloody thing, while watching a demonstration I found on Google, I convinced my seventeen year old that he looked cooler and more like 007 if he had it open around his collar...like he's been on a mission!

Yes, thank you, I am well aware that I will pay dearly one day for my persuasive talents.

Little Red didn't give me too much trouble this year. Except with her hair. We are a family of rod straight hair, so curls have never been my specialty. But Little Red wanted curls so...I threw as many hot curlers as I could at her and hoped for the best. It wasn't pretty. I just don't have that "Texas" gene and although she had some curls she also had rather a lot of straight sections that I'd missed...she'll be wearing her hood all day.

I loved that she wanted to be Little Red Riding Hood. During my pregnancy I waned to name her "Piroska" which is Hungarian for Little Red Riding Hood..as you can imagine, she's quite relieved that I didn't! Beyond the pronunciation the explanation of the meaning might have been perplexing for her teachers and peers. We could have shortened it to Piro or Oska????

Anyway, I got them to school on time looking relatively presentable. The traffic was, of course, dreadful as everyone was late from perfecting their costumes. Had to honk one mother who was sat at a green light looking at herself in the rear view mirror.

She unfortunately gave me the finger. Not the most friendly way to start the day. Mind you I probably wouldn't have been feeling very friendly had I poured myself into a sexy batgirl suit at 6am.

I've decided I want a talking car that has phrases like;

"Excuse me but it's green" or

"Your lights aren't on" or

"Your petrol tank is open" or

"Your two year old is dragging along beside the car" or

"I can SEE you looking in the mirror you moron, and yes, you look ridiculous as bat girl!"

Failing that I want an alternate horn; a nice gentle toot when you're just being civil and a honking loud one which actually merits the finger.

Happy Halloween!

All the World's a Stage!

I truly was in denial regarding the way I've been raising my kids. I honestly thought I'd raised them without a bias toward performing. They both took dance classes when they were little, but only because they wanted to (No, really!). I cringed through ballet and tap shoe fittings and reluctantly suffered a recital or two. When they showed interest in other things I thankfully encouraged them to drop the dance classes and pursue other interests.

I thought I'd given them a fair chance at considering other professions.

We're currently deciding on University applications for my seventeen year old boy (terrifying!) and he's adamant that he's majoring in Theater Studies. When he graduates he's going to be an actor. Of course he is, fantastic! My daughter, almost 13, wants to be many things but high on the list is "Broadway Performer" bloody marvelous!

When I asked them how this could possibly have happened seeing as I'd never pushed them to perform, they reminded me of a few of my parenting quirks...

Any time we're planning to leave the house to go do something and time is of the essence I give them a fifteen minute call, a five minute call, and a "Places"

I use five, six, seven, eight, to cue them into action...a lot!

I applaud...a lot!

I've always covered their Halloween costumes in sequins

They can't remember a day that they didn't know what jazz hands were

When I give directions I use stage right and stage left

I've been known to yell "Point your feet" at many a cartwheeling kid

They've spent most of their childhood in Las Vegas and now live five minutes from Hollywood

and...I stretched them as babies...just in case!

What? Doesn't everyone do that?

So yes, I've been in denial all these years, I'd been subliminally moulding my babes for the stage while keeping them off it. Perhaps if I'd dragged them screaming to ballet class they would have run a mile in the other direction?

Either way, they both just seem to be born to perform.

Here we go up another VERY steep and INCREDIBLY narrow stairway!