cast away
I am having one of those work weeks that just beat you up. Vague asks that don’t make sense, changing timelines and details, being behind the ball but not having any way to get ahead… Sigh, this is not when I shine. However, I had my personal pity party last night and am trying to let the stress go and do what I can do with what I have when I have it.
For this week, I wanted to ramble away about Lil Momma’s audition for a special production class at her musical theater school as it took up most of our energy last weekend:
Lil Momma went in strong on Saturday am and was so ready with her bit of song and good attitude. With both us knowing more than half the auditioners would NOT make it in, I tried to balance my car ride pep talk with real talk ride to the studio, for sure.
When I picked her up, she was devastated, unfortunately, because a bunch of the younger kids and some of the competition team kids had gotten a callback for that afternoon and she had not. Now, having done theatre until I was 22, I know they say you don’t have to get a callback to get in (and that you aren’t definitely in even if you get a callback), BUT, it did not bode well. So, the Mr. and I decided on a distraction approach until the cast list was emailed on Sunday night to try and keep spirits as up as they could be:
- He planned a dinner that had a multistep cooking process she could help with and ran for groceries while LM and I went to get a Dutch oven (she loves shopping)
- We watched a movie and dove into a Taskmaster New Year’s marathon until bedtime
- I found some Saturday activities she could do at the Y for the winter to keep in my back pocket
- Sunday morning, she made pancakes solo for the first time!
- (Then she cleaned up, haha)
- After lunch, she and the Mr. drove to a friend’s house where the kids were doing a hot chocolate stand fundraiser
I was so grateful for the break (EMOTIONS WERE HIGH FOR ALL OF US) and plopped down on the couch to check my email and scroll a bit. A bit became a bit longer, so I quick checked my email before doing dishes when I noticed THE CAST LIST WAS THERE. I texted the Mr. not to check his email before coming home (he needed deniability) and then hesitantly checked…
….of course she got in.
Getting to tell her when she got home was such a joy! But, oof what an emotional rollercoaster AND the Mr. had to cook this 2 day dinner still HAHA! Maybe distraction was not the way to go…
Hope you are staying warm and having a good week! Here’s to reframing and breaks and small joys amongst it all!
Congratulations to little Momma!! That's a great strategy to use distraction. And, I hear you on this week- I only taught for three days but I am feeling run down!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! And, I hope we BOTH get some time to recharge in the coming days!
DeleteWoo hoo Lil Mama!!!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say about this week is that yay it's almost over.
I am so close to the work week ending and am possibly counting down the minutes...
DeleteWow. what a roller coaster this post was, so I can imagine the roller coaster actually LIVING it was! I'm so happy she made it!
ReplyDeleteMe too! She needed a boost and it will be great for her to have kid / creative time on the weekends.
DeleteYay for getting Lil Momma on getting in, but YES - I know this roller coaster well and it is intense.
ReplyDeleteYum - I love pancakes. Now I'm hungry <3
She tried to make them a few years ago and burned herself, so it was a big facing her fear / obsession with pancakes / independence moment for us, haha!
DeleteHooray! Reading this, I was in suspense. I know that feeling so well- you don't want your kid to be disappointed. Also, I think we re-live a little of our own past (theater for you, music for me and my kids) every time they take an audition. Of course we want them to get in!!! I'm very happy for all of you!
ReplyDeleteI knew you'd understand, Jenny! I know she won't make it in everything (nor should she), but we really needed the win this time around!
DeleteOh Hooray for Lil Momma. This was *very* suspenseful reading!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest wants to audition for the next show I'm working on (there's a children's chorus). I'm 90% sure she won't get in because she doesn't have any experience singing this kind of rep, and I'm trying to decide if I should let her audition any way. I mean it would be good for her to have the experience of preparing for an audition, but also I don't want her to get so discouraged that she doesn't audition for things in the future if she doesn't get in.
I love that your kid cleaned up after pancakes!
I think it's harder when you've worked in theatre (like you) or been around it for so long (like me, the lapsed theatre person)... I love LM getting audition experience and being a part of a show and appreciating ensemble roles and all of that - but, I don't want to break her heart when it all doesn't work out for some show or as she watches the same people get leads. But, that's part of the whole thing. I can't bubble wrap her, no matter how much I want to sometimes...
DeleteOh, that's such great news... but ugh, how awful for Lil Momma to have to wait to hear back.
ReplyDeleteFor the show she is in in June, they didn't announce the cast for TWO WEEKS! Emotions (and sassiness) were running amuck, haha!
DeleteYes, like Jenny I was in suspense while reading this! I am so relieved she got cast - what a great accomplishment for her!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! Selfishly, it's so much easier for her to get in than if she didn't, haha!
DeleteHoly cow, Lindsay. I am so glad she got the/a part but this must have been SO stressful for all of you. Yikes. Go, Lil Momma, though!
ReplyDeleteAnd you know I am right. there. with. you. on the work... crap. I'm still in the thick of things but hope that you are finding your way out, my friend. <3
Oh, same, my friend <3 WE will get through this part, I just know it.
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