The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow....

Hello everyone!  Christmas has been kicking my ass this year, which is why it's been radio silence for a month from this blog.  However, I have so many stories in my head that I had to get at least one out now.  So, I decided to do this instead of address my Christmas cards.  They might not go out until after Christmas at this point.  Whatever.  Hopefully I will have some down time over the next couple weeks and be able to write a few more stories.  This one happens to be about the latest star in our family, Sonya.

At the beginning of the school year all three girls signed up to be in the school musical.  A production of "Annie".  My friend, Elisa, who helped to bring the musical program to our school, swore Sonya would play Annie.  I was hesitant and doubtful for a few reasons.  I've mentioned before that Sonya isn't always one to get up and perform, and certainly not on her own.  She's usually good in groups and has performed as part of the chorus in past musicals, but this-this would be an entire show about her character.  As it turned out Elisa was right and the director did cast Sonya as Annie.  I honestly had no idea how this was going to go down.  

The day Sonya came home and told me she got the part she was ecstatic.  I was happy for her too, but I gently reminded her that this meant she had to sing...alone.  Was she okay with that?  She assured me she was.  I took her for her word, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous for how this was all going to turn out.   I wasn't even sure Sonya could sing well.  I've heard her sing along to songs in the car or in the shower with her sisters and she's certainly not tone deaf, but the lead in a musical is totally different.  I did have to keep in mind that this was a kids musical at elementary school and it wouldn't matter if she wasn't a fantastic singer.   Most of the kids can't sing so well, but the girl who was the lead in past plays, who recently graduated to middle school, had a beautiful voice.  Sonya had a lot to live up to.  

As the semester went on, she and her sisters, who were orphans, went to rehearsals once a week on Tuesdays, leaving me with a very long alone day.  A plus for me!  Andy and I wanted to run lines with her and she was usually hesitant, but she did do it with us a few times.  Although she didn't really need it.  She had her lines down in about the first two weeks.  I was always the same with acting and memorized lines very quickly.  

After about a month, the director gave us a CD for the girls to sing along and practice to.  I would play it in the car and they would go through "Hard Knock Life" and "N.Y.C", but anytime "Maybe" or  "Tomorrow" would come on Sonya would ask me to go to the next song.  She refused to sing alone in front of me. Now I was really starting to become nervous.  Was she going to be horrible?  Not that I would love her any less, but I didn't want her to embarrass herself.  For the life of me I will never understand those parents who encourage their children in a talent they are obviously not good at.  Like all those moms standing outside American Idol insisting the judges don't know what they're talking about, after their precious baby couldn't hit one note.  I refuse to be that mom.  Still, I didn't push.  

Then one morning we were in the kitchen and the girls were helping me clean up after breakfast on a Saturday.  Lana ran into her room to get her CD player and the "Annie" CD so they could practice.  She and Georgia were more than happy to sing in front of us over and over again.  They all went through their group songs again that I had already heard.  Then the beginning of "Maybe" started.  I told Sonya I wanted her to practice it.  So she did, begrudgingly.  All I can tell you is that it's a good thing my back was to them as I stood at the sink to wash dishes, because I was doing everything I could to hold back tears.  Her voice was better than I had ever expected.  After she finished, "Tomorrow" started and I encouraged her to sing that one to, but she told me she already knew it and moved on. 

The day of the show, Sonya was a nervous mess most of the day. There was a whole thing about her hair and the wig she had to wear, that she was (excuse the pun) wigging out about.  I did my best to reassure her and tell her it was going to be great and not to worry.  But she was worried.  How could she not be?  Andy and I were kinda right there with her.  The night of the show I was still nervous for her, but at least I felt more confident in her ability.  However, I wasn't quite sure how it was going to turn out.  Perhaps "Maybe" was the only song she could sing?  What if she forgot her lines?  As Andy and I sat in the audience, listening to the overture, waiting for the curtain to open, he leaned over and said,

"I can't do this.  I can't watch this."

"Me neither, " I told him.  "I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Having both done theater ourselves, we knew what she was feeling and we seemed to be channeling  that into a parental way.  

Within the first five minutes I knew this was going to be great and she was going to be awesome.  And I know I'm biased, but you guys she so was.  Not to mention the fact that I cried for about the first fifteen minutes as well.  This time I just let it go when she sang "Maybe".  Listening to "Tomorrow" wasn't any better for my mascara.   I can't forget about my little girls.  Lana had a couple lines she delivered beautifully and she and Georgia knew their dance steps and their songs spot on.  However, Sonya was the star.  Rightfully so, since she was Annie.  

After the show and for a week later, I had parents coming to me telling me how amazing she was and how beautiful her voice was and how long had I had her in voice lessons?  Ummm...never.  A few people told me I needed to help her pursue a singing career, but to be honest, as much as she liked doing it and had a great time, this is not something she has a bug for.  Well not yet anyway.  Who knows what the future will bring, but for now she's just a ten year old kid having fun singing and acting in an elementary school musical.  I'm not calling Broadway just yet.  But in the meantime you can check her out and see what you think.  I am so incredibly proud of the job she and her sisters did. It was one of those moments as a parent where you think, Yup.  I helped make this little person and I did damn good.  (So far.)

Surprising the Hell Out of Me

Last week, on September 11th, the girls' school had a little assembly, just for the kids, in remembrance of what happened 13 years ago.  Wow.  13 years.  None of the kids at the school were even born then.  For them the events of September 11th are what Pearl Harbor is to a lot of us.  It's difficult trying to explain it to them at this age, but we do in a very factual no details sort of way.  They get the idea of it and understand that it's a day where we come together as a country and mourn  the loss of those who died and a bit for our sense of safety.  

During the assembly they do the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the Star Spangled Banner.  I had totally forgotten that they do this assembly until I was headed into the school later in the morning.  

Side note-since I've had all 3 of them in school I have been working for the school part time.  Without pay.  I say that because I have volunteered for a few things that required a ton of my attention this first month of school.  All those closets I thought I'd have cleaned out by now with the girls in school all day, continue to need cleaning out.  I don't know if I will ever have time for anything other than school and Girl Scouts.  Everyone keeps asking me, "What are you doing with all of your free time now?" Yeah-what free time?  Admittedly I do it to myself, because I can't just be one of those moms who drops off her kids and then sits at home watching TV for hours.  So I wanted to help out more.  However, I need to learn when I'm overdoing it.  Of course my mom has never figured that out and she's 63, so I might be  in trouble.  Moving on!

As I was walking into the school, the principal was on her way out.  She knows all three of my girls and, since I'm so involved, me as well.  She stopped me on my way into the school to let me know that Sonya sang the Star Spangled Banner in front of the entire school.  Huh?  MY Sonya?  Long blond hair, 5th grade, "I'm not one for performing" Sonya?  Yup.

Apparently what had happened was this.  Ms. Taylor (the principal) asked Sonya's teacher if she could have a couple of the 5th graders lead everyone in the Pledge.  Well Sonya's teacher immediately picked out Sonya and her best friend Charlotte who are two smart, very well behaved girls.  When they got up there to lead the Pledge, Ms. Taylor joked that afterward they were going to sing a solo of our National Anthem.  Then she laughed it off, but Sonya said "OK".  So they did the Pledge and with microphone still in hand, Sonya went into her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.  In all honesty I wasn't even aware she knew all the correct words to it.  

According to Sonya, she thought Charlotte was going to sing with her, but when Sonya tried to hold the microphone between them Charlotte pushed it back Sonya's way, so she shrugged it off and kept going.  Now I wasn't there to witness this, and I have no idea how she sounded, but who the hell cares?  I was absolutely shocked that my child who tends to embarrass easily and worries what other people will think, got in front of her entire school to belt out a song.  I was also extremely proud of her.  Proud of the fact that she knew the song well enough to perform it and proud of the fact that she had the guts to get up there and sing it.  

It's so interesting to watch your kids get older and turn into these people with their own thoughts, feelings, and ways about them.  This wasn't something I prepared her for or even suggested she do.  It was something she chose to do on her own.  It just shows what an awesome girl she is becoming.  Well, despite the fact that I still get a daily eye roll and a sarcastic comment thrown my way from her most days.  I blame that on the impending hormones.  Hearing about what she did  makes me feel  that Andy and I are doing a good job raising her as a confident, smart, self sufficient young lady.  To go from coaxing her to take a part in the Jungle Book in second grade to her stepping up to sing on her own 3 years later.  It makes me excited to see what she might do next.  Okay and maybe a little nervous, but mostly excited!

Lucky Number 7

Where were you seven years ago today?  Do you know?  Because I do.  I was at Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles in Labor and Delivery giving birth to my second baby.  Today is Miss Lana's seventh birthday.

Yes, every year I marvel at how old my girls are now.  I know it gets old, but damn I just can't get over how FAST this is all going.  Everyone warned me, but when you are chained to your house waist deep in diapers you just don't believe those people.  It wasn't until the girls started school and leaving the house from time to time that I thought maybe there was something to what those people had told me.  Now I work hard to take a minute every once in a while to commit to memory where my girls are in their lives and enjoy the great little ladies they are becoming.  Even if they are a pain in the ass every day as well.  

Earlier today I was talking to the mom of one of Lana's friends in her class.  This is a recent friend for Lana, maybe since December.  We didn't really hear much about her before, but then she and Lana started playing at school and it was, "Sienna this and Sienna that."  So naturally we invited her to Lana's little party tomorrow.  Well, it's not really a party, because we don't do big ones anymore.  We are taking her and 3 of her friends mini golfing then having pizza and cake at home.  No biggie. 

 This mom called to tell me that unfortunately Sienna wasn't going to be able to make it and she felt bad about.  I understand though, we always have things going on all weekend too.  However, her mom really wanted Sienna to come to the party to hang out with Lana and her friends, because apparently she  had some trouble with other girls in the class earlier in the year.  Problems like these other girls leaving her out of playing when they felt like it, and something about a point system that can only be reminiscent of middle school mean girls.  REALLY?? We are doing this in FIRST grade?? 

I felt so bad because her little girl is so sweet.  Then I realized how extremely proud I was of Lana.  Sienna's mom had told her to find some other kids to play with when this all happened a few months ago.   Apparently she approached Lana who welcomed playing with her without incident, even though she already had a group of girls she payed with.

I guess I shouldn't be to surprised.  Lana has never been one to exclude others from playing.  Granted kids gravitate to certain other kids and form little playgroups at school.  This is something that is completely natural and  we also do as adults.  I certainly have some mom friends I'd rather go have a glass of wine with over others.  It just depends on personality.  However, if someone wants to play in her group, Lana has never been one to say no.  The more people the bigger party for her.  In a time where there seems to be so many bullies and "mean girls", I am so proud that my daughter is not falling into those categories and that she is accepting of everyone.  

In the seven years I have known my Lana, I have seen what a strong personality she has.  She is loving and loyal.  She is brave and not afraid to do something that might make her slightly uncomfortable like this:

That was her audition for the play she is doing at school.  She sang it in front of about 30 other kids from the school most of them older than she is.  She sang every word, and the musical interlude in the beginning and in between just kills me!  

On the other hand, she can also be brutally honest(wonder where she gets THAT from) and a bit temperamental(or that?).  However, she has grown into such a lovable little girl who doesn't let much bother her and is willing to accept anyone for who they are. This past year with her has most definitely been the best.  She's learned to deal with her temper and found ways to calm herself down.  That's not to say we don't still have issues here and there, but less than ever before.  As she's grown older, she's learned to deal with her temper and her anger better and has become more loving and kind.  Six for Lana has been a dream.  I  only hope seven will bring us even better times. But no matter what it brings I love this little girl with all of my heart and I am so grateful to have her in our lives. Sure there were some rough times with her in the past, but looking back it doesn't seems so bad anymore.  Funny how that happens.  Just like how "everyone" was right about how quickly this goes by.

Happy Birthday Lana Lu!  You are the second of the three extremely brilliant shining parts of my life. 

Frozen in Song

Most of you who read this site have kids, or know my kids.  And if you have kids there is a 99% chance that you've seen the Disney movie Frozen sometime in the past few months.  And if you've seen the movie Frozen, you've heard nothing but the soundtrack on repeat since the Christmas music subsided at the beginning of the year.  Well, at least that's the case in my house.

Now let me just admit right here up front that I personally LOVED the movie.  I think it is probably in my top three Disney movies of all time.  I don't know if it was the fun music, or the fact that it's a story about sisters saving each other and not about a prince saving them.  But yeah, I loved everything about it and cried a good 40% of the movie.  I may have  been PMSing.  Anyway-right after we saw it, I downloaded the music and within two days the girls knew all the words to every song.  Okay, fine I did too.  We play it at home and in the car.  I will go through a day or two where I just can't listen to it anymore and within a day I want to hear it again.  I love to belt out, "Let it Go" in the car with the girls.  We have a blast.

One day last week we were in the car with Andy and I think he had enough of the soundtrack.  We weren't going far, just to Menchie's, so we drove with no music.  Then the girls started the soundtrack on their own singing a capella.  We took a break in Menchie's and they started right back up when we got in the car going from one song to the next in the order of the soundtrack.  I joined right along.  So when I found out that the El Capitan theater here in Hollywood was having a Frozen Sing-A-Long, it was a no brainer to take the girls.  This Sunday morning we will be singing our hearts out in the theater, and they are beyond excited.

A couple days ago I pulled out my phone and recorded the two little girls while they were home.  Georgia singing "In Summer" and the both of them singing "Let it Go".  Unfortunately my phone cut off the end of "Let it Go", but it was long enough.  You don't need to suffer through the ENTIRE song.  So for your entertainment pleasure, my own cast of Frozen....

I'm pretty sure we won't need to follow the bouncing ball or snowflake on Sunday at the sing-a-long.  We've got these songs down pat!

Rock of Ages (Three and Five)

In an effort to encourage my daughters to form an all girl rock band when they get older, Andy has been putting on rock concert DVDs every now and then for them to watch.  So far, they have seen Queen and Journey.  They like both, but Lana seems to be more of a Queen fan. She particularly likes the song Bohemian Rhapsody.  I mean who doesn't like to rock out to that song?  Certainly the drunk guy in Canada loves it.

A few days ago during lunch, Lana and Georgia were doing their best to sing as much of the song as they could remember on their own. After hearing it a few times, I finally picked up my phone to record them.  As you will see, Lana sort of gives up after she can't remember anymore.  Or maybe she only sings her favorite part.  Georgia carries it almost to the end, though.  First Lana gets the pink sparkly guitar, then they are  introduced to a good rock concert.  These are the building blocks my girls will point to later when they are doing their E! True Hollywood Story interview.  I only hope my disciplining methods aren't their source for painful childhood memories.  I mean, I did give them to the count of three!

Name That Tune Part 2

The girls and I were in the car yesterday listening to the most recent Glee CD that  Melinda made for us. (Thanks Mel!) The song Blackbird, originally sung by one of the greatest bands of all time, The Beatles, is on this particular CD.  It is a song Kurt's character sings in one of the episodes from this past season.  The girls know this song from it's original Beatles version, because hell yeah I'm making them listen to The Beatles.  So when it came on yesterday in the Glee version they already knew the words to sing along.  Well I THOUGHT they knew the words.  


I love that kids sing the wrong words to songs.  It's one of my favorite things they do, because what they think are the right words are usually humorous in the context of the song.  I've talked about this before last year when we went to San Francisco with my in-laws.  Back then it was Sonya who didn't get the words quite right.   While this time all of them were singing something different, I think Georgia's was my favorite interpretation.  


We listened to the song a number of times yesterday, because when they find a song they like they make me play it over and over again.  One of the many reasons I try to listen mostly to music that I want to listen to.  The three of them were singing along to it every time, but I couldn't really tell WHAT they were singing until we got home.  They were all walking in the door still singing the song that was now stuck in their heads.  Then Sonya started laughing because of the words Lana was using for the song.  


"Hahaha!  Lana what are you singing?" she asked.


"Blackbir singing in da desert niiigghht," Lana sang.


"Oh Lana that's so funny!" Sonya told her.  


"What do you think it is Sonya?" I asked.


"Blackbird singing in the dead eye niiiii!" she belted.  I'm not sure what she thought that last word was, but it definitely wasn't night.  


I giggled to myself and told her that wasn't quite it either.  Then we heard Georgia singing to herself.  We asked her to sing her version for all of us.  She smiled shyly for a minute and wouldn't say anything so I had to coax it out of her.  Finally she sang:


"Blackbir sittin on a butta knife!"


This threw all of us into a fit of giggles.  Georgia was so proud of making us all laugh that she continued to belt out her tune for the rest of the night. 


The unfortunate part about this is now, for the rest of my life, every time I hear that beautiful, yet somewhat melancholy song, all I'm going to picture is a bird sitting on a butter knife.

Idolizing The Big Sister

Lately, Georgia has been walking around the house singing whatever song she knows that pops in her head. Sometimes it's a "Yo Gabba Gabba" song, other times it's one she's learned in her Mommy and me class. Then the other day I heard her singing and realized it was, "Head, shoulders, knees and toes...knees and toes." This is a song she's heard since before birth, because they sing it every week at her gymnastics class and point to the parts of the body accordingly.

When I heard her singing it the other day I thought-"Oh, how CUTE is she!" So I asked her to sing it to me again. Then I realized one of her words was off. I told her I wanted to hear it again and found that this is how she sang it,

"Heeeaaad, SONYA, knees and toes...knees and toes!"

I just laughed to myself and asked to her to keep singing it for me.

It is really adorable, but now I know she's giving her older sister WAY too much power. Just what has Sonya been telling her when they play outside??

Name That Tune

Over our vacation we spent a bunch of time in the car. Therefore we spent a bunch of time listening to music. The latest music in the car over the past few months has been popular songs, made popular again, by the hit show Glee. I totally admit, I love this show. Now Sonya loves this show too, and we both love the songs. My friend Melinda made us CDs of all the songs they've released on iTunes. Since she gave them to us in April, they've been in constant rotation in my min-van. The girls each have their favorite songs and every time we get in the car they want to hear "their" song. I will oblige each of them, and they will belt out "their" song at top volume while it is playing. For Sonya that song is Lady Gaga's, "Bad Romance".

Any of you out there who don't know the song, take a minute to go check it out on iTunes. You can just listen to the free twenty seconds they give you just to hear the chorus. I'll wait.

Done?

Good. Now for those of you who know the song, Glee has cleaned it up and there are no bad words in it. However, most five year olds don't know what the words are in songs to begin with, sooooo you never know WHAT they're going to sing. Such is the case with Sonya and this particular song.

Even though I've heard her sing it in the car many times before, I had never heard her sing what she sang when we were in San Francisco. What she sang LOUDLY, in front of my IN-LAWS, in San Francisco. Sometimes she would sing the words "bad romance". Then other times...well other times for some reason, she sang the words "fag romance".

Now let me assure everyone out there. Andy and I love the gays. We do not have one problem with gay or lesbians whatsoever and even voted in favor of them getting married. In fact we do have quite a few friends who are gay or lesbian. We do not in ANY way use that word in our house. Even if it was ever uttered in a joking manner, it would not be in front of any of the girls. So I have zero idea where she heard it. I believe those are just the sounds she hears in the song.

Either way, I had a very difficult time not laughing at my daughter sitting in her car seat next to her grandparents, loudly, and I do mean loudly, belting out a Lady Gaga tune, while changing the words to "fag romance". Meanwhile my mother-in-law sat next to her and kept yelling to us in the front,

"What are you teaching my granddaughter?! What are you letting her listen to?!"

This only made Andy and I laugh harder. Thank goodness we were all the way in the front and nobody really noticed that we were crying with laughter, every time Sonya sang the wrong word. The fact is, it is a completely innocent mistake on Sonya's part. She has no idea what she's singing and truly believes that what she is putting her heart and soul into are the correct words. We've all been there. "Wrapped up like a douche" anyone? Megan once thought Paula Abdul's "You got me knocked out" was, "you got me knocked up". Waaaaayyy different song.

Yes, I do plan on correcting her and making sure she knows the right word, I just didn't want to embarrass her and do it in front of everyone. And okay fine, there is a little part of me that wants to hear it just one more time, because it is so damn funny.

Your Next American Idol!

Georgia LOVES to sing. I caught a couple of her greatest hits on the Flip Video. She even comes up with her own song to sing. Halfway through the video you'll hear the older two arguing over who gets to sit in the rocking chair. I think Sonya even sits ON Lana at one point. Fun times! Enjoy!

Itsy Bitsy Spider/ABC's