corner view~destination

For now, for the last few days, and the next few days, our destination has been Hollywood.

The girls are working with their acting coach, and doing really well.  Sky has met two songwriters at boot camp -- girls close to her age, and today they all wrote and performed a song together about their dads that was really sweet.  Yesterday we met the producer that Sky will be working with on her new webshow, and both girls got their hair cut by a lady and sat in a chair where Zac Efron got his hair cut.
For my girls that was O.M.G.

Shawn is thrilled because we found him a park with swings and basketball and got him a new basketball for when we return here at the end of the summer.  Yesterday at the park he held his own in a game of dodgeball with a group of kids he befriended in about five seconds.  The day before he was shooting hoops with a group of gigantic young men.

We are working on his shyness.

For more corner views of peoples' destinations, go to my sidebar.

first few days of summer vacation

View of Hollywood Hills from the deck of a house we are renting later in the summer, day in the park right next to a farmer's market; Shawn plays basketball with grown men and shows them a few moves; jacarandas in full glory; the girls show off our lucky room number in the super classy motel (not hotel like it was advertised) that we are staying in, but I am happy that we at least got this auspicious room number; back at the park mom proves to both of her boys that she can still sink a few shots, while the girls work all day at acting camp; later jumping on hotel beds, yes, completely allowed; dinner at Cantor's Deli-- matzoh ball soup, latkes, turkey dinner, o.m.goodness good, cruising the Larchmont strip, and last but absolutely not least, best samosas ever consumed by Gary were at the farmer's market, and insanely good macrobiotic lunch cuisine that is some of the tastiest food I have ever had, and yes we will be returning tomorrow to the farmer's market for more of where we got this delish stuff at Plummer (not plumber, Shawnie) Park.

And in case this is not enough entertainment:

Funny moment of the day:

Shawn and I enter the hotel motel lobby where a black and white photo is hanging on the wall. "Mom, is that the Wright brothers?" (I didn't know that he knew who they were).  I saunter over to see.

"No Shawnie, that's the Three Stooges!"

corner view~m is for...

Marvelous!!

Today we got some excellent news.  Sky is going to be starring in a web series, a pilot show.  She is going to be working with a very cool woman we have gotten to know via Skype, named Irene Dreayer.  (Both Annabel and Sky have won contests this year and have gotten acting advice from her via Skype.)  Irene executive produced a very popular television show in the U.S. called "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "The Suite Life on Deck."

The pilot show is called "Ask Skylar."  It is an interactive show where kids/teens send in their questions and Skylar provides answers.  Think "Dear Abby" for kids mixed with a little iCarly.  Here is the link where Irene introduces the show and Skylar.  Questions will be sent via Facebook and Twitter.

Technology is so amazing! 

We are going to be in LA for the fall anyway, but this opportunity came after we made those plans.  Kind of cool timing.  But they can film her from anywhere, so it is going to be quite an adventure.  They start filming in June, and we leave town *for 5 months* in a few days!!  We have been having so much fun shopping for colorful clothes...

Feel free to spread the word, especially to people with kids.  It would be so cool to reach kids from all over the globe!  Those of you who have read her blog may know that our Skylar is a funny, gentle and pretty wise soul.  I think she will do a great job!

school's out!

Thursday was the last day of school for all of our kids.  It was the last day of second grade for Mr. Shawn, complete with a party, snacks and gifts for his teachers.  Shawn and I had so much fun making the letters for the title page of his "book."  Which, by the way has 31 chapters!  (dictated to me last year)...

That same day the girls had their final day of home school (Annabel finished sixth grade and Sky finished eighth grade) with their sweet teacher Miss Yvonne.  They did research presentations for history and science.  Annabel taught us about Barack Obama and arctic animals.  Sky taught us about the first moon landing  and black holes and white dwarfs.  Did you know, in 6 billion years the sun will shed it's outer core and become a white dwarf just a little smaller than earth...

My kids are so bright and love learning.  They all had great years in school!  

Shawn learned to read better, a lot of math, history, science (his teacher's speciality), computers, and art.  Plus he took drum and acting classes this year.

The girls studied language arts, math, science, history, French, geography, theater, research, geography, and conflict resolution.  All the kids were happy in school and they got really good report cards.

I am so grateful to their wonderful teachers.

corner view~favorite fiction

Favorite fiction you ask? The first thing I thought about was how much I am not a bookworm, and how I secretly wish I were, because I associate well read people with high intelligence.  My favorite fictional pieces of writing?  Tough because although I love creativity, I tend to prefer reading true stories or educational books.

So here goes:
*a hilarious book I read in my 20's called Cowboys are my Weakness by Pam Houston...
*The Book of Qualities by J. Ruth Gendler, whom Gary and I met and did a creative writing workshop with...
*The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans.  A self published book that became a New York Times bestseller... 
*my sister Jill's poetry, wish I could dig it up quickly, but alas it is packed away...

But then I realized that fiction could refer to theater, film, comedy skits, poetry, songs, artists! 

I think given this broad scope that my favorite fiction right now is my entertaining husband and children, who create elaborate characters that make me laugh out loud.  One came onto the scene last summer and has visited regularly, on and off with our family, since last June!  I am referring my husband's character Stanley.  If only you could all meet him!

cha cha slide

I love that our boy goes to a school where there is an emphasis on strong academics as well as joy, humor, fun, and performing every once in awhile.  Where one of the main disciplinarians who runs the chess club will get out on the field and do the chicken dance with the rest of the teachers and staff.

Shawn had a great teacher last year in first grade -- sweet, joyous, caring, patient.  Yes, a saint.  And he had a great teacher this year again, the kind that writes grants in her "free time" and gets several digital cameras donated to the kids in her class, who teaches the kids the latest in technology and also lets them dig for worms, who communicates well with Gary and me, and who sits in a chair at the end of the day and says goodbye to every child.  (Shawn still hugs her every time.)

"Mom, even if Mrs. B is in a bad mood she always hugs me and it really seems to cheer her up!"

Thank God for great teachers.  They are one of life's blessings!

corner view~room

When I was growing up my parents added a room onto our home.  It was a ground floor addition, overlooking the side part of the yard where the lilac tree was.

It was a magnificent room.

On two walls were large sliding glass doors, one looked over the cherry trees.  On the third wall was a window seat which faced the neighbors.  The other wall was wood shake, which gave the room a feeling of a cottage.  My parents called it the sun room, for obvious reasons, and in upstate New York, with our long cold winters, one was happy to get as many of those golden rays as possible.

Once that room was built, every year it held our Christmas tree, and we celebrated the holiday, which as also my grandmother's birthday, in there.  Even in December the room got a lot of light.  One year, when it was time for a new puppy, we met her in that room.  We could spread out in the sunroom and do homework all over the floor, closing the door for extra quiet.  We had slumber parties in there.  I remember opening gifts in there.  We had a round glass table in the sunroom, and on special occasions, we would eat out there.   But we had to be careful because of the nice carpet.

But my favorite part of the sunroom was the potted plants.  My mother had, and still has, a green thumb.  One year I think I counted twenty-six plants in the sunroom, several hanging from the ceiling.

I think it would be grand to have a library in a every house.  A dance room.  And yes, a sunroom.  Don't you agree?

songbird

Little miss songwriter recorded a single this year.  In her first real bigtime studio.  Gary produced her.  I came along to take photos and marvel in the magic of the creative process.  There were several harmony parts that Sky sang.  She had prerecorded them on her computer, and she brought the song along, listened to it, muted the other parts and recorded them again.  Unbelievable to my mind.  Then they added some strings and viola!  The engineer (who rather resembles Grandfather Twilight, remember that kid's book?) was awesome. 

I will share it on this blog once we make it into a video.  So stay tuned!  

corner view~motion

When I search through my photo archives for images of motion I find two themes: people and water.
Sometimes I find people in motion in water.

Speaking of motion, movement...We are getting ready for a big trip to many places for many months.  I have not stopped moving for a while, because I am so busy.

I look forward to "the art of doing nothing."  This will happen when we hit Italian soil in 48 days, not that I am counting!

BTW, can anyone find Spongebob in these shots? 

mother's day

my mother's garden

I couldn't have asked for a sweeter day.  I woke up and had breakfast in bed made by my boy (first he dropped the egg on the floor but PHEW it didn't crack)!  There was a sweet love letter from Gary, an improv comedy show from Annabel, a school pipe cleaner/flower art project gift and handmade card from Shawnie, some down time gardening and relaxing, a power walk, and later my family took me out to dinner followed by gelato.

I didn't do a single dish today!

And the biggest surprise, the kids recorded one of my favorite songs in 8 part harmony!  It is gorgeous.

papayas are here

tournament

A day of accomplishments for Annabel and Shawn.  Board breaking, remembering complex forms, sparring (Annabel beat a boy), learning sportsmanship, dealing with nerves, and bringing home some medals!