I recently read something that awoke a new corner of me. After I read about how a set of parent's are desperately trying to keep out princess culture, I realized that this isn't the first I've heard of parents hating on the princesses like some evil step mother, eager for their children to be successful rather than silly. Their hypocrisy singed me, as fairytales had been a part of my upbringing and we allow our daughter to experiment with ideas and characters brought forward by the "princess culture." So now arises my inner warrior to protect the imaginations of children far and wide from being given walls to keep out imagination instead of tools to expand it. I actually feel for those parents and hope that in there own lives, they learn to find purpose in things of beauty and innocence, rather than seeing them as a waist of time. Stop and smell the roses!
The idea that princesses fill our children with ideas of self-entitlement and privilege is as used up and archaic as you can get. It doesn't make you a modern or cool or intelligent parent to fracture off a piece of magic because you are too short-sighted to see past the pretty dress. A child's imagination is one of the most powerful tools they possess. Giving them strict confines, by insinuating that their chosen play is inferior, deserves a finger wag toward the parent that does so. The confines and rules inflicted on pretend defy the rules of pretend itself.
There are admittedly pros and cons to any stereotype. Let's choose to extrapolate the great attributes that princess stories teach. They are great for arming our girls with ways to deal with adversity. Dealing with their own mistakes, understanding that there are consequences for their actions, building strong friendships, helping people and animals, seeing the best in others and learning to assert themselves are just a few ideas we can choose to highlight.
Some have said to their children mid-play that being a princess is not a career. This leads me to believe that these parents need a lesson in improv. Giving your children an absolute no in the land of pretend is an absolute crime. Maybe it isn't the game you want to play or an idea you want to promote, but give them some credit. They pick up things in these movies that are far beyond romantic whimsy and entitlement. When they do pick up those things, it is our job to help them see that those adjectives are usually left for the evil step-sisters who dream of more money and power, feeling they are above others. I would actually say, on the whole, that the ideas of entitlement, greed, and vanity are villainized in most princess stories. So, while being a princess may not be a career, we can certainly learn a lot from these young ladies who value education and service.
Snow White was a princess that possibly grew up to be a veterinarian. Her way with animals is unparalleled among the princesses. She is kind, gentle, and caring. She is a teacher to her friends the dwarves and although the film ends with true love's kiss, the majority of the story has themes that children can learn from.
Cinderella is a wonderful cook, seamstress and designer. In the most recent movie, she tried her hand at event planning. That's a lucrative business in today's world.
Belle is a researcher. She loves reading and, as the story goes, has read every book in town, some of them many times over. Pitching in a helping hand to her father, the inventor, I'm sure her research comes in handy.
Ariel is most definitely a skilled scientist or archaeologist. She collects things from the wreckage of ships and studies how they relate to a different culture. She experiments with a fork as a hair comb. Maybe she grows up to be a consultant for NASA. I bet, she would have been a great contributor to the control room during the Apollo 13 mission with her quick thinking and fearless way of exploring the potential of objects. She also is amazing in the sport of swimming, though she may have a slight advantage. We have given her a lot of thought as this is my daughter's favorite world of pretend at the moment.
Tiana is a Chef. She spends her whole life saving money and working toward a well thought-out goal.
Rapunzel is an artist. Specifically skilled at painting, she uses her books, music, and imagination to get inspired.
Let's not forget that Fiona probably teaches kickboxing and self-defense. Have you seen her moves?
We use the princess stories to inspire our daughter to do good in the world and be good to people. Role playing gives us an easy way to arm Sophie in ways of dealing with adversity in life. Haven't we all been a version of one of these characters?
Has anyone ever been "awakened" by someone from their past. Sometimes I see something inspiring from a person and it reinstates my faith in the human race and...walla...I have my Snow White moment.
Have you ever had to deal with a boss that was just terrible to you and had to wait for just the right moment so that you could assert yourself and move on to a better job...Cinderella.
Maybe you are made fun of by people because you are smart or just a little "off." Belle was rewarded with love by seeing past the Beast's looks. If we remember, she was afraid of the talking furniture too, at first, but was able to see that behind the facade they all were the same, in the fact that they were all trapped by their longing for the familiarity of their past lives. This story teaches you to leave the past behind and persevere though adversity to a new life.
Ariel (Sophie's favorite right now) makes brash decisions that put her friends and family in danger. She has to "face the music," incurring the disappointment of her father and doing business with someone who almost cost her her life.
Tiana is a strong girl with big dreams who has done everything "right." In a moment of weakness, she tries her luck at a short cut. The prince has done the same thing and they ended up in the swamp.
Rapunzel follows her heart and finds strength within herself and the wisdom of discernment along her journey.
Fiona allows herself to be redefined. She dreams of one "happy ending" at the beginning of her story and then is changed by life and instead of holding on to a dream that is tired, she ends up awakened to the idea that a "happy ending" is getting to be your true self.
One of the biggest factors that must be noted is that we spend just as much time pretending to be princes swinging from sails on ships (bathtubs), crocs cruising for hands, pirates searching for treasure with a highlighter as a spyglass, or backpacked sleuths using a receipt as a map and a hand mirror as a magnifying glass.
Our fairytale play is a family-tale. We all work together. When I play Ursula or the stepmother in our make-believe, Sophie asserts herself and bravely tells me that I'm "not nice. That's mean. Stop." Ever since my sister-n-law told Soph that she needed to take care of her "princess" teeth when brushing, I have been met with nothing short of exuberance on a subject previously scorned. So, I'm going to propose that a little vanity can be construed as just regular ole hygiene peeps.
As long as I'm proposing things, allow me to suggest... Let's stop being so anti-everything and find a way to celebrate our kid's interest, instead of wishing away the "princess" years. Why can't we multi-task? We dress up like princesses, chefs, or pirates and play with building blocks or put together puzzles or read books in our costumes. Just because you are dressed like a princess or...whatever, doesn't mean you have to spend all day in front of a mirror. As I recall, none of the princesses I have ever read about are slaves to their mirror. For our children's sake, let's think outside the box. If your kids do happen to be conventionally beautiful, don't make them ashamed of it by insinuating that throwing on a pretty dress is hiding a vapid, empty being. There are endless treasures inside all our kids, no matter what they look like or "who" they're wearing.
I am most certainly influenced by the fact that my husband and I have both earned our living as actors for the past many years. We are both college grads and I am currently continuing my education with Early Childhood Development through UCLA.
Behind the scenes with our family on and off stage in show business, New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. Eric, the actor. Lisa, the teacher. Sophie, the 8 year old actor. Miles, the 4 year old comedian. And Simon, their dog. Laugh, cry, and party with us all the way!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
To The Next Episode.
Spanning the room, I take in the boxes, packing tape, and general mess, the all too familiar vision makes me feel like a woman on the run. If you are a reader, you know that ever since before Soph was born, Eric and I have been traveling. Most recently, we attempted to settle in L.A., buying a house, moving our things from various cities to our new home, and even putting some decorative touches on the place. That, however, did not stop us from jumping on that plane to New York for Eric's next Broadway show. Here we are 4 months later, boxing up our lives again and heading back across the country.
Only this time, it feels different. Instead of looking up what coffee shop will be close at our next destination and what children's museum the city will have to offer, we are going home. Just as the time in NYC was so needed to catch our breath, we are excited and grateful to be headed home. What a journey the last 4 months have been?!
The planning to get here, the search for subtenants at our LA home, the excitement of New York City at the holidays, and the new depths to relationships that illness can bring to a family. When we set out for our time here, I knew it would be different.
Are we excited about going "home?" Are we sad to be leaving NYC? Both. We have many mixed feelings, but the one undeniable feeling is that it is time to go. It has been a journey.
From the time Eric auditioned to the time we got to NYC, life was a whirlwind. He booked it! We squealed with delight, like a Gather family harmony. What tremendous things we had heard about the Broadway play he would be joining the cast of! He desperately wanted to be in a PLAY on Broadway and here it was...his chance to do that. The job I had taken to keep us afloat for a few months in LA was wrapping up, so I stayed on a week and finished my job, worked things out with Sophie's preschool, and finished getting the house ready for subtenants. I was excited too! It was a miracle that we got subtenants for exactly the time we planned to spend in NYC. I was going to get to be with Sophie full-time again, which we all figured out during my days of working, that it was just too soon for her. She still needed me home, as long as she wasn't in school. And New York! It was going to be Fall and then the holidays! These are the seasons that are the backdrop for so many romantic movies about NY for a reason!
Maybe I'm saucing it up too much. Allow me to expand. When we tried to sublet, Eric planned for me to show a possible subletter our house. When a guy I will call "Gothic Creeper Joe" showed up at the door for the appointment, my heart dropped a bit. As I answered his questions, I wondered if he would be back that night to try to drink my blood or something. I shoved off that intuition and began asking him some friendly questions (i.e. Where are you from? Do you work close by?) that were met with awkwardness and conflicting answers, leading me to believe that I had better set the alarm tonight. Don't worry though. "G.C.Joe" never came back and we rented to some recent college grads. In our attempt to find a place in NYC, after much searching and the help of our friend in real estate, we found the perfect place (2br, across from a park, safe neighborhood) and, only after copious amounts of paperwork that NYC demands from renters...we lost it to a higher bidder. That's ok, cause we ended up here...on the Upper West Side. And now that we have had the experience of living here, I can't imagine this time anywhere else.
We cased the neighborhood and I bought some books about New York, in relation to kids. It's a different place with kids. I say that in the best way possible because we have had an absolute ball. We've seen Broadway shows, walked through parks, played in parks, visited museums, and have eaten at some wonderful restaurants. If you are visiting NY with your kiddies and don't know where to start, check out these books.
As magical as the holidays were, with all the wonder of the city, traveling to see our folks, and having family visit; The magic has begun to fade away and the coldness is setting in. January 31st and the return to our home couldn't come soon enough. Sophie's ballet class has ended and the weeks are long for her without her classes. I'm feeling like I can't settle into or commit to anything long term (job, friendships, classes) because our eminent trip home looms over me. Eric is growing tired of the monotony that can dangerously set in when doing 8 shows a week on Broadway. We didn't see our friends as much as we hoped. They have all moved on to different neighborhoods and different walks of life. Things don't seem to change so quickly when you're in the middle of it, but when you come back to a world you've known and so much about it is different, it's a humbling experience because we see that we, too, have changed. I feel like we were in a magic snow globe for a few months and now all the snow has settled and you can see the imperfections of the figures inside.
Packing always does this to me. It makes me feel sentimental and a bit dramatic. Naturally, I guess. All the things that were once put on a shelf or stacked nicely in a drawer...um, I mean, thrown into a drawer never to be found again, are pulled out and revisited as we are forced to examine our life with a fine-toothed comb. It's healthy, I think. We have no choice but to rid ourselves of anything that isn't necessary. It's Feng Shway. Fing Shwau. Fung Schuay. Whatever. You get it.
With Eric's new TV show on the horizon, things in LA seem promising. We get back to our home on the 31st and are supposed to find out the next day whether or not the show gets picked up. So, I guess no matter what, we are going home. It's a new episode in our lives. The adventure continues and we roll with it, baby.
Only this time, it feels different. Instead of looking up what coffee shop will be close at our next destination and what children's museum the city will have to offer, we are going home. Just as the time in NYC was so needed to catch our breath, we are excited and grateful to be headed home. What a journey the last 4 months have been?!
The planning to get here, the search for subtenants at our LA home, the excitement of New York City at the holidays, and the new depths to relationships that illness can bring to a family. When we set out for our time here, I knew it would be different.
Are we excited about going "home?" Are we sad to be leaving NYC? Both. We have many mixed feelings, but the one undeniable feeling is that it is time to go. It has been a journey.
From the time Eric auditioned to the time we got to NYC, life was a whirlwind. He booked it! We squealed with delight, like a Gather family harmony. What tremendous things we had heard about the Broadway play he would be joining the cast of! He desperately wanted to be in a PLAY on Broadway and here it was...his chance to do that. The job I had taken to keep us afloat for a few months in LA was wrapping up, so I stayed on a week and finished my job, worked things out with Sophie's preschool, and finished getting the house ready for subtenants. I was excited too! It was a miracle that we got subtenants for exactly the time we planned to spend in NYC. I was going to get to be with Sophie full-time again, which we all figured out during my days of working, that it was just too soon for her. She still needed me home, as long as she wasn't in school. And New York! It was going to be Fall and then the holidays! These are the seasons that are the backdrop for so many romantic movies about NY for a reason!
Maybe I'm saucing it up too much. Allow me to expand. When we tried to sublet, Eric planned for me to show a possible subletter our house. When a guy I will call "Gothic Creeper Joe" showed up at the door for the appointment, my heart dropped a bit. As I answered his questions, I wondered if he would be back that night to try to drink my blood or something. I shoved off that intuition and began asking him some friendly questions (i.e. Where are you from? Do you work close by?) that were met with awkwardness and conflicting answers, leading me to believe that I had better set the alarm tonight. Don't worry though. "G.C.Joe" never came back and we rented to some recent college grads. In our attempt to find a place in NYC, after much searching and the help of our friend in real estate, we found the perfect place (2br, across from a park, safe neighborhood) and, only after copious amounts of paperwork that NYC demands from renters...we lost it to a higher bidder. That's ok, cause we ended up here...on the Upper West Side. And now that we have had the experience of living here, I can't imagine this time anywhere else.
We cased the neighborhood and I bought some books about New York, in relation to kids. It's a different place with kids. I say that in the best way possible because we have had an absolute ball. We've seen Broadway shows, walked through parks, played in parks, visited museums, and have eaten at some wonderful restaurants. If you are visiting NY with your kiddies and don't know where to start, check out these books.
As magical as the holidays were, with all the wonder of the city, traveling to see our folks, and having family visit; The magic has begun to fade away and the coldness is setting in. January 31st and the return to our home couldn't come soon enough. Sophie's ballet class has ended and the weeks are long for her without her classes. I'm feeling like I can't settle into or commit to anything long term (job, friendships, classes) because our eminent trip home looms over me. Eric is growing tired of the monotony that can dangerously set in when doing 8 shows a week on Broadway. We didn't see our friends as much as we hoped. They have all moved on to different neighborhoods and different walks of life. Things don't seem to change so quickly when you're in the middle of it, but when you come back to a world you've known and so much about it is different, it's a humbling experience because we see that we, too, have changed. I feel like we were in a magic snow globe for a few months and now all the snow has settled and you can see the imperfections of the figures inside.
Packing always does this to me. It makes me feel sentimental and a bit dramatic. Naturally, I guess. All the things that were once put on a shelf or stacked nicely in a drawer...um, I mean, thrown into a drawer never to be found again, are pulled out and revisited as we are forced to examine our life with a fine-toothed comb. It's healthy, I think. We have no choice but to rid ourselves of anything that isn't necessary. It's Feng Shway. Fing Shwau. Fung Schuay. Whatever. You get it.
With Eric's new TV show on the horizon, things in LA seem promising. We get back to our home on the 31st and are supposed to find out the next day whether or not the show gets picked up. So, I guess no matter what, we are going home. It's a new episode in our lives. The adventure continues and we roll with it, baby.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
HIM and ME: An Interview on Eric's World 2012.
HIM and ME: An Interview on Eric's World 2012.
As I stand up from the computer, he quips a "That was fun!," from his position on the coach. I felt a bit like a shrink for the last 20 minutes, while I asked Eric some questions that I would ask anyone I was trying to get to know better. Difference is, he's my husband. Some things I knew. Some things I didn't. Overall, I would totally recommend interviewing each other for New Years! It was a super fun exercise reminding me who the most interesting man in my world is.
ME: Okay. Let's just start with a list of some fave things of 2012. Favorite TV show?
HIM: I gotta say Happy Endings. I like that it takes place in Chicago and has lots of inside jokes about Chicago. The comedy is really funny, silly and smart. And it reminds me of a mix between 30 Rock and Friends and I like the fact that they can acknowledge that.
ME: Favorite theatrical show?
HIM: When we took Soph to see Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA. We were seeing our good friend Maddie Mullahey in the role of Jane Banks and she was wonderful and unbelievably nuanced, especially for a kid. It was magical that it was Sophie's first full musical theatre show. She had seen me play Shrek, but she was just a few months old and would see the show in sections. At 2 years old, she was beyond her years as far as attention span and theatre etiquette. She loved the whole thing, singing and dancing the whole night. Because she had a great time, I did too.
ME: Favorite website of 2012?
HIM: The Fancy.com and Pinterest.com. I really like the Fancy cause it's based on a guy-cenntric point of view. Pinterest inspires both of us to think about our house and craft ideas to do with Soph. I love the DIY attitude that Pinterest provokes.
ME: I love the project we did together in our kitchen. Every time I look at that wall, I feel like it's totally us. Sophie's Christmas crafts, that were her presents, were all Pinterest inspired too. And, if I'm not mistaken, they were all ideas found by you, daddy. And speaking of daddy, you are the Ap-Daddy. For anyone that doesn't know, let it be known that you are super skilled in the arena of modern, social technology. Favorite App of 2012?
HIM: Huff Post app.
ME: Why is that?
HIM: It's an online news magazine that is easy to use, easy to read, and totally current. It's not super left or right leaning. I love reading about media news. News about the news, ratings and who's who in the news. They have a great sports section too!
ME: Favorite Kids App 2012?
HIM: The Disneyland app and the Tozzle app. Disneyland is a really well designed app. It's beautiful how it guides you thru the parks. The music changes when you go to different lands and she loves the interactive features. Tozzle is a puzzle app. Seeing how active her mind is and how she has advanced at doing the puzzles is amazing . They're pretty complicated puzzles with small pieces. The things she was able to teach herself, as far as navigating and working the app was mind blowing.
ME: Favorite movie of 2012?
HIM: Midnight in Paris and Safety Not Guaranteed. I never thought I had any interest in Paris, until I saw this movie. Now, I really want to go there. I just want to be able to time travel there in the 1920s. Safety Not Guaranteed is with Mark Duplas from The League, the girl from Parks & Rec, and Jake Johnson from New Girl. In a nutshell, a guy puts an add for a time travel partner with courage, strength of character and laser gun expertise. It was just inspiring. It was about having faith in an idea and people. So....I guess I have a thing for time travel movies.
ME: How did you decide to go back to NYC and how was that experience for you?
HIM: My agent, Charles, called during the summer asking if I'd be interested in doing Peter and the Starcatcher. I'd auditioned for the play like 4 years ago, before it went to Broadway and heard that it was a really magical, one of a kind, experience. I'd always wanted to do a PLAY on Broadway. So, you helped me make a tape and we sent it off to NYC. They weren't acccepting tapes, but I emailed one of the directors and asked if they'd look at mine, because I had a conflict (TV shoot for a guest spot on "Pair of Kings"). I was suprised and exited at the possibility of going back to New York, but it was definitely a family desicion and discussion to be had. You were working and making progress in LA and Soph had just started pre-school, which we had already paid an entire year for. I felt like I had already dragged you guys to California and wasn't sure if it was right to drag you back to New York, after we had just settled in LA. But after we talked about it, we both felt it would be an amazing opportunity. We weren't sure if we would be happy in New York. Would being with old friends feel totally different now that we had a kid? Would we miss Cali? Would we want to stay in NYC forever? But once we got here it was sort of all of those things at different moments. It was definitely in phases. There were days when we felt we really belonged here. Other days we really missed our home in LA...and the weather. Other days were confusing and we didn't know where we belonged.
I think at the end of it all though, it was a good excperience to come here. It made us a tighter family unit. Soph experienced some cool cultural things. It was good for us to see friends again, but all in all we are excited to get back to our house...and our bed. Our bed here is a major downside to the NY experience. It's binding my body like the ancient Chinese practice of binding feet. I literally feel shorter when I wake up.
ME: What would you say was your greatest personal victory of 2012?
HIM: Booking Giant Baby for TVLand. Even if the show doesn't get picked up (which it will because it's great and the cast is crazy-amazing), it was a very big step in my professional career and... in a way, validation of my dreams. If you would have asked me 10 years ago what my dream was I would have said, "I want to be a lead in a classic multi-camera sitcom." The fact that a studio and creators put me in that postion was a huge achievement for me. I couldn't have met that goal without the help, sacfrice, and support of you and Soph though. That's for sure!
ME: Umm, thank you. Brownie points for that shout out, honey. Prior to the big TV news, what were some other experiences, that helped you achieve this dream.
HIM: Getting cast as Shrek in the 1st National Tour of Shrek: The Musical for Dreamworks was a huge turning point for me. They saw me as an unconventional leading man and that opened many doors, subsequently. Also, in this past year, I never really had an opportunity to thank the Disney Channel people for taking a chance on me. I got to do Jessie, which led to Pair of Kings, which led to a recurring part for that show. They gave me a lot of invaluable experience in working on a set. While I had some TV experience in NYC, I feel like I understand so much more from the amount of work I got to do there this year. And they were just fantastic people to work with.
ME: What was your greatest challenge of 2012? How did that grow you as a person?
HIM: Being a true stay at home dad for 4 months was definitely the hardest thing! It was so hard to give attention all of the time, beacuse it's not just watching her to make sure she doesn't break her face. It's actively stimulating her mind with games and new activities. It was hard to re-adjust my priorities. You only really have those 2 hours, when they nap, which is truly "you time". I wasn't really great at keeping the house clean. In fact, I even hired someone to do it once. Paying bills and cooking in my free time where not what I had in mind. Battling the "stir-crazies" was super difficult and I struggled to find things to do with other adults. It made me really appreciate what you and other moms do.
ME: Aaaaand another gold star! Favorite family moment of 2012?
HIM: Car wash day. There were so many exciting moments in 2012: going to Disneyland, visiting family, seeing shows in New York, etc. BUT my favorite was that moment. A simple, warm summer day, in an impromptu moment, when we decided to wash both cars. Soph enjoyed the responsibility of washing the tires and we all ended up completely soaked. The cherry on top was getting ice cream on Ventura Blvd as a reward for our hard work. It was just perfect family time.
I attempted to do an interview with Soph and it went something like this...
ME: What is your favorite thing to eat?
HER: No.
(Mommy cannot be deterred)
ME: What is your favorite movie?
HER: Ariel!!!!!
(Yes! It's working.)
ME: What is your favorite...
HER: giggles and runs away
Well, It's a start.
I am making a resolution to do this more often.
What are some ways that you check in with your partner and kids? We might take your suggestion for a spin!
As I stand up from the computer, he quips a "That was fun!," from his position on the coach. I felt a bit like a shrink for the last 20 minutes, while I asked Eric some questions that I would ask anyone I was trying to get to know better. Difference is, he's my husband. Some things I knew. Some things I didn't. Overall, I would totally recommend interviewing each other for New Years! It was a super fun exercise reminding me who the most interesting man in my world is.
ME: Okay. Let's just start with a list of some fave things of 2012. Favorite TV show?
HIM: I gotta say Happy Endings. I like that it takes place in Chicago and has lots of inside jokes about Chicago. The comedy is really funny, silly and smart. And it reminds me of a mix between 30 Rock and Friends and I like the fact that they can acknowledge that.
ME: Favorite theatrical show?
HIM: When we took Soph to see Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA. We were seeing our good friend Maddie Mullahey in the role of Jane Banks and she was wonderful and unbelievably nuanced, especially for a kid. It was magical that it was Sophie's first full musical theatre show. She had seen me play Shrek, but she was just a few months old and would see the show in sections. At 2 years old, she was beyond her years as far as attention span and theatre etiquette. She loved the whole thing, singing and dancing the whole night. Because she had a great time, I did too.
ME: Favorite website of 2012?
HIM: The Fancy.com and Pinterest.com. I really like the Fancy cause it's based on a guy-cenntric point of view. Pinterest inspires both of us to think about our house and craft ideas to do with Soph. I love the DIY attitude that Pinterest provokes.
ME: I love the project we did together in our kitchen. Every time I look at that wall, I feel like it's totally us. Sophie's Christmas crafts, that were her presents, were all Pinterest inspired too. And, if I'm not mistaken, they were all ideas found by you, daddy. And speaking of daddy, you are the Ap-Daddy. For anyone that doesn't know, let it be known that you are super skilled in the arena of modern, social technology. Favorite App of 2012?
HIM: Huff Post app.
ME: Why is that?
HIM: It's an online news magazine that is easy to use, easy to read, and totally current. It's not super left or right leaning. I love reading about media news. News about the news, ratings and who's who in the news. They have a great sports section too!
ME: Favorite Kids App 2012?
HIM: The Disneyland app and the Tozzle app. Disneyland is a really well designed app. It's beautiful how it guides you thru the parks. The music changes when you go to different lands and she loves the interactive features. Tozzle is a puzzle app. Seeing how active her mind is and how she has advanced at doing the puzzles is amazing . They're pretty complicated puzzles with small pieces. The things she was able to teach herself, as far as navigating and working the app was mind blowing.
ME: Favorite movie of 2012?
HIM: Midnight in Paris and Safety Not Guaranteed. I never thought I had any interest in Paris, until I saw this movie. Now, I really want to go there. I just want to be able to time travel there in the 1920s. Safety Not Guaranteed is with Mark Duplas from The League, the girl from Parks & Rec, and Jake Johnson from New Girl. In a nutshell, a guy puts an add for a time travel partner with courage, strength of character and laser gun expertise. It was just inspiring. It was about having faith in an idea and people. So....I guess I have a thing for time travel movies.
ME: How did you decide to go back to NYC and how was that experience for you?
HIM: My agent, Charles, called during the summer asking if I'd be interested in doing Peter and the Starcatcher. I'd auditioned for the play like 4 years ago, before it went to Broadway and heard that it was a really magical, one of a kind, experience. I'd always wanted to do a PLAY on Broadway. So, you helped me make a tape and we sent it off to NYC. They weren't acccepting tapes, but I emailed one of the directors and asked if they'd look at mine, because I had a conflict (TV shoot for a guest spot on "Pair of Kings"). I was suprised and exited at the possibility of going back to New York, but it was definitely a family desicion and discussion to be had. You were working and making progress in LA and Soph had just started pre-school, which we had already paid an entire year for. I felt like I had already dragged you guys to California and wasn't sure if it was right to drag you back to New York, after we had just settled in LA. But after we talked about it, we both felt it would be an amazing opportunity. We weren't sure if we would be happy in New York. Would being with old friends feel totally different now that we had a kid? Would we miss Cali? Would we want to stay in NYC forever? But once we got here it was sort of all of those things at different moments. It was definitely in phases. There were days when we felt we really belonged here. Other days we really missed our home in LA...and the weather. Other days were confusing and we didn't know where we belonged.
I think at the end of it all though, it was a good excperience to come here. It made us a tighter family unit. Soph experienced some cool cultural things. It was good for us to see friends again, but all in all we are excited to get back to our house...and our bed. Our bed here is a major downside to the NY experience. It's binding my body like the ancient Chinese practice of binding feet. I literally feel shorter when I wake up.
ME: What would you say was your greatest personal victory of 2012?
HIM: Booking Giant Baby for TVLand. Even if the show doesn't get picked up (which it will because it's great and the cast is crazy-amazing), it was a very big step in my professional career and... in a way, validation of my dreams. If you would have asked me 10 years ago what my dream was I would have said, "I want to be a lead in a classic multi-camera sitcom." The fact that a studio and creators put me in that postion was a huge achievement for me. I couldn't have met that goal without the help, sacfrice, and support of you and Soph though. That's for sure!
ME: Umm, thank you. Brownie points for that shout out, honey. Prior to the big TV news, what were some other experiences, that helped you achieve this dream.
HIM: Getting cast as Shrek in the 1st National Tour of Shrek: The Musical for Dreamworks was a huge turning point for me. They saw me as an unconventional leading man and that opened many doors, subsequently. Also, in this past year, I never really had an opportunity to thank the Disney Channel people for taking a chance on me. I got to do Jessie, which led to Pair of Kings, which led to a recurring part for that show. They gave me a lot of invaluable experience in working on a set. While I had some TV experience in NYC, I feel like I understand so much more from the amount of work I got to do there this year. And they were just fantastic people to work with.
ME: What was your greatest challenge of 2012? How did that grow you as a person?
HIM: Being a true stay at home dad for 4 months was definitely the hardest thing! It was so hard to give attention all of the time, beacuse it's not just watching her to make sure she doesn't break her face. It's actively stimulating her mind with games and new activities. It was hard to re-adjust my priorities. You only really have those 2 hours, when they nap, which is truly "you time". I wasn't really great at keeping the house clean. In fact, I even hired someone to do it once. Paying bills and cooking in my free time where not what I had in mind. Battling the "stir-crazies" was super difficult and I struggled to find things to do with other adults. It made me really appreciate what you and other moms do.
ME: Aaaaand another gold star! Favorite family moment of 2012?
HIM: Car wash day. There were so many exciting moments in 2012: going to Disneyland, visiting family, seeing shows in New York, etc. BUT my favorite was that moment. A simple, warm summer day, in an impromptu moment, when we decided to wash both cars. Soph enjoyed the responsibility of washing the tires and we all ended up completely soaked. The cherry on top was getting ice cream on Ventura Blvd as a reward for our hard work. It was just perfect family time.
I attempted to do an interview with Soph and it went something like this...
ME: What is your favorite thing to eat?
HER: No.
(Mommy cannot be deterred)
ME: What is your favorite movie?
HER: Ariel!!!!!
(Yes! It's working.)
ME: What is your favorite...
HER: giggles and runs away
Well, It's a start.
I am making a resolution to do this more often.
What are some ways that you check in with your partner and kids? We might take your suggestion for a spin!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)