Saturday, April 30, 2011

What did we learn this week?

Annika and I are on a learning adventure and a journey together with her Acting and Modeling Career.  So far, as our regular readers know, we have had an eventful year.  Tomorrow is May 1st and so today I am feeling pensive about where we have come from over the last 4 months since 2011 started.  We were introduced to Celebrity Actors Camp the 2nd week of February 2011.  The month of January 2011 had been  virtually uneventful with the exception of weather problems and my weekend job at AAA.  But in terms of waiting for a break in the routine, January was not it.  So we made major changes that affected us financially in February and March.  There was a small payoff for our sacrfice when Annika was Chosen for representation with Model Club Inc.  Being represented has opened new doors.  We are very proud of Annika.

So now, on the brink of May, I am considering where we have been and what has changed over the course of April.  It has been quite a ride.  The first week of April Annika went for an Audition and also had her photos re-shot to create a Modelling CompCard.  It came out great.  Here is the shot:

The actual Photo Shoot, with our photographer, RDP Photography of Boston, had a major impact on our turn of events.  As my daughter's Manager, I have many roles to play and hats to wear.  I juggle and balance the responsibilities of my own Home Business(es) and the scheduling and needs of my daughter's Acting/Modeling Career.  So meeting this professional photographer was one new way to create our professional community..the one that surrounds Annika's World.  I was pleased to see that Andrew from Model Club became a fan on Annika's Facebook Page.  As April progressed there were personal situations that arose to complicate my progress, but nothing hindered Annika.  In Mid April, Annika and her friend, Gregory Sundstrom began an Improv Class together on Tuesday nights at the Artists Exchange in Cranston.  Their instructor is Rich Morra.  Each week, Annika and Gregory go with his Mom because I am busy with the daycare.  It seems beneficial to have this light practice each week to keep her sharp.  From what Gregory's Mother Linda tells me, Annika is a fierce Actor who gets right into character. 

Now that I have started seeing Annika from the eyes of a Mother and through the eyes of a camera lens, I see her potential in this field of work.  We had relatives from Pennsylvania in town over Easter weekend and she is a great photographer too.  She captured a few wonderful images of Annika.  I am going to include them here:

Photos Courtesy of Amanda VanGyzen

On May 1st, 2011 (tomorrow), Annika will assist me in my first Event Created and Produced in collaboration with my close friend Melissa Randall.  I have invited Annika and her Auntie Beth to be models and find ways to assist and support the Sales Environment.  I know Annika can do this, in fact, she can do more.  Last September during a fundraising event for my Brother's Scholarship Fund, She created signs and set herself up at a small table to "read people's Moods" using a mood ring she purchased at the dollar store.  At first it was cute...my grandmother said she should ask for money so we made her a sign offerring the service for 25 cents.  People came and gave her a dollar each time.  3 people even came back and told me that her readings about them were accurate.  When we got home to count her money, she had earned $25!

This just goes to show how ingenuity and confidence will produce the best results.  Annika believes in herself.  She does not struggle with much self-doubt.  She is also kind.  She wishes to use the fame and fortune she may earn to support community programs and even the government.  She wants to use her money to make others' lives better...and so she will!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

~OceanSide~

Their First-Ever Picture (Photo) as a Band..Nicolas, David and Annika

I Love having the kind of lifestyle that allows me to be front and center when things happen in my kids' lives.  I also feel privileged to have the insider scoop on their friendships.  Annika won't like hearing this but me being that close gives me the opportunity to direct her and redirect her frequently.  Annika has many admirable qualities but has difficulty with her relationships at times.  I guess we all do.  ANYWAY, Annika is SO VERY lucky and fortunate because she has an amazing circle of friends!  Two of her Closest and Dearest friends who are in her life on a regular basis are here with her in this picture.  She could not have picked better friends and I could not have found better ones for her.  I adore these kids.

So as some of our regular readers know already, the children have been preparing for their YGA Talent Show.  David is a trained Pianist and he is very good, so for one of his Acts, he will be performing.  David arrived Wednesday with a keyboard that he will be using for the show and during practice with the other kids, it did not take them long to spark the idea of this band.  I was completely unsurprised because for as long as I have known them, Nicolas has always wanted to play guitar, Annika wants to be a drummer and clearly David plays piano.  As we would soon discover, all three of the kids have written songs and wanted to perform them together.  They really worked together well and fast!  before the end of the afternoon Wednesday they had formed the band and learned one song!

Today (Thursday), the kids wrote and worked on an other song!  Their songs are good too!  It's wild...they are really good!  There will be some obstacles I can see right off the bat- Annika has no drumset and David does not usually have a portable keyboard, so we will need to find a way to make this work, but they are very determined so I know a way will be found! 
OceanSide, with their one song that is ready to go, will open up the show tomorrow at 2:30.  Admission is free and there will be refreshments.  We just hope the wind subsides because today's rehearsal was very gusty!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

2nd Annual YGA Talent Show

Well, it is April Vacation Week 2011!  The daycare at our house is busier then ever with the school-aged kids all being home full days and the 3 toddlers there too.  SO, in order to keep us all busy and productive, we created the "Talent Show" during last year's school break.  It was so much fun that we decided to produce it again this year too!  Last year, there was no theme but we had a lot of variety in the show.  There was a hulahoop act, a skateboard act, a bike act, several songs and dances and a comedy sketch.  I observed that last year Annika seemed a little out of her element.  I was trying to guide her into singing or dancing and she really did not like any of the suggestions.  However, the one she came up with on her own was surprisingly good...if not a tiny bit repetitious.  She performed with her friend Fabiola, the sketch from the Disney Channel Show, Sonny with a Chance, called "The Check it out Girls".  Here is a link to the show from utube:

I don't have a video of our performance....I know, BAD PLANNING!  And guess what's worse?  I don't have a video camera for the Year's Show either.  I am working on the problem, I promise!  anyway, this video was our basic guide for the sketch which went over very well.  During the summer, the kids and I spent a lot of time at the ocean but when we would come home for some "quiet time", we would do creative writing in journals.  This was an idea given to me by Mrs. Green, the 3rd grade teacher at Robertson elementary who would end up being Annika's teacher this year.  We Love her!  Anyway, some really great creativity evolved as summer was ending.  Our friend, David Yabut developed this interesting story concept with characters based on each of the children in the daycare...more specifically he gave them each "spirit names" and then all the kids created there own individual fictional story based on the characters.  The idea was inspiring and carried us through the fall and into the winter writing about it.

When Annika informed us of her desire to be an actor in February 2011, I was a little surprised.  She said she had been wanting to do it for a long time.  Now in reflection I can see the signs...as I described above, we were all acting, performing, writing and being creative.  It makes sense that the kids would find a love of acting.  Then I discovered 20 or so video clips on an old flip camera that Annika had taken of herself putting on a one-person show.  There was easily an hour of short clips taken at different times.  Anyway, moving forward I realized how I often look at the children as kids who need to be governed instead of young people with their own likes, abilities and passions.  Now that I have a deeper awareness of their needs and have changed my short-sighted ways, I see a world of possibilities around them.  I am so proud to be a part of that!  I love helping them to prepare for this talent show.  Our line-up this year will be great. 

Annika has also started a 6 week course at Artist Exchange with her good friend, Gregory Sundstrom.  The class is Improv for ages 7 to 9.  Annika thoroughly enjoyed her first class this past Tuesday with Teacher, Rich Morra.  We have definitely found a passion for her.  We may even have discovered Gregory's.  If I am not mistaken, we have found a unique gift for each of the kids.  David Yabut is an excellent writer and Nicolas has great instincts for set design and Directing Actors.  Annika is brilliant at delivering a performance...She learns her lines quickly and gets into character instantly.  She is also easy to direct.  David delivers a great comic sense and the three of them blend beautifully.  Our friends are in for a real treat in this show!


So to conclude, All are welcome to attend the Talent Show.  Admission is free.  Inbox me on Facebook and we would be glad to invite you!  It's just one way to keep our Acting "chops" fresh.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Annika's Favorite Things

Annika has a deliberate style.  Although we gladly accept handed down clothes of every style, Annika has her special way of combining clothes and accessories that defines a girl on the go.  She loves to wear clothing that is comfortable and especially loose around the belly and not constricting.  This is mainly owing to her love of physical activity and so she does not want to sacrifice her fashion sense while playing in the playground.  Since she was a very young child of 2 or 3, she has refused to wear jeans!  I know that one day she will find a pair she loves but for now, they are not her style. 


Here is Annika at age 6 and in Kindergarten.
 Around our home we have plenty of fashion and style exposure.  There is so much variety and color and spice and fragrance to influence Annika in her decisions about clothes.  Living in RI we have excellent exposure to finer things as well as simple things.  Our home is near a Cove and we spend a lot of time in the sand and the ocean nearby each summer.  In the winter we experience snowy blizzardy weather changes.  A New England girl has to have a variety of clothes for each season.  It can be difficult to keep up because the seasons do change so quickly here.


Annika at age 5
Annika has a love of soft fabrics in feminine designs, colors and shapes.  She dislikes oversized tops or overly loose leggings or pants.  She loved this sweater dress seen above and paired it with cotton tights with a complimentary design and wore them with wedge-heeled boots.  Topping them off, Annika loved her fleece hat,scarf and gloves...a matching set and a gift from her friend Darien. 
the way she dresses also reflects her inner personality...creative but sometimes disheveled.  That can be a lovely phase of life.  I know I miss it...this photo is from 2009 and Annika was 8yrs old.  She very much dislikes her hair, often it is wild and difficult to control.. Her hair is a lot like her...but I digress.  She prefers her hair smoothed back into elastics.
Here is Annika on her 8th birthday at Magic Kingdom in Orlando Florida.  She insisted on wearing these red shoes! A child in her age range will always want shoes that sparkle or are otherwise connected to Pop Culture (Wizard of Oz).  Matching is irrelevant to her...colors, patterns...laughable!  But somehow Annika makes everything beautiful!  During summer when it comes to clothing for the warm weather, she is extra particular.  I once bought her several sport tops and boyshort bottoms for swimming and also a bikini bottom.  She was thoroughly horrified...much too feminine for the sportswear and too modest for the bikini!  Annika prefers a sensible but ladylike one-piece.



Miniskirts are not her style unless they come paired with leggings.  she has distinct taste, that girl.  below is a montage of her latest looks which have been ever improving over the past few months with her strong wish to be an actor and model.


Matthew Mitchel Photography , 2011


RDP photography 2011

Annika at the Westin Hotel in Prov during CAC....2011

and of course, every outfit comes with a SMILE....

Saturday, April 16, 2011

What's NOT to Love about Boston?

Did you ever notice how intimidating it is to visit a busy city?  But then you overcome the fear and you go and you conquer it.  While you are there, a new feeling grows inside of you.  This is how I feel about Boston.  Perhaps I was from Boston in a former life (past life) because I feel very connected to it but afraid at the same time!  I have been to Boston on a few occassions...maybe 20.  I have gone to a few Red Sox games at Fenway Stadium and eaten at some places nearby.  There have been church functions, dances, show and Conferences I have attended throughout the Boston area...even a few I have sung at.  I considered a college in Boston back when it was time to scout out potential schools...Berkeley College of Music.  I made the excuse that it was too expensive to go there, but the truth is I was afraid!  I could not imagine (at that time) going to school in a city like Boston with it's bustling urban energy.  Instead I chose rural University of Rhode Island.


On a recent journey into Boston, I got to discover a bit of the feeling of this historic city.  The Back Bay district is almost like Boston's shadow...so far from the clustering of Major hotspots like The Children's Museum and the Aquarium (2 favorites of mine).  On the day of this visit, I had to produce results in a way I have not had to before...I had an important task:  to deliver a young actress to her potential agent!  After a serious bit of contemplation, we decided that we would use the Amtrak train to commute.  We allowed 2 hours for our round-trip visit which proved to be ample time for the task.  Luckily, the location of our Agency was to be a mere 2 blocks from the station...a short and pleasant walk.  There is a certain quality to the Bostonian.  They possess the aire of regalness mixed with the cool aloofness of a New Englander.  The Bostonite dresses casual but new...they have a fresh, smart appearance and they are cutting edge.


We fit in, if only barely.  Our day was an adventure and eventually we were signed on for representation by Model Club Inc.  On our second trip up to Boston we would have an audition at Christine Wyse Casting a few blocks from the Agency.  Dining at several places along the way on these occassions was another exciting venture.  There are so many great eateries all around.
Maybe some things have a way of feeling magical because they are so far out of the normal range of regular life, that they just take on a whole new life of their own.  Here in this photo, Annika is posing just outside of the Model Club Agency Studio.  She was charming and fun during her audition and got many great compliments from the Agents.  It is such a pleasure to hear from them and know that they see something in her.  They believe she has potential to do great things as an Actor or model in Movie, Tv or commercials...even Print Ads.   There are many directions for her to go in and we get to see which one is ready for her.

Later in the month we would travel (by car) to a suburban area outside of Boston called Stoughton where we met an excellent photographer.  A picture has great transformative properties.  So many important revelations can come from a photograph.  I am eager to see what our Agents will have to say when they see the charisma and nature of her in these photos. She was a combination of Genuine and passionate.  I envy her ability to materialize ideas into emotions.  She knows how to deliver a feeling and a thought with her eyes and her body.  Annika is a vital force of nature.  If she is air, it is wind.  If she is water, she is a tidal wave.  If she is heat, she is an inferno.  There is no smallness in her, only greatness.  I cherish my little fireball!


photo by RDP photography

~April 8, 2011~

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Adrian R'Mante

Celebrity Actors Camp, Adrian R'Mante...one of our favorite Actors!

My child, Annika M. Salgado has had the great fortune of meeting this wonderful person named Adrian R'Mante.  We have known of him for many many years and we were fans from his show on The Disney Channel called, "Suite Life of Zack and Cody".  Adrian's character was Esteban, a loveable Bellhop with a thick South American Spanish accent.  He is a beloved character!  Annika's father and I would watch the show with her and just laugh and laugh at the silly antics and the character combinations we loved so much!  Mr. Moseby, played by Phil Lewis and Esteban were always my personal favorites.  It is so perfect to have great adult actors on these shows that are made for children because we Parents are watching and we are developing into fans of these shows too.  In many ways, The Disney Channel programming and the Actors must market themselves to our demographic too!  Like I said, we ARE watching!





When Annika was accepted into CAC (Celebrity Actors Camp) Providence, we were thrilled to meet Adrian and his wife Sandra.  As fans we were happy to meet our favorite actors.  This is what made this Acting Camp really stand out...the opportunity for the kids to be taught and trained by actual Disney Channel Stars.  These are Working Actors who are living the life...they are there...they got there.  Adrian is very hard-working and shares his story about how hard it was to break into Acting and how much it takes to make it.  He often muses about how he wished there were something like this available for him when he was young and trying to get his breakout role.  He is a genuine inspiration and I think that what he does and how he does it with this camp is the Right Way of doing things.  His career so far has been blessed and he has a desire to reach out to the kids.  I am very glad he does have that desire or my life would not be as it is today!

Adrian and his close friend and Camp associate, Chester See, had a very big impact on my child.  Their combined training has made her a strong, confident little person.  She has so much to build on now thanks to these guys!  And she truly adores them!  When we are out on Auditions, Interviews, PhotoShoots or any type of Performance-Related task, Annika is always saying "Adrian says" and "Chester taught me"....These are words that I would feel so lonely without now. As a Parent, I am always seeking out new people who can teach my children and mold them and give them support and guidance.  I do these things but I can not be the one who teaches or shows them everything and besides which I have no knowledge to offer as an Actor.  I can give some input regarding performing because I myself have been a Performer on Stage throughout my life.  I have never Acted, and I doubt I ever shall, but I fully support Annika's desire and dream!


Chester See is also a musician and a very talented one at that.  He has a wonderful song called "Never Did" and it is available for download on itunes.  All proceeds go to charity.  He performed the song for us live one afternoon inside the Westin Hotel.  It was an amazing day!  I am posting pictures here that I snapped while he was playing.  It was an intimate concert. 



We have been blessed to experience CAC, Celebrity Actors Camp here in Providence RI.  I highly recommend this experience to anyone!  There are many opportunities for a career as an Actor, Model, spokesperson, Musician, Theatre-Actor, Commercial Actor and Print-Ad Model.  This is payed "work" that builds a beautiful career and a Savings Account for your child.  My family has grown much closer now that we accept Annika for her unique and individual self.  She is not a "tag-on"...and I will never think of my children as people that need to be along for a ride on my life when really, theirs is extremely exciting !  My kids have so many opportunities now and their Dad and I are loving every minute of it!

Thank you Adrian R'Mante....from the bottom of my heart.  Thank You!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

test

Against a monster proceeds an intentional unfortunate.

How we met Celebrity Actors Camp

Adrian R'Mante's Celebrity Actors Camp


I did not know it at the time, but after I had made that phone call, the Universe had set into motion many events.  All we needed to do was to show up and we were going to be on our way!  A few minutes after I made the audition time, I was home.  I kept thinking of all the "good Mommy" points I would earn from my daughter as I walked in the house that evening.  Everyone was in good spirits and I called to Annika to come see me so I could tell her the news.  She was so excited that she squealed and then became very quiet.  We spent the rest of the week finding a monologue and practicing it until she could memorize it mostly.  She had selected "Falling down the Rabbit hole", a monologue by Alice from
"Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll.

On the Saturday of the audition, we dressed Annika nicely and made her hair beautiful.  The Audition was at the Convention Center in Providence.  We found street parking and were early, but eventually made it into a room with about 60 other children and their parents.  several beautiful-looking people were addressing the crowd and telling us what to expect from the presentation.  There would be 3 steps.  First a "Special Guest Speaker".  Next, a brief Interview with Talent scouts and third, the children would read their monologue to the Celebrity Guest!  I feel choked up just writing this because it was a very magical time where I felt things really came together in my heart and mind.  The synchronicity that was created by this day's events, demonstrated to me without a doubt, that this was our calling and our destiny- a mutual one between Mother and Daughter.

Our Special Celebrity Guest was the one and only and completely amazing, Phil Lewis! It just so happens that I am a HUGE fan of Phil Lewis (Mr. Moseby) who is a star on the Disney Channel Show, "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody".  Phil Lewis has also had a recurring role on my favorite comedy series, "Scrubs" where he plays Dr. Hooch.  Anyway, when it suddenly occurred to me that he was there as a spokesperson for Celebrity Actors Camp, I was thrilled, intrigued and thrilled some more!!  Annika sat quietly.  I was bouncing out of my seat.  Annika had to ask me to calm down and not make a scene.  I wasn't going to do anything!  It was another Dad who eventually jumped up and gave Phil Lewis a bear hug.  Phil was fantastic with his adoring crowd and seemed very relaxed about his celebrity.

Annika met with Michael Worth to Interview, then performed the monologue for Phil and then we left with some information to review.  We were told that 600 auditions would have taken place during the day including other presentation times from the morning and going through to the evening, after which they would select about 50 participants for the camp.  If selected, the callback would be Sunday (the following day) and at that time we would be required to register and pay for the camp.  Annika was primarily thinking about her monologue reading.  She said Phil did not say much.  He scored her very well though and Michael Worth thought she was very beautiful.  All this lead to the Callback on Sunday, which of course, she received!

So after some creative mathematics, we were able to afford the Level 1 camp option for her.  There were 4 Levels offerred and these offerred a tier-style benefit for the child including a training with a Holloywood Casting Director.  We could not afford that level, but we figured at the very least, if she was good enough to get into the camp, we could give her this special opportunity and see what comes of it!  Camp was set to start the following weekend, run through February and March and conclude March 20th with a Talent Showcase where the kids would be given the opportunity to audition for a panel of Agents and Casting Specialists. 

The experience and the training Annika would receive from these brilliant Actors would be the special ingredient for her...that little bit of magic...that paved the way to something big.  Pictured here with another friend from Camp and Cassie Casale from Nickelodeon, Annika enjoyed every moment of camp.  Honestly, everything she needed to know, she learned the very first day of camp!  In my next blog, I shall tell you about a very special man and how his dream and our dream met on the road of life!

~Many Thanks to Celebrity Actors Camp for this wonderful Direction~

How it All Began

On a completely average day in February (or late January) 2011, Annika approached me to have a very serious conversation.  It was probably a Sunday evening because I recall I was working weekends for AAA, SNE and I had just come home from my shift.  Annika was apologetic for bothering me with what it was she wanted.  Of course, I did not feel bothered.  I wanted to know  the desires of her heart.  She had been taking Guitar Lessons for about 3 months at this point.  She went on to tell me that although performing music was great, she did not see herself as a Guitarist but wanted to become an Actor.  To be specific, Annika dreams of being a disney Channel SitCom Actress.  She has great comedic timing and she is funny and outgoing.  Her facial gestures are right on target!

So on this particular night, Annika told me about how she and her sisters had been out that day shopping.  Her sisters are both adults with about 20 years on her.  She heard a Radio commercial announcing Auditions for the Disney Channel (her favorite channel).  She memorized the 800 number so we could call it.  So this is what she tells me as I come in from the last shift of my second job...hmmm.  Mama had a choice on how to respond.  In the past I feel I have not listened fully to her wishes and desires pertaining to this avenue of interest and so on this particular day the difference was that I was moved by her passion and her sincere attempt at persuasion.  She earnestly shared with me what her desires were.  Her father was there listening too.  I really didn't think anything would come of it but I was willing to spend a bit of my time researching the Child Acting Industry and teaching her (and myself) a few things about it.

That evening, in our pajamas, we curled up with the laptop and performed a few "Google Searches" about Acting.  We found some websites that list Acting Opportunities and who post Auditions and places to create memberships to find Audition opportunities.  We explored this together and I tried to keep an open mind although I believed her interest would fade in time.  I was focused on my own Business Idea of creating my own Wedding and Event Planning Business this year.  There would be no time to pursue a hobby for Annika, like Acting !  I had seen plenty of Child actor Bio's to know that the Moms and Dads have to sacrifice time and money to get involved.  But to not be discouraging, I just persisted in searching and remaining optimistic, even if only in appearances.
Annika at Hollywood Studios Florida on her 5th Birthday, 2005

But then something happened.  I know exactly what it was, even if others cannot see it! It was the Law of Attraction and Annika's destiny working together in my life.  A few weeks had passed since this conversation...or perhaps only about 10 days had passed.  Whatever the case, it was definitely a Sunday Afternoon and I was returning from my shift at AAA again.  But what was going to happen had already been set into motion by my own thoughts and intentions and desires, unbeknownst to me.  You see, I had recently concluded that my weekend (extra money) job was pointless....a meaningless effort with only one useful benefit, and that was to create a savings account.  fortunately I had created a bit of savings by working hard at it for a few months.  My job would end mid-March and I had just decided that I was done.  I was not going to look for any other opportunities with AAA when this job ended.  this is significant because I believe it was the act of deciding that caused the other turn of events.

As I approached my exit at TF Green airport, Warwick off of 95 South, I heard it!  The Radio commercial that Annika had told me about...I heard it myself!  They gave the phone number and it announced that Auditions were being held in my area and the opportunity being presented had to do with the Disney channel.  I took out my cell phone and quickly typed the phone number. In a matter of seconds I was on the line with a woman who took some basic information and scheduled the Audition time for the following weekend on Saturday at noon.  All I needed was a photo, and to have Annika prepare a 1-minute monologue.  As I hung up the phone I thought to myself, "what did I just do?"

Monday, April 11, 2011

My first Audition

I survived my first rejection this week.  I am Annika's Mother, Angel, and I will be writing this blog to document Annika's Story which I think is pretty extraordinary.  Annika herself is an amazing girl.  She has a bubbly personality and inquisitiveness that is tempered with maturity beyond her years.  As a nine-year old, Annika is a normal kid who loves to play outdoors and run and dance and watch television.  Now that Annika has a Talent Agent, Model club Inc of Boston, she will get plenty of auditions for Acting and Modeling.  But this past week was significant for one special reason.  Last Thursday was Annika's first Audition from Model Club and it was for some sort of Commercial.
RDP Photography, Stoughton MA

Annika went up to Boston by train and spent the better part of the afternoon commuting for the sake of a 15 minute audition.  We all laughed at the Pomp and Circumstance of it all and wondered what they were looking for and if Annika would be selected.  We were given very little information apart from the Callback and Shooting dates.  The day after the Audition was a Photo Shoot for her Professional Comp Cards for Modeling.  A Comp Card, or Zed  Card is like the Model's calling card that shows several photos and their Stats.  We were excited to have the afternoon to travel to Stoughton and meet our photographer.  It totaled about an hour plus 2 hours of travel time.   I had to lose a half day of work and Annika left school 3 hours early, but the photo sneak peaks were fabulous and so we felt that the efforts of the week were worth while.

The weekend that followed her first Audition was wrought with strain as I agonized over how I would balance the needs of my Business with the unpredictable schedule of my Child Actor.  We were so eager for Monday to arrive because common sense would tell us that if the callback was Tuesday, we would have received the information by Monday.  On the other hand, the worry over balancing the schedule and getting time off work and the cost of the train were all weighing heavily on my mind.  Then the thought of her first paying job flooded those other thoughts out.  We could see a nice big paycheck and get her a Savings Account!  With this much inner turmoil, how was I to make clear intentions to the Universe and to help the Law of Attraction bring to us all that we desire?

RDP Photography, Stoughton MA

So Monday finally came and that morning felt great.  I was sure she had gotten selected and that we would need to make those arrangements.  But all day the phone was silent.  There were no calls or emails.  I have to say it was very discouraging!  I did feel a bit of relief as it seemed that I would finally get a little reprieve to just focus on my issues and my needs at home and with my job.  Maybe I should feel more disappointed...Annika did.  She was filled with self-doubt.  She did everything I anticipated she would do. She blamed herself for not doing a good enough Audition.  They had asked her if she liked Roller Coasters and she answered honestly that she did not.  Annika had said that as they asked questions, they were recording the answers.  I have to assume there was a reason for the process...but we are inexperienced at these things.

So for now, we wait.  When the next Opportunity comes, we are a bit older and wiser and more experienced.

RDP Photography, Stoughton MA April 8, 2011