Start Saving For the Counseling Now AND Place Your Bets!

From the mouth of The Great:
"Mommy, we should name our baby Loveheart Andrew Ruby Froten Humming.

But not Humming BIRD, because that will make our baby feel like a bird."

(Cause THAT is the only issue our kid would have with a name like that...that he felt like a bird all of his life.)

FIVE DAYS until we find out if we are hatching a boy or girl...a son of Adam or a daughter of Eve...if, in 20+ years, we will be PAYING for the wedding or just showing up.

Now's the time to get your "I-Told-You-So's" in. What are we having?
Boy?
Girl?
Why?

Currently, Lucy is still insisting that we are having a Baby Girl. No discussion about it. Don't even suggest it otherwise. Or she will yell at you. Or cry. Or both.

Nathan says we are having a boy. But when he talks about the baby he uses words like "she and her." He just now told me he doesn't like baby girls very much (but he does like BabyKake.)

And, for those new to the Zabrosky Birthing Process, we will be picking a name for this baby once we know what we are having. But we do not tell the name. Unless you guess and then I will tell you if you are right. So you can start thinking of ideas now. There is no limited number of guesses.

Finally, so everyone is on a level playing field, we take names for our kids from characters in books we love. But I can't promise that this name will be as easy as the last one was. (Lucy from Chronicles of Narnia? That was SUCH a Gimmie.)

Have at it!

Choosing Quality over QUALITY

Sean Gaffney has another post about auditions up and this time it features a GREAT comment by our very own Angela.

When I first came to VGCC the music and drama ministry was thriving and we would put on youth musicals every summer. They became well known at my school and many of the kids who didn't go to church were interested in participating. We had some fun people join our ranks that way but I do remember when a gal from my school auditioned for the lead role that everyone wanted. She was a ringer. But when she didn't get the role she wanted, she stayed on for maybe 1 rehearsal and then just dropped out. I remember being relieved. I was lucky to be under the direction of people who had the wisdom to weigh so many factors in the audition process.

I have been in a similar situation casting my last play. I had a professional actor. A REAL ACTOR who wanted to be a part of things. I didn't know him well but others around me did so I listened to them. I watched him carefully during the audition process and all I saw was a true desire to be a part of the team. I gave him a big role. But then he didn't show up for our first rehearsal.

Gulp. What had I DONE?

Judgements were rushed to and conclusions were reached without any inquiry. I had a panic on the part of the rest of the cast and those who I turned to for counsel (outside my cast of actors) were causing me panic in my heart. Was this a power play? Did he think he was above the clearly stated guidelines for missing rehearsals? Did he not think me a competent director?

I sent an e-mail. I typed and re-typed it 3 or 4 times before I sent the simple: "Missed you at rehearsal today, what happened?"

That Sunday, a kind hearted, apologetic actor told me that he'd gotten stuck at work and wasn't able to make it home in time and had no phone numbers to call. He was terribly sorry and wanted to know what he missed. The heart of service and teamwork I was so sure I had glimpsed during auditions was still there. Praise God!

Our dinner theatre turned out to be one of the more fun processes I have ever been through. God gave me a team of actors who were ready to jump in with both feet and try the crazy hair-brained schemes I was cooking up. (Including this one and this one and this one and this one and this one and this one-to name a few. And that is not mentioning the amazing crew!)

Many of you have brought up the points Sean is bringing up today...so much to think about! I love it. (I hope you are enjoying this too.)

Diva-inity

 

Because I Love Her Lips

Presenting: The Thinking Lip

Stalkerazzi Toddler

In the state of Very Pregnant that I am, (actually, am I VERY pregnant yet? Or just pregnant? I mean, I am only 18 weeks), I took a nap yesterday while the kiddos napped.

Actually, I should say that I goofed around on the computer and watched old episodes of My Secret Show and then, around 3:30 as I fell asleep in front of my Bloglines screen, I decided the time was right for Mama to lay down on the couch. This meant that any moment, Young Master N8 the GR8 would wander downstairs from his "nap." (Nap for Nathan = Running around my bedroom doing things like setting up 15 small Toy Story green men on my nightstand facing my side of the bed or building a tower out of our video camera tapes. I find the weirdest things under my pillow when I go to bed at night. But I digress....)

So when my sweetie 4 year old jolts me awake by sitting on my stomach, I begged him to play and let Mommy sleep. He is actually very good at this when I am in the same room with him. He will play and make roads and only occasionally do I have to remind him that I don't want to BE one of his roads.

Today, roads were not the fascination of the day. It was my new cell phone. And more importantly the camera in my new phone. When I awoke, there were over 20 pictures capturing exactly what my son was doing for the 30 or so minutes I was sleeping.

Here are only a few of the highlights....

Click for full sized images...

Dude.

I did not just see a man in a shirt and tie driving down Poway Road on a red Vespa Scooter with a lit ciggie, did I?

Ok then.

Time Changes Everything (First Day of School Edition)

8:00am
Stood out on the lawn for the first day of school pictures and we had confidence. We were ALIVE, AWAKE, ALERT and ENTHUSIASTIC! We were ready to take on the day!

8:15am
On the road to go to school! It finally sinks in (after many conversations earlier this week) that none of our friends from last year are in our class this year.

8:30am
Walking up to school, we have a frown on our face and won't even smile and return the hug from the pre school director.

8:45am
After checking out the classroom and ignoring the screaming kid whose mother was forcing him to introduce himself to us, our frowny face is still on. We have also drawn the same frowny face on a paper plate the teacher asked us to decorate. Mom realizes a hasty exit must be made.

11:35am
We are greeted with a smile at the door and hugged by a sweet sweaty boy who had a GREAT day and LOVES his teacher and his room has the BEST toys and he remembered to use his self-control....but when talking to Daddy on the phone, is sure to make it clear that he still had a very bad day.

1:45pm
I think this picture holds the final verdict on the outcome of the First Day of School



Additional story (free just for reading this blog!)
Sunday, at church, Nathan was very excited to invite Amy to his school today.
"You will LOVE it! Really! You have to come!"
This morning, while sitting in the parking lot waiting for the front doors of school to open, Nathan looks around and says in a very serious tone,
"I don't think Amy came. Look for her car."

More on Auditions

Sean Gaffney has added two more posts on his topic of Auditions and the Church.

Read the second one in particular. It is the "exception" to the "demand" for talent and that is SPIRITUAL DEPTH.

Either Or Or

We Got Spirit, Yes We Do

Enjoy...and discuss. I LOVE hearing your thoughts and opinions on this topic.