Side Note for Newcomers

How silly of me to think that ALL of you would know about Choice Point (yet!!!!).  I have received messages from so many of you asking, "exactly what is Choice Point?"

I began by forwarding everyone to the movie site.  But in one particular response, I found myself simply stating what Choice Point is to me.  Not the movie (although it applies), but what the words mean to me.  The response I got from that message has prompted me to give you my definition-

Choice Point is the point in our lives where we choose to live as we should instead of how we are "supposed to".  It's that point when we choose to live with love in our hearts and when that love replaces hate, greed and one-ness. By far, it is that point in the road where we choose the power of love instead of the love of power.  For some it is a conscious choice and for others....it never happens simply because they don't let it.

 

 The response I got was:

 

"Wow!  You should put that in the very beginning cause it is unbelievably cool!  What a great step in life…I'm speechless  ;)"

NOW THAT'S COOL!!!!! 

 

Hind Thoughts

Filming is done and today is New Years Eve.  The idea of starting anew and being glad another year is behind us is not an ideology I play into.  In fact, quite the contrary.  I absolutely believe that each and every day we have choices.  Those choices-good or bad, define who we are and where we are headed.  To be thankful that we didn't experience them would mean they didn't matter.  To wish away a year and look forward to the next is forgetting to look at what we experienced, what we learned and where we have been. 

I have a friend here in the Missouri who shared this with me today: 
"I'm not going to wish anyone Happy New Year because honestly it doesn't matter to me. I wish you all your best whether it's Jan 1 or Aug 8. You can have a fresh start any day...doesn't take a calender to make that happen...just you. Carpe Diem and keep it FAB!!
 Right On!!!!!  Now that's what I am talking about!


So, on this day...instead of counting down I am simply counting.  I am counting each and every day this year as a day on my continued journey.  I have lived this journey.  It is my choice...and I have defined it.  


Choice Point has been a huge part of this year's journey.

Choice Point came from the other side of "the pond" and blessed us with the ability to tell our story to the world.  Not only did we tell it, but we shared who we are, where we live and a bit of our journey with each and every person that will view the movie.  I'd say that's a pretty spectacular year!

Our Choice Point journey has solidified for me that how we have live is proper, aligned and purposeful and that each and every one of us has a new day- every day- to live as we do.  We must make a difference in the lives of others each and every day.

The Choice Point community has assured me that together we can make a difference. We have to.


And finally, The Choice Point movie crew - Halo Films has blessed us with a heartfelt sense of the best there is.  They are amazingly talented and I sit in awe of the job that they have done not only as sheer artists but as the best of human beings willing to share all of us with all of you.

Peace.

 

Day 6-The Final Day of Filming

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end.
But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Winston Churchill

 

Argh...not a happy day.
The kids awoke knowing that they had to say goodbye to Sam and Emily and it was really hard. Thank goodness Emily had not come at me with the powder yet as it would have been in vain! To my surprise, LJ had the toughest time. Just like my amazing husband, LJ is a quiet guy. He is soft spoken (most of the time) but deeply loving and caring. This experience had brought out a side in him that I had not seen in a very long time and now it was over. Nonetheless, he too said his goodbyes as did Lainie, the boys and Ren.

Once off to school, I sped one last time to "wardrobe" and "make-up" with Em. I don't know if I clarified this in previous posts but wardrobe and make-up are simply my closet and vanity ( just thought I would make that a bit clearer as I can envision my friends thinking there was a trailer or something here!!!) . But hey, even us common folk can dream!!!!!

One of the shots for the day that Sam was determined to get was above the house. Yep....our Director wanted a sky shot. I guess if we lived in the city this would have been far less complicated than here in the lake country. But...fear not! One call, one cherry picker (aka sign putter upper) from my friend Regina at Shamrock Signs and off he went (or should I say UP he went!). It was another one of those awesome "autumnal" days in the Ozarks and I have no doubt the shots were amazing!

Our next stop was going to be Main Street Warsaw. Sam wanted to capture me alone, simply window shopping and enjoying my time as Jodi rather than Mum, Wife, etc. I can't wait to see what that feels like!!!!!! Off shot were the baby, Gabe, Lara, Bret, Emily and some friends that had "found us out" along the street. Now that's what I call being "alone" but its just the way I like it.

The shots were really pretty and we used Touch of Glass (a stained glass store) to take some cool artistic views. Shout out to them-thanks for the view! At this point I was soaking in every minute of our time filming knowing that the wrap was soon to be called (how's that for movie lingo???). It didn't take us long to get the shots and we had decided that lunch, aka wrap party, would be at Cosmic Coffee and Eatery.


We shared some final thoughts, final laughs and one final meal and that was it. Once again we stood in that awkward silence not wanting to say goodbye. But, Sam and Emily had a plane to catch, Bret had to get back to work and life had to move forward so farewell we did- tears and all, and off they went with a final ta ta.

How surreal it was standing there on Main Street. Our lives had been on film display for days, we had shared all of who we are with the world and now everything was quiet, still and done.

Home we went, jiggity jig for there was laundry to do, beds to make and an amazing life to live. Besides, we were movie stars now and we had to get ready for the premiere!!!!!!

That's a wrap.

 

The Wonderful Ms. Em, Faboo and #10!

Wardrobe and Makeup

The Fabulous Sam Windsor-Phillips!

Day 5-Halloween Night

There is nothing that gives more assurance than a mask.  ~Colette

It was decided long before the team arrived that we were all going to be superheros and villains.  Thank goodness Marvel Comics has more than 9 heroes and villains! 

The cast of characters played as such:

LJ- I think it was supposed to be Quasi Moto (?)

Helena-The Hulk

Serenity-Wonder Woman

Lara- Cat Woman

Bradley- Superman

Ryan-Green Lantern

Wes- Spiderman

Gabe- Batman 

DJ- Little Bat

Dad- the Brain

Mom- Super Mum

Sam- Pirate of Penzance

Tim- a sound man

Rupert- a camera man

Emily- a BEAUUUUTIFUL witch 

Let me explain a little bit about this cast-

LJ has a hump in his back.  He has a disease called Schoermann's Kyphosis.  As such, being a hunched back  is not only easy but comfortable.  He actually looked pretty amazing!

Helena- OMG!  During the formidable years of 6-9, Helena spent the good part of her days, eves and weekends all year (in Arizona no less) as the Hulk.  She had a Hulk costume with built in muscles and she wore it nonstop.  She had green face paint and when that wasn't available she would use black magic marker, paint a mustache and under arm hair and off she would go around the block!  I know she will kill me for writing this but it was such a familiar feel and look to see her again as Hulk.  And, for those of you who know her now, you know she would have no problem being Hulk full time!

Lara spent weeks researching the original Cat Woman. We then spent even more time combing the thrift stores for a unitard, black gogo boots and  the perfect tail.  In the end, she was amazing!

Then there was Gabe!  At 2, he has the intelligence, humor and "coolness" of a kid much older than he.  Playing the part of Batman then was a "way cool gig".  Once in his cape and mask he was on his way to the Batmobile!  He literally stayed in character all night (that is until he got a bit sick from too much candy!!!!).

The rest of the kids did a great job as well!  Everyone was ready, loaded and off...

The first stop was the harbor.  It became apparent very quickly that this was just not going to work.  I am not a lighting geek (that was Tim's job)  but even my trite ability at common sense told me that candle light and HD just was not going to work.  Nonetheless, we took some footage under the streetlights, a bit more while inundated by crowds of kids wondering if the camera was real and then sent the crew back to the house to set up for the "Walton's meet the Orton's" kind of goodnight that was set to play out once we got home.

We didn't last much longer as this "Mum" was prettty tired and the kids were spent from the excitement not to mention the sugar and crowds.  We stopped at the Methodist Church Trunk and Treat, gathered far more candy than we ever could eat and headed home.

Once home, the crew was ready with lights, camera and toothbrushes in hand.  Have you ever seen 8 kids brush in one sink at the same time?   It became a disaster that very quickly was heading due south.  With out blinking an eye, we swooped up all but two kids, left Sam, Emily and the crew with two in the bathroom and got, from what I gathered, a pretty cool take of big brother and little brother brushing together.

The final scene of the night was Mum (that's me- hehehe) tucking the boys into bed.  In "real life" I do this every night but not with retakes!  I think the boys got 4 or 5 kisses each!  

We were done filming for the day.  Usually, this is a time of deep breaths, some laughter and thoughts of the days to come.  But tonight it was different.

Rupert and Tim were leaving.  I can't even begin to explain how sad I was.  I simply couldn't keep it together.    There were tears flowing everywhere from everyone.  In the best of circumstances you enjoy a "stay" from a friend.  In this case, a member of the family was leaving and we didn't know when we would see each other again.  It was a dismal farewell and one that even memories and pictures just don't help extinguish.  This crew had come into our lives, embraced us in so many ways.  They openly fell in love with who we are, what we are and where we live and delved into our souls with respect and honor.  We simply didn't want them to go.

 Tomorrow- the final take.

 

Day 5-My Interview

We Must Be Our Own Before We Can Be Another's.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

It is Halloween.  Now anyone that has kids knows that this day ranks right up there with Christmas and birthdays.  I often wonder if we took the sugar out of the holiday if the costuming would be enough.  Hmmmmm....

The first filming of the day was to be the school drop.  Sam spent the better part of the 6 a.m. hour taping and placing cameras on and in my car and I was not at all overjoyed to be shot in two directions at 7 a.m. with 6 kids in the car.  But, off we went, kissing each one of the kids goodbye as they shot out of the car and then heading home to prepare for the next shot- ME.

Rupert, Tim and the rest of the crew were already busy taking background shots and sounds of the farm (they loved our turkeys, Tom and Tim!) and the sun coming up on yet another amazing day.  The lights were set at the kitchen table and Emily was awaiting my arrival so that she could wisk me away to "wardrobe" and "make-up".

After what seemed like forever with Emily and her powder, I was on my way to the kitchen table.  Sam had explained that he was going to be off camera and that I needed to form my answers as complete sentences.  Sounded simple enough. The kicker for me-  you can't look at your interviewer when you answer-you have to look at the camera.   I have spent the better part of my life learning to look people in the eye when I speak to them and countless hours sharing and honing that skill for my kids.  If you have never tried speaking to a camera eye, it's disconcerting to say the least!  But, I was determined and after just a few minutes and lots of off camera cues, I was well on my way.

I learned something about myself during this interview.  Somewhere during the years of parenthood, I lost the ability to speak about myself.    I don't look at this as being a bad thing-  just uncomfortable at best.  For those of you who know me, you know I have absolutely no problem talking!  What I found was that simply focusing on me instead of on my life, my kids, my passions and my wishes and dreams, is a less than rosy place for me to be.  

I really struggled through the first half hour.  Sam would ask me questions about my childhood, my education, my work before kids- that kind of stuff.  I hated it.  In hind site, I look at that time in my life as a period during which I learned what I didn't want to be, who I did and didn't like (including me) and what I was going to do with the rest of my life.  I was defined by power and greed, by lies and manipulation and by and within a world of selfish excess.   I don't think I was ever a bad person-just lost.

Thank goodness Sam recognized my uncomfortableness and, knowing me, he knew to move along!  Once in my comfort zone I was off!!!!!  Now that's where I shine.  Let me talk about my kids, adoption, foster care, paying it forward, living selflessly, and making a difference and I am one happy camper.  Somewhere during those years of greed I learned that it just didn't matter.  That is what Choice Point is all about and that is my comfort zone. Six hours later I was done.  I have no idea where the time went!  I only know that it was peacefully easy, awesomely rewarding and hopefully inspirational to another human being.

Tonight....Halloween!




  

The British Dinner is Coming!!!!

 “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” Julia Child

I had no idea when I first started researching that the British had so many different kinds of cuisine.  I know, I know, I shouldn't think it to be that strange living in America but I just assumed that they ate one kind of food-British food.  Not one food mind you just one "kind" of food.  In hind site it makes absolutely no sense to me that this New Yorker could have become sooo close minded but, nonetheless, I was.  For goodness sakes!  Where I grew up you could have Grandpa's pizza, fried coconut ice cream and Brazilian coffee all in a three block radius!

I am happy to say that I have been reborn!  I have been pleasantly enlightened and my horizons have been vastly broadened.  All thanks to the Two Fat Ladies and Jamie Oliver.  Have you every watched these ladies?  They are so flippen funny!!!!!  I love their old kitchen, their straight up ways and the creations from nothing that they put together all while trying desperately to stay out of each others' way (which by the way is not small feat!).  Wow, then there's Jamie.  He is the master! This guy is to British cuisine as Budweiser is to American beer (really bad comparison...humor me!).

So, after much ado and some translation into measurement (a scant????), I decided on our menu.
Pork with creamed apples
Smashers
Cauliflower casserole
Cheese crumpets
Bread and Butter Pudding with rum caramel sauce
 Homemade spiced Elderberry wine

Dinner was served promptly at 7 and we ate, once again, to the point of "bizarre".  Everything turned out as it should and the pudding was, in Rupert's words, ".....Oh My Gosh.......Oh my....bloody delicious!"

We were able to look at some of the footage after dinner, spent lots of time laughing at the bloopers and finally got down to the business of the next day.  It was going to be a long one and our last with part of the crew.

Tomorrow was my day.  It was my turn to interview.  For all of you that fear close-ups, this is as bad as it gets (or as good as it gets if you're an airbrush expert I guess) but, for me, it was terrifying.  The topic- no problem; the look-now there was another story.  So, Rupert and I were going to have a chat.
 "Rupert my dear, here's the thing.  I don't want to look 50 (even though I am), I don't want to look like a mother (even though I am), I don't to look fat (no comments from the peanut gallery) and I don't want to look wrinkled (even if I have spent every summer of my childhood shellacked with baby oil at the Jersey shore)."
Did I mention that Rupert is not a magician?  Even in HD, this task was going to take some technique.  Rupert just looked at me and said, " it will be fine Jode".

OMG!  Kind of like when you lay it out for your husband that you are feeling fat, tired, old and used and he looks at you and says, "it will be fine honey".  NO IT WON'T...NO IT ISN'T!

But... (sigh) I trust in Rupert and Sam (as if I have a choice) and I know that the editing crew back in Bristol will do a smashing job of roseying the frames, adding a sunbeam here and there and utilizing Photoshop so as to create an amazing  30's version of this 50 year-old mother with a bit too much waddle.

 As for the crew and the film, I was sooo not ready for this to be over so I put that thought right out of my mind and drank another "swish" of wine.

Day 4-Uptakes, Retakes and Final Takes

If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again W.E. Hickson

We had all decided to sleep in just a bit before beginning today's shoots.  I wish someone had told my younger kids that!  By now, they were so used to having the crew around that they looked forward to the morning and the new adventures that the day would certainly bring. It was somewhere around 6:30 when the kids barged in asking if Sam was coming.  You would have thought Santa Claus himself was on his way!

Today's agenda: interviews with all the kids, uptakes and retakes of scenes previously shot and laundry!  Yes, my dear Watson even movie stars have laundry and these kids have tons!  It has been three days of filming and three days of laundry not being done!  You can only imagine the roar from the laundry monster!

The weather was gorgeous, once again.  The leaves were blowing and the sun was quickly warming the day.  The set for the interviews was to be in the yard, on the tree swing.  The crew was busily shooing dogs and trying to secure wires while Emily was busy primping and sprucing the kids.  

The interviews were to be fairly simple for the younger kids (or so you would think).  It was decided that Lara would go first.  She had done so well in all of her shoots that we all just kind of figured she would set the bar.  She did an amazing job!  LJ went next and then it was the younger kids' turn!  By this time, the kids were ready to play and keeping the swing still was becoming more and more of an obstacle.  

One of the rules with this take was that the kids had to do their best to speak in complete sentences.  So, Sam would ask them (off camera), "what do you want to be when you grow up?"  The kids were to then say "when I grow up I want to be .......".  Well, at least that was the way it was supposed to go!

We got through Bradley and Ryan and then it was Wesley's turn. "So Wesley, tell us what you want to be when you grow up."  "Ice Cream."  "Now Wes, what do you want to BE when you grow up."  "Ice Cream."  TAKE 6..."Wesley, say this: When I grow up I want to be...."  "When I grow up I want to be an ice cream cone."  "Cut..that's a wrap".  I kid you not!

I was busy making lunch for some of the others but I did see Gabe sitting on the swing like such a big boy working the lens like no other.  And then it was Helena's turn.  I had decided I didn't want to hear what she, LJ and the rest of the older kids were saying and that I would rather see it on the big screen and be amazed.  I was inside when Sam and Emily came in with tears in their eyes.  I missed it at first but then Emily approached me and told me that Helena blew them away.  I told her that I didn't want to know what had been said but that I knew my daughter and I have no doubt it was awesome.  About that time Rupert came in and had a completely blank look on his face.  He too had been blown away and all he could say was "great stuff...great stuff."  Gotta love those camera guys!  So, for all of us awaiting the release of the movie, we will see Helena together and I have no doubt she will steal the show!

I didn't have too much shooting to do and that was a good thing as I hadn't washed my hair in days (on Emily's direction) and I looked like hell!  Who would have thought that the simple action of washing your hair would bring such tremendous joy!!!! By days end I was clean, the house bared a slight resemblance to the orderly place we once lived in and I had tamed the laundry monster...at least for the moment.

The day, once again went off without so much as a hitch and tonight was to be the "British Dinner" I had promised to prepare.

Weenie Roast-Down Time for the Crew

"A hot dog at the ball park is better than steak at the Ritz."
~ Humphrey Bogart.

What could be more American on a cool "Autumnal" eve than hot dogs, smores and an ice cold bud lime?  

We were done filming and planning on a bonfire to end the eve.  Lara and Emily volunteered to do the Walmart run and tagged with a list, off they went.  I should have known that sending my chocoholic daughter with her British counterpart would mean nothing but trouble for my waistline but hey.....what the heck!

An hour later back they came with bags in tote-6 bags to be exact!  Let's see-bag #1- Cadbury Milk Chocolate, Cadbury Carmello and  Hershey's king size, the same for bags 2 and 3.  The rest of the bags contained assorted sizes and shapes of marshmallows and graham crackers and, of course hot dogs!

In our culture we tend to take so much for granted.  Hotdogs and S'mores are  two of the cultural yummies that simply don't cross "the pond".  As we were preparing for our roast, Rupert asked, "exactly what is a hotdog?"  LJ's response, "tubed bologna".  To that Sam asked, "what is bologna?"  And, yes, Bret's response was "a flat hotdog".  Around and around we went not wanted to face the inevitable question of content.  To do so would have meant grossing out our counterparts from the other side of "the pond" and, an end to weenie roasts as we know them.  I chimed in after about three go-arounds with, "why don't you just try one and see."

The fire was ready and our eve began with skewers aflame with blackened hot dogs galore! Everyone enjoyed their dogs!!!  I introduced some bologna to the mix of edible additives but there were no British takers!  The S'mores were a hit as well though most of the Cadbury disappeared long before S'more time!

It had been a really long day and tomorrow was to be yet another long one filled with cameras, crew and takes. 

Day 3-The Beach...Warsaw Style

Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.  Hans Margolius


For all the humorous side notes made about the Ozarks, those of us who live here know that the true beauty of our tiny corner of the world lies in the view of the lakes.   At anytime of the year the lake can be seen as one of the true blessings that the Lord has made.  I have driven the Mile Long Bridge thousands of times and each time the view of the cliffs and the shore change.   We have viewed the lake from its many roads as well as from our boat and each and every time we see and experience something different.   Shawnee Bend Beach is another of those awesome places and for our family a special place indeed.  Before we bought our home here in the "region", we spent a windy, blustery day playing on the beach and knowing that this would be only the first of many wonderful days on the shore of the lake.

Today was another of those wonderful days.  The leaves on the shoreline across the lake were bursting with color and their reflection in the water was so pretty.  The sun was out, the sky was awesomely blue and there was a breeze that just added to the crazy beauty of the day. Right off the shoreline, the white pelicans were vast and cluttered as they scooped up fish for their late afternoon snack and above our heads the seagulls were playing in the breeze.  It was a setting that only God could create. 

Earlier in the week, while scoping out sites, we had decided that we would drive in as close as we could get to the beach so that we would not have to lug all of our gear.  This wouldn't have been an issue except that the direct road to the parking lot was closed.  During the summer the road is open but now, late in the Autumn it was gated and locked as if to say no beach goers allowed (this would become an important point later on in the day).   Not to fear though-where there is a will there is a way.  The adjacent road remains open year-round and there is access by foot to the beach.  But, since our plan was not to lug gear, babies, tired kids and the like, we needed to be creative.

Once loaded and ready to roll, we made our way to the beach.  Sam was adamant about the timeline for this shoot (the lighting and such)  and we, being the obedient ones, were on time and ready!  We drove into the adjacent parking lot and lo and behold....tire tracks leading to the beach.  "Do as others before you have done"  became the motto for the moment!  Now mind you, we were not rolling over sacred ground nor were we destroying nests, endangered weeds or artifacts...we were simply following tracks of those that came before us so as to get the beach on time.

Once parked and unloaded Rupert went to work creating his magic through the lens while Tim the "Jolly Green Giant turned Brit by proxy" captured each and every moment in sound. Emily (poor thing) was busily running back and forth from the car for this and that and Sam was, as all good director's do, giving us instruction on what he wanted and didn't want.  There was so much amazing footage shot and we were all having a great time enjoying the day.  That was until the white pick-ups started to show up.

You would have thought it was an invasion of national security right here in Warsaw, Missouri!   Only two of them were brave enough to get out of the official vehicles to confront the evil villains invading the beach but out they did and down the long path they came.  The view was worth capturing.  Tall in stature, brown from top to bottom and ticket book in hand they were ready to defend our shores.

Knowing that our crew was here on work visas and that their accent could do nothing but get them in trouble, I decided to join them.  It was, for those of us old enough to remember, reminiscent of a scene right out of Alice's Restaurant with a few changes.  In that context, imagine Officer Obie...the 27 8x10's and a ticket for trespassing on the beach instead of the dump.

Now mind you, the crew had previously contacted the Park Ranger and the Army Corp of Engineers and had not only permission to film but to be on the shoreline overlooking the dam (which by the way you cannot film...national security and all).  Given the previous chat with the big guy, this should have been easy.  We filled the nice Park Rangers in on why we were there and I shared with them that we were locals.  Emily and Sam went about their polite way explaining that they had permission and Rupert and Bret were busy keeping the rest of the family and crew at bay.

"You are violating section blah blah blah of the national code of something or other and how did you even get here?"   Well let's see....how did we get there?  "We are the evil beach goers from Mars and we came in our green suburban space ship.  These are our comrades from Saturn otherwise known as the UK".  You have got to be kidding me!  Now this is a movie about the power of love people....so I will politely move on. "You need to move the vehicles now or I will fine you $100 for each vehicle."  So much for love.

We asked if we could have a few minutes to finish filming and they lovingly responded that we had 10 minutes to pack and leave.  We went back to finish filming the last few scenes before we lost all semblance of lights and sound and all of this while under the bird's-eye watch of the brown.  We finished, packed up, and proceeded to exit through the now unlocked gate, in our green Suburban space ship, tailed (of course) by the men in brown in their white pick-ups.

As we headed home we could see through the rear-view mirror of the green spaceship that the brown unformed men in the white pick-up we close behind.  Once back on Mars we were not at all surprised to find that they had  followed us all the way home (just like the fifth piggy on my son's foot!).  We felt so lucky to be that important!

All in all though it was a great day of shooting.  The kids had a blast and, quite frankly, so did I.  Tonight...weenie roast!

Day 3-Filming Begins! The Egg Walk

I was up at the crack of dawn today.  You would think I would have been worried about my wrinkles, my clothes or the kids clean fingernails but all I could think of was that the coffee pot worked too slow.  I wonder what Freud would have done with that one?

The kids were up and dressed before the crew got here and so began the day.  Emily was busy primping Lara while Sam and Bret were trying to figure out a way to keep 6 kids out of the shoot while keeping Gabe focused and off daddy's shoulders (where he seemed to be unwilling to leave).
Rupert and Tim were busy setting up lights and sound and LJ seemed to be enthralled with how it all worked.  Not the nuts and bolts mind you but literally how everything worked- the HD cameras, the boom, the lights, the wireless mics...everything.  He seemed to be the intern they didn't know they had!

The first scene was set up for us like this:
Lara (or LAAARA for you Brits) was to hold the egg basket in one hand and Gabe's hand in the other.  Together they were to walk down the path, across the drive and up the steps to the poultry barn.  Once there they were going to collect the eggs, put them in the basket and walk back the way they came.  Once they reached the porch I would be waiting there for them and we would count the eggs and bring them in for breakfast.
Take 1 was to start at half eight (8:30 a.m.) and it was our hope to be done in enough time to have breakfast and head out for some chores around 11 or so.
So let's put this into real life perspective and break it down realistically-
* 8 year old and 2 year old walking hand in hand down the path towards the barn without arguing, squeezing hands, screaming to let go or kicking...check.
* 8 year old and 2 year old snatching eggs from the ducks and chickens and placing them in a basket?  Are you kidding me?
* 8 year old and 2 year old walking back the way they came with out arguing, squeezing hands, screaming or kicking...not likely and...
*  8 year old and 2 year old meeting Mom on the porch and doing so without tattling about each other arguing, squeezing hands, screaming and kicking...check!

All this and breakfast by 11?  So here is how it went-
The first trick was to pry Gabe off of poor Bret's head.  It was morning, he had missed Backyardigan's, had no time for "chocolalababa" (hot cocoa for those of you without 2 year-olds) and here were all these people telling him what to do.  Then...in comes the Star.....PRINCESS LARA!  She was absolutely amazing!  She told Gabe to get down and get the eggs with her. It was that simple..."big sister had spoken".  They usually do this task at night but, nonetheless it was not a foreign request coming from Sissy.  She held his hand and off they went.  Sam had prompted her before hand so she knew exactly what it was she was supposed to do and she was just going to do it and so was Gabe!

Take 1, take 2, take 3.....how about 12 or 13 takes?  I don't know exactly how many we needed to do but each and every time there they were hand in hand doing what they were told.  2 and 8!!!!  I was one proud Mama!  Besides Sam's quiet voice (and dad in the bushes in sight of Gabe at all times), Rupert just had this special way of drawing out the best in the both of them all morning and Emily had Lara's back at every turn.

It was now around 11 and, to give the kids a break, Sam and Rupert decided to shoot me from the house to the porch.  Shouldn't take too long...YA THINK!!!  Silly me.  Talk about a virgin at this!

I need to step back here for just a second because I have to first explain the miking process.  You have to dress in such a way as to please your producer, your camera man and, most of all, your hair and make-up girl.  Once you have done that then you get wired.  The clip and pack get attached then the wire is fed up your front or back (whichever hides it best) and the rest of the wire is stuck down the side or your pants. Once you are stuffed and clipped, the sound guy comes at you with the sticky tape.  Did you know that there are more than 25 types of double sided sticky tape?  Anyway, the mike, of course, can't be noticeable on anyone so they strategically place it then tape away! After a test of 3 different types of double sided tape, I decided that a body suit would become my new best friend for the weekend.  Once tested by the sticky tape man for adherence and longevity (yes, they do test that!), I was ready to rock ("note to self after first day....cover mike when going to the bathroom-you are still ON!").

Back to the shoot:
We filmed the first of many scenes in which all I had to do was walk out the screen door onto the porch and greet the kids.  It's a strange feeling to talk to no one (although as a mom I often times feel that way in a room full of kids) but, at the direction of our illustrious leader I did as I was told.  It was kind of fun actually!  We got through the door opening and the empty chatter in about 4 or 5 takes and so back to the kids we went.

No one had eaten yet as we were going to make breakfast with the infamous eggs and the kids were really getting hungry.  But, onward we pushed.  So now the kids, with eggs in the basket, headed back up the path.  Gabe was pretty tired by this point but he still just plodded on. Lara had her own personal cheerleader so she was just fine!  Each time she would start to get frustrated there was Miss Emily to literally root her on. 

By noon, we made it to the porch.  From there I was filmed meeting the kids, counting the eggs and then heading back into the kitchen.  Each time we shot, the eggs would start out in one basket and Gabe would remove them and place them one by one in the other basket.  It's a good thing we had scrambled eggs on the menu!  

It was then decided that the final take of the "morning" (it was now close to 1 p.m.) would be the kids-all 8- helping me with breakfast.  YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!  Typically I have my flyswatter in hand preparing to attack anyone that dares to enter while I am cooking.  But, this is art and so in they all came. 

With hands washed and chairs in place, each kid was given a few eggs to crack into a large bowl and crack they did!  The crew knew that they would get only one shot at this so we took our time.  As it turned out we needed to take our time so as to pick out all of the shells each time an egg was cracked!  The final shot that Rupert took was all 16 hands in the bowl at one time digging out shells.  Talk about art!

The final smidgeon of the shoot was pancake flipping.  The kids were, by this point, drooling, panting and near fainting from lack of food (or at least that's what they said) and so the flip was to to be done really quickly.  By now I was well aware that quick simply didn't exist in the world of film so onward we flipped. This is another of those taboo activities in my kitchen for all 8 at one time.  One..maybe two...but certainly not 8!  I had no idea until this shoot that I even had 8 spatulas in the house!!!! It was quite comical and, once again, I warned Sam and Rupert that they would get one shot at this.  If I had to gander as to the amount of misses, I would say 20 give or take about 10 or so!

Finally, at about 2:30, Sam was happy with the shoot and he called it a wrap.  We were all to eat and change for the next scene and so we crunched away on our scramble eggs, brushed off the dirt from the pancakes and enjoyed lots of laughs about the day so far and ideas for the afternoon ahead.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Day 2-The Rest of the Gang is Here!

With Sam, Emily and Rupert all here, I began preparing our "American Dinner" for the crew.  It had been decided by my kids that I would make two meals for the crew; one that would include Mom's Famous Meatloaf and the other a formal British dinner served on fine china with Waterford and Sterling.
 While I worked in the kitchen, the crew began setting up egads of gear, lights, cameras, and computers in the dining room.  It was explained to the kids that this room was now off limits and that fingers of the offending hands would be pulled off one by one should ANYTHING disappear!
Our menu for the night (as requested by the masses) was Mom's Famous Meatloaf, smashers (mashed potatoes for my American friends), salad and mini corn muffins.  And what would a true American meal be without a homemade apple pie for dessert!
About two hours before dinner was to be served the last member of our troop arrived-Tim. We affectionately named him the Jolly Green Giant turned Brit.  For those of us who are vertically challenged, anyone over 5'3" could fit the profile but really, this guy was flippen tall!  How tall was he?  So tall that he ducked in places I didn't even know we had!
Tim was our sound guy.  He's the guy that follows out of camera view with the large duster and suitcase.  He looks a bit like a pack mule and a bit like ...well...the Jolly Green Giant!
 Tim was a bit shy when we first met him and I would have to imagine a lot overwhelmed.  Couple that with his  mere 25 years of existence and single status and he had to have wondered where the hell he had landed.  He does major movies and documentaries all over the US and is used to "miking" the stars...not 9 kids and 2 parents!
Once seated for our "American meal", we were surprised to find out that none of our Brit crew had ever had meatloaf.  Now I could have really run with this one! I could have used soooo many of the standard meatloaf lines and jokes but, not knowing our humor (yet), I thought it best to simply be gracious, accept the compliments and remind the kids not to throw their veggies at each other.
Once again we marched on with the dinner ritual.  By now, Sam and Emily were one-day seasoned pros but Rupert and Tim didn't have a clue what that meant.
"Mom, can we talk about our day?"
"Rupert you can go first- remember, you can't talk about PE or lunch."
I don't remember exactly what he replied but he did it with a great deal of enthusiasm and child like humor!
Tim was next and he was quick to follow suit.
Yep...all would be fine with this crew!  Spontaneous, humorous and compassionate- yep, we would be fine.

Once done with dinner and trivia (BTW Tim and I kicked major ASS!!!!)  we moved on to the plans for our first day of filming.  Sam had a big list of amazing ideas and the crew jargon was flying! The plan was to film Lara and Gabe first thing in the morning (to Brits that's shy of half eight) collecting eggs and bringing them into the house for breakfast. Once that shooting was done we were going to make Saturday morning breakfast, film weekend chores (mucking, woodwork, etc.) and then head out to the beach for some play.   The weather was set to cooperate and we were all completely psyched to finally get started!

Day 2-The Gang is Almost All Here

Today was the day we met out crew in its entirety. Our anticipation of the week to come was mind boggling!  We were entering the world of the complete unknown.  
Sam arrived at our house bright and early (half-seven...that's 7:30 a.m. to you and me on this side of the pond!) and, as we learned in that moment, yearning for a cup of coffee- milk and 1/2 sugar please.  He sat back watching the controlled chaos (that he would later come to understand completely) that we call school day morning drinking in not only his coffee but our lives.
Emily had gone to Sedalia (pronounced Seydahlia by our Brit friends) to meet Rupert at the train.  I have no idea what she thought she would find but I was going to find out soon enough!
It was doughnut day so our trip would be slightly different but Sam was up for the challenge!  We loaded in the car (less Lara, Gabe and DJ as they were still warm and cozy) and headed out to Daylight for our weekly "over sugar fix".
Once empty of kids and loaded up with fried sugar bits, we headed back to the house to introduce the four legged clan to Sam. 
I love Sam to death  but the man is simply not farm stock!  He was far more comfortable in the house with Georgia the old cat and enjoying the gargoyle cats hanging from the beams above the outside porch. Nonetheless, he boldly strutted past the ducks, the chickens and the turkeys towards the pigs and goats.  Once there he was politely content to view from a distance. 
Once introductions were complete, we headed back inside to prepare for a very busy day.
Emily returned from the "train" with Rupert our lead camera man and we all spent some time getting to know each other. 
Rupert was on "holiday" on this side of the pond (hmmm, not bad Brit for an American!) before he came to us.  He was spending some much deserved down time partying it up with his friends in LA.  Not just any friends mind you but the kind that throw large parties, have big houses and lots and lots of $$$$.  Rupert had been staying with a friend of his from "Family Guy" (I know isn't that cool!!!) and he had been eating his way through just about every In N Out Burger in LA!!!!  For my MO friends, these burgers are TO DIE FOR!!!  And, as Rupert would say- "Oh My GHOD!!!!!"
So here was this way cool guy hanging in our kitchen sharing some really cool stories and getting to know us as we all were feeling him out as well.  Little did we know that his artistry and his compassion would change out lives forever.

day 1

It's amazing to me that sometimes the world can spin exactly as it should- the axis is aligned as are the people that are aligned on its path.  For me, the best of who those are come together in moments that are both uplifting and grounded.  Thus begins our journey...
After months of "chat", we met Sam and Emily today.
I am often (well, more than often) told that I have a one of a kind voice. That, once again, proved true as we shopped in our local Walley World only to be "found out" by our guests!  
For the next hour Lara, Gabe and I shopped with out two Brit friends.  They had never been in a Walmart and seemed amazed at the vastness and over-abundance found within the walls of the famous box giant.
Because of Warsaw's small (did I say small?  I meant tinnnny) community of shoppers, it is literally impossible to get though the store without visiting with at least 3 or 4 friends or passers by.  Today was no exception.  I must have introduced Sam and Emily at least 7 or 8 times from the diaper aisle to the checkout.  From there we went to Subway (which, BTW the DO have in England!), met Bret there for lunch and had our first of many pre-filming meetings.  Once finished we headed directly home.  I was so excited to finally share our home and our lives with our producer and assistant and to have the kids finally meet the crew!
AT 3:20 LJ and Helena barreled in the door just as excited to see Sam as I was to see the meeting happen.  At 4:00 p.m. the rest of the clan ran in and Sam and Emily were, for the first time since their arrival, fully enthralled in our world.
The kids could not wait to show Sam and Emily their rooms and to hear more about the UK and Lara, who fell madly in love with Emily from the moment they met, quickly dragged Emily to the fairy garden for a peek at the Autumn fairies.
Once everyone settled in we treated out new Brits to the first of many family dinners at which time they too had to share two things about their day (not to include PE or lunch).  It became, in days to come, the dinner table joke.  We also included them (once we fought over teams) in our after-dinner trivia.  It was clear to us that we needed some new "intercontinental" trivia as almost all of the stuff we had was America specific.  They lost miserably but I have no doubt that once on the other side of the pond visiting them we will share the same dastardly fate!
Day one came to a close and we all were so excited to meet Rupert and Tim on day two.  We were not disappointed!

BTW- this is Emily with her Gucci shades.  ADOPTION PENDING





 

The beginning

Choice Point-that important moment in time that you choose the path of selflessness. That's it!  So why in the world don't we all just do it?  What makes life so incredibly difficult?  Imagine a vast populous of selflessness?
Today we open our house, our minds and our vision to the world.  Today we allow the world to see who we are and why we do what we do.  Today we selflessly forgo our privacy so that those that chose to watch will chose to matter as well.
It seems as though we have been a part of Choice Point forever.  In a way, we have. 
___________________________________
Sam and Emily arrived on "this side of the pond" last night.  It's so amazing to me that this crew-whom we have never met-have become such an important part of our lives.  Lara made brownies to put in their hotel room with a sparkly "fairy bow" while the rest of the kids frantically cleaned their playroom and the infamous sand pit in anticipation of being "movie stars".

So, today we begin.