The First Voice Lesson

I gave my first voice lesson on the 21st. I was really worried about it. I thought that maybe I wouldn't know what to teach, or that I was under qualified. It turned out ok though. I met my student and her mom. They were both really nice. My student had just come from taking finals, so I felt bad that we went over the actual mechanics of singing and did some reading. She sang one of the songs that she did in chorus. I was relieved to hear that she could actually hold a tune!! I gave her a song to practice at home and I taught her some new vocal exercises that she could also do at home. Her next lesson won't be until the 8th of July since she was going out of town that next weekend and then I would be going to Hell...I mean out of town the next weekend too. Luckily, the lesson went really well and she seemed very receptive. I just now have the task of looking for accompaniments to go with the songs. We'll need accompaniment cds so that we can record her singing the songs so that we can evaluate her. She'll also need accompaniment cds to take home with her to practice the songs. Ugh...I just don't want to buy any. They get pricey and the accompaniment cds usually only have a couple songs that I actually want to use. I'll have to just download some I guess...if I can find the songs that I want! Wish me luck! :)

Father's Day

Father's day was a crazy day! I was soo tired! It started off with me getting up at 5:30 in the flipping morning to make Shaun breakfast in bed. (That lucky bum!) I thought that giving myself about an hour to make and serve breakfast would be plenty of time. He has bishopric meetings every Sunday at 7:30, which means he has to leave our house by about 6:50/7am. I made him some french toast made with a french loaf and my special batter, homefries (my secret recipe), bacon, and some fresh sliced strawberries. The homefries are what takes the longest to make. The first time I made these it took me a few hours to peel, cut, season and cook them. Keep in mind that I was in Junior High. Consequently, my cooking skills or should I say my chopping skills were lacking. Plus I was using a really dull knife, which sucks when you're trying to cut potatoes. The homefries were done by about noon that first time I made them. So, now my dad makes fun of me all the time about it. Anytime I tell him that I'm making homefries for breakfast, he laughs and says "Oh great! We'll be having breakfast at about noon!" And then he'll mock me by pretending to slowly cut potatoes one cube at a time with an oblivious look on his face and his mock buck-toothed grin. I tried to keep the time in mind when I was making them this time around. Since I rushed on making the homefries, they didn't turn out quite as good as usual. But everything else turned out really good. Unfortunately for Shaun, I was still running late. He patiently waited in bed because he didn't want to get up to start getting ready and spoil my excitement of getting him his breakfast in bed. So, by the time he got his food, he had to inhale it quickly and hurry to get ready. Luckily, his ride was a little late so it wasn't too bad. He did end up having to go out barefoot since he didn't have time to get his shoes and socks on in the house.

I decided to stay up instead of go back to sleep. I ate some breakfast, got my primary stuff together, got our stuff together to go to my parents' house right after church, got the cards and gifts ready, and got myself ready to go. I only had Landon that day, since I wanted him to go to Primary in our ward. So, my parents took Caden instead on the previous night. I would have gotten him up to help with breakfast, but it was way to early for him. Landon is the easiest to get ready since he can pretty much get himself ready. So, we ended up being a few minutes early for church! That doesn't happen to often. We're lucky if we can make it to Sacrament by the opening prayer!

The primary kids sang in Sacrament. They sang "My Dad" and did really well. I'm always so proud of them after they sing for everyone. They never let me down. Even though they are small in numbers, they always manage to sing their best...but only for when they are singing for everyone which is just fine with me. A couple of the nursery kids who had been practicing the song with us came up too. (Well, technically one of them should be in Sunbeams, but he is the only one so they let him stay in Nursery until Michael (Landon's best friend) and Landon move into Sunbeams with him.) Jo-Jo went up with his older siblings and Michael ran up there by himself. But when he got up there, he disappeared. We looked for him for a little bit and someone on the stand pointed out that he was hiding under the Sacrament table! It was too funny. I don't think that his parents had realized where he went. Shaun (who was sitting in the row in front of them) didn't know where he went either until I told him. That kid is funny.

For the remainder of Sacrament, I was having a rough time trying to stay awake. The last speaker was a little monotone so that made it worse. Somehow I survived church...although I don't remember too much of it...it's all a blur!

After church, we went straight to mom and dad's house. Shaun made some sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches for everyone for lunch. Landon ate 1 and a half sandwiches!! He ate half of mine, a few bites of one of Shaun's two sandwiches, and stole half of one of my dad's two. I was surprised that he ate it and liked it.

After lunch, I gave dad and Shaun their Father's Day cards and gifts. I got them each three pairs of dress socks. (Bostonian had a sale on their socks. They are normally 3 for $18, but I got them at 6 for $20! They're great socks too. They're made from bamboo, but are really soft and are antibacterial. So, they don't stink AND they have a lifetime warranty. If they get holes in them, you can take them back and they'll replace them for FREE!!) We also got dad a gift card to Borders. I had picked one up for Shaun's dad too and sent it out the day before...a little late, but at least I sent it out!

For dinner, Shaun and dad grilled up the steaks and the corn. We also had some lobster. Mom and dad only bought two lobsters but they were at least 4lbs each. They were HUGE! The four of us were only able to finish one. But it was sooo good....All in all, I think that it was a fabulous Father's Day.

Oh Happy Day!

So, Tuesday came...and I was nervous all day. I was hoping to hear from my agent but I wasn't going to get my hopes up. Like I said in my last blog, I was 80% sure that I had blown my chances since I was late for the audition. But I was still a little hopeful. Then at 2:13 pm, my phone rang. It was my agent. My heart skipped a beat and I had to tell myself that she might not be calling me about the Safety 1st audition. It could be another audition she wants to send me to or send the boys to. I very calmly answered the phone. Oh gosh, I can't contain it anymore...I GOT THE JOB!! I jumped around a bit, did a little dance, did some weird little kick thing in the air, screamed a little bit, and called my mom, my dad, told Shaun on instant messanger, and told my buddy the mailman. The shoot is scheduled for the 24th. That's all I know right now. Nikki will get back to me when she has the details, like the time, what to bring with me, and the rate. All I have to say is that its about freaking time I landed myself a shoot. GOSH!

Off to Salem

Monday was a little hectic. I had a casting call up in Salem, MA. It was for Safety 1st. My appointment was for 9am. Its usually a 1 1/2 hour drive from Cumberland to Salem (although with the way I drive, I can usually do it in an hour flat...plus the fact that speed limits are mere guidelines here and you'd have to be an out of towner to be going the speed limit). I got up that morning and gave myself two full hours to get there. I decided that the best route to get to Salem was to go around Boston instead of going through. The morning traffic going into Boston is horrendous...actually no matter what time it is, its bad). So, I left at 7. I got off at the 95/93 split...I took the 95 to go around Boston. I looked down at my GPS and it said that I had 30 miles on 95. When I finally got onto the 95, we never went faster than 40 mph for almost ten miles. I was sooo annoyed. I was going to blow a gasket if I had to endure another 20 miles of that. Luckily, once we got past the exit for the 90 (that goes into Boston too) the traffic sped up. Needless to say, I was about 5-10 minutes late for my appointment even after blowing the doors off of cars I was passing at record speeds! Of course when I get to the building, I didn't remember the name of the photographer so I didn't know what Suite number to go to. That made me even more late. I thought for sure there would be a receptionist or some signs leading me to the casting call. Consequently, I had to call my agent, who didn't know the Suite number. So, she gave me the photographer's phone number. When I got up there, I was surprised to see that I was the only one there for the casting call (hence the reason for no signs). I thought for sure there would be others auditioning. Then after talking to the photographer about what I would be doing, I found out that Safety 1st had chosen only two girls to audition for the shoot. Great...I was pretty sure that after being late I had blown my 50 percent chance of getting the job. Of course, I had to throw on the charm to make up for it. The reason for the audition was to make sure that the model could actually pull off the part of looking like a nurturing mother. I had told the photographer that I had two kids and he said that I should have no problems then. By the end of the audition, the photographer and I were best buds. Hahaha! He even gave me his card so that I could email him pictures of the kids so that he can recommend them to his clients. I gave him one of my comp cards so that he could do the same for me. After my audition, I went back to my parents' photography studio to pick up the boys. While I was there, one of my friends called and wanted to hang out. So, I met up with her at the Providence Place Mall and we did some shopping and ate at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. It was fun! Its been so long since I'd been shopping. Once I start, I can't stop. I LOVE to shop. But, I have been good and I restrained myself from getting everything that I wanted. I stayed away from the shoes. (I know, I'm proud of me too!!) I got a candle that was on sale (75% off!!) at Bath and Body Works. I got a workout outfit that was on sale from NY and Co (16 for the top AND bottom). I got a really cute shirt from the same store (7 dollars). I got some cropped leggings, a tunic to go with my leggings, and a cute cardigan thing to also go with leggings, all from Forever 21. I think I did good! I was able to get a bunch of clothes without spending too much. I do hate paying full price for anything. And YIPPEE for new clothes!

Steak and Lobster...a match made in Heaven

On Sunday, we had church as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. We had made plans with my parents to go up to Norwell, MA to visit some family friends, the Nelsons. Annie is from Taiwan and Carl is from Massachusetts. They were in our ward in Warwick about 16 years ago or so. Anyway, that's where we met them. They have been living in MA for most of the time we have known them. They bought their new house a couple years ago in Norwell and its gorgeous. Annie started her own company a while back. Its a school that teaches English to Asian students. I believe that they have since branched out and started teaching English to other nationalities. They have made a fortune off this company. They are basically self-made millionaires...but they are so humble you would never know it unless you went to their house and heard of all the exotic places they have vacationed at. They now have two kids (the oldest is almost 16-Ian- and the youngest-Kayla-is 13 or 14). They are the sweetest kids ever. They are so good with Landon and Caden. I know at that age, I was not interested in hanging out with little kids. I didn't even like little kids until I had my own. Anyway, they are super smart kids, with really great personalities.

The reason for our visit was because Carl's son from a previous marriage was bringing his girlfriend over to meet the family. Since Annie is not super close to Chris, they wanted to invite us since we have met him on multiple occasions and dad took him to a Def Leppard (I think) concert since Carl wasn't available to take him. (I know...my dad at a rock concert...hilarious). Anyway, Chris' girlfriend was so sweet. She's from France and was in Massachusetts as an Au Pair for a former Boston Bruins player. She was also going to school out here (that's where she and Chris met). I believe she is heading back to France to finish up school now. But before that, she is heading to Hawaii for a little vacation. For dessert she made some fantastic crepes! She was supposed to email me the recipe, but she might have forgotten...I'll have to ask Annie. For dinner we had some yummy steak and lobster...I LOVE lobster. The missionaries were there too. After dinner and dessert, we had a spiritual message that was shared by the missionaries. Julie is not a member and Chris is inactive. However, she seems very interested in the Gospel since she doesn't agree with some of the Catholic beliefs. I'm glad to see that she showed interest. It might make Chris more inclined to getting back to the church. Not to mention the fact that she is fantastic and would make a wonderful member. It was another fun night hanging out with friends and eating fabulous food.

Saturday is a special day,...

On Saturday, we were supposed to go to the Gaspee Day Parade. But, we woke up late, and it was a little cloudy out. The parade route is right by my parents' house. I have gone every year that I have lived in RI (just like the Gaspee Day Fair I mentioned in an earlier blog). I guess I should explain what Gaspee is. Well, this is the way the story goes. The British put a restriction on foreign shipping between them and their colonies in 1651. Anyway, the Gaspee was a British ship that was patrolling the Narragansett Bay. One day, it tried to stop a boat called the Hannah to search it. Well, the captain of the Hannah didn't want to stop. He also knew the waters much better than the British. So, he led the British in a chase. The Hannah was a smaller boat that had a flatter bottom that could handle shallow waters. He led the Gaspee over a sand bank and it got stuck and the Hannah got away. Later that night, a group of rebels snuck onto the Gaspee, looted it, and torched it. That's right British...take that. Anyway, that, my friends, is what actually started the American Revolution. Not the Boston Tea Party, it was the burning of the Gaspee. So what? They threw some tea bags into the ocean...woopty doo. We burned a freaking ship down.
Anyway, during the entire weekend, there are festivities going on celebrating that event. Friday night, (night before the parade) there are fireworks over the bay. Saturday is the parade and on Sunday, there is a reenactment of the burning of the Gaspee at Pawtuxet Village. There is a Gaspee Day committee where they not only organize the events, but they have people dress up, set up tents in the park, shoot cannons and stuff, and burn a little boat down in the middle of the bay. I am sad to say, that I did not get to participate in any of these festivities this year (besides the fair). I'm not being a very good Rhode Islander, I know. Well, enough History lessons for one blog!

On Saturday night we went up to Beacon Hill in downtown Boston to surprise one of my best friends from high school. Fran is currently living in New Orleans until August. She is an assistant producer on movies. She usually works out of NYC but this movie moved production down to New Orleans where they are filming. She has been there since September or so (I can't remember now). She's working on the movie Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds...hubba hubba! Anyway, she flew into Boston Saturday afternoon so that she could participate in a charity walk on Sunday morning in memory of her younger sister who passed a year ago. Then, Sunday night she headed back to New Orleans. Fran's friend from Fordham University, who was also participating in the walk, set up the surprise get-together for her. We met at her apartment on Beacon Hill along with one of mine and Fran's other friend from high school. She got to the apartment and we surprised her! She was really really surprised! Then we went to dinner at Avila Restaurant. Fran's sister and her sister's fiance surprised her at the restaurant. It was a fun night hanging out together! We also had the argument about the Burning of the Gaspee being the actual start of the War, not the Boston Tea Party. Melina (Fran's sister), her fiance is from Massachusetts and people from Mass like to dispute that fact. So, we had Shaun, Tim (one of Fran's other friends attending the walk) and Chad (Melina's fiance) arguing with me, Fran, Melina, and Katie (our friend from high school) about that. The other two girls are from Long Island, so they didn't care either way. It was a very funny argument. Overall, it was a good night. We didn't get back to our car until 11:30...and we still had a 45 minute drive home. As a side note, I just have to say, the town homes on Beacon Hill are AMAZING. Shaun and I peeked into the windows of a few...ok, not Shaun, just me. I told Shaun that we are sooo moving to the city and buying one. Ah...one day.

Milk and cheerios do NOT go together...

I just have to say, yesterday morning was a "hoot." I got the boys up, and fed them breakfast. They usually have cheerios and some milk. I guess I should clarify. They have cheerios and a side of milk. We haven't gotten into putting the two together...its just too messy for them to feed themselves. Anyway, I was in the other room letting them eat. Both the boys were at the table. All of a sudden, I heard a blood curdling scream from Caden. I ran out there to see what was going on. Caden was in full blown tears. His face was red and he couldn't breathe from crying so hard. I hastily tried to figure out what had happened. Then, I looked into his cereal bowl. There were his cheerios, floating in a sea of milk. Oh boy...Landon then turned to me and said, "I didn't want my milk anymore." He had poured his cup of milk into Caden's bowl of cereal, which for obvious reasons infuriated Caden to the point of tears. I silently laughed in my head and put on a stern face. I sent Landon into his room without being able to finish the rest of his cheerios and gave Caden Landon's bowl of cereal. Then I went into my room and laughed into my pillow so they wouldn't hear me. Landon has recently acquired a bad habit of putting food (or drinks apparantly) that he doesn't want into other people's bowls or onto their plates. He has also just dumped his water out onto the ground (outside, luckily) if he decides after one sip that he doesn't want it anymore. We're going to have to try and "nip this in the bud" before it gets any worse!!

Last night, I got an email from a mother requesting voice lessons for her daughter. My first student!! I am so excited. However, after the excitement wore off (very quickly), I started to panic. I started questioning my knowledge and if I would really be able to do this. So, I quickly went to work figuring out what I wanted to start off with and made a list of the materials I would need. I called the mother today to talk to her about sending her daughter in for an "evaluation" so that I would know where she was at with her skill level. The appointment is set for two Mondays from now. That will give me enough time to get my music stand, books, and other materials. Consequently, I have spent the majority of the day online shopping for the music stand, accompaniment soundtracks, and music books. Also, I need to find someone to come and tune my parents' piano. It needs it badly. My piano is stuffed in our basement. Besides, it doesn't make sense making students from Warwick travel half an hour to get to my house in Cumberland.

Well, there isn't much more interesting going on today in RI...its been a cloudy day with alot of internet surfing.