Mary really gets around

When we were driving around Boston, the boys were entertaining us by singing "Mary had a little lamb". First D sang the song, well the first line of the song not the entire song but it was on key and he had that line down. Then J joined in but J's version is a little different. For one thing, it's much louder and not necessarily on key - not because J can't sing but because J has a quirky sense of humor. And another thing - his song lyric went like this "Mary had a yellow man". Like I said, J's funny. Anyway, so they're singing away back there when suddenly D yells out "NOT LIKE THAT!!!". J keeps singing the same way with the same lyric but even louder and D yells again "NOT LIKE THAT!!!". And so it went on and on until D ended up screaming and J screamed back and then suddenly there's tears and I suggested maybe we should come up with a different song to sing.
A few days after we got back to LA, as we were driving home from school, J started singing "Mary had a little lamb" with the correct lyrics and tune. He paused briefly and during that pause D chirped "yeah, like that!".

Pin Signing

Here's me looking slightly sheepish as I wait for the first people in line - the ones who've waited 3 1/2 hours for this!!

3 hours of Fame

Back in July, the CL gang sent out an invitation to all of FA to pick up a CL maquette and re-cast him into a new role - whatever we wanted. I picked one up and finally figured out what I would do - 2 days before he was due. I decided to make him into an out of work actor. After all, his movie is over and the kid's gotta find some work. So, I found green-rimmed sunglasses, a khaki visor, a green backpack and a miniature phone. I created a script to hang out of his backpack, made miniature acting books and trade magazines, made headshots and even created a miniature resume - complete with real and fake credits. I was real-ly proud of my effort and thought when I handed him in that I would never see him again. Well, it turns out that D-land loved all the maquettes that FA did and decided to choose 4 to have commemorative pins made. My little chicken was picked and on Saturday, October 15th I got to go down to D-land for a pin signing event. It was a great experience. First, to my surprise, there was a line of people waiting for the event to start who had been there since 6:00am. They were so excited about the pin, about meeting us (the designers) and about the character. It was very uplifting to see the positive response about a character whose movie isn't even out yet. We signed for 3 hours and had a steady group of people during that time. Some wanted to take our pictures, some wanted pictures with us, some wanted their pins personalized, some wanted us to sign their autograph books. All were enormous fans of Dney and their enthusiasm is contagious. It's invigorating to be around that level of Dney love - it reminds me of all the things that I love about working here.

Overheard

on the way to school this morning:

What are you doing, J? (D)

Picking my nose. (J)

Oh. (D)

The Four of us

The Wedding

. . . was spectacular. There was such a great attention to detail but not in an overwhelming way that made you feel like you were watching a "production". Just wonderful details that made the ceremony seem so intimate and personal and yet, we were part of it. For instance, one of my favorite parts was when the Reverend asked that everyone who pledged their support of this marriage to please show that committment by standing. The couple faced us as we all stood and watching their expressions as they absorbed the love that surrounded them was beautiful. Another favorite moment was when they each lit a candle from the unity candle, then walked down the aisle to light the candle of the first person in each pew who then passed the light down the pew until all the candles were lit. It was lovely. I was videotaping the ceremony for Eddie's mom, Chick which was good because I was able to disconnect from the emotion for a little bit. Later, at the reception, I was so emotional - just tearing up over every little thing. I guess it's because I've seen this couple together and apart, together and apart and I didn't think they'd ever get to this day. To see them together, so committed and to be witness to the partnership was really special. Anyway, on to the reception. Oh - one other special touch. When we exited the church, we were given sheet music wrapped up like a cone and inside were rose petals that we were to throw to the couple when they emerged. I later found out that every sheet of music was to a different love song. I really wish I had kept mine.
The reception - really fun, fantastic food, amazing wine, great music. T gave a great toast that made us laugh and cry. Eddie and Elizabeth danced their first dance to a Springsteen song "If I should fall behind". Yeah - I was a puddle during that. I don't know what else to say. Everything I write seems inadequate. I don't have the words to describe how I felt when I saw them dance together. I just don't have the words.
Look at a picture.

We're back!

It was my intention to post throughout our vacation but I just didn't make it. So, that means there is a lot to catch up on. Since I did post about the family reunion, I'll start with the next event which was the BBQ at the Reinoso's. It was wonderful to see these guys, who've been friends since high school, gathered on the deck with their respective spouses and kids, watching the game and swapping stories. A really fun day.
The next evening we went to the Hagey's (another friend from high school) for dinner. That was a stressful night for us because J and D (especially J) were absolute bullies to their kids. My theory is that since the boys always have each other to knock around that they're used to more rough play than kids who are only children or just not used to rough play. And it seems that if a kid doesn't "fight back", that J just gets rougher and rougher. That and we need to limit their sugar intake. Too much ice cream makes J a very naughty boy.
The next day we headed up to Andover, MA to visit our friends, the Tenore's. J and R are practicing Muslims and it was the first day of Ramadan, so we weren't sure what to expect and wanted to make sure we weren't keeping them from anything. We arrived just before sundown - perfect timing! - and R laid out a feast on the table. First, we broke the fast with a sweet, cold soup with fruit in it. Next, a large bowl of chicken soup with pasta and meatballs was put in front of us. Then, the main course: fried chicken drumsticks, chicken curry, jasmine rice, and baked haddock. It was utterly delicious. Finally, we finished off our dinner with tea and cake. Then the boys and their daughter, C, gave chase around the house. C took the early lead - the girl is fast and J maintained a good distance behind her. D brought up the rear and got lapped once or twice. We had a talk with the boys before we got there about the importance of sharing and being kind to C so they were much better than they had been the night previous. The next day, the Tenore's were kind enough to take us through Boston for a quick tour and walk around at Harvard Square. Then we were off for Hyannis to catch the ferry to Nantucket.
Next up - Nantucket with special devotion to the Eddie/Elizabeth wedding.

Memorable Quotes

"Uncle T - I think J is wearing too much makeup." - Cousin Joci to T after discovering J covering his face with lipstick.

Reunion

Just returned from the Rappold Family Reunion. It was really nice to have all the families together for the first time since we've all (well, most) had kids. Watching E and Joc show their cousins their playroom made me wish we could be a little closer so we could get together more often. Jam adores baseball and desperately wanted J or D to play with him but they are just too young still to know what to do. And Jam's quite good with the bat! He looks like a little pro.
It was the first time many of us got to meet our cousins' children and it was really neat to get the kids together to see the similarities. Billy Rappold's little boy Nicholas looks just like him and has an affinity for bugs. As Billy was taking him out to the car to go home, Nicholas was talking about the various bugs we were likely to see at night, why they come out at night and what they might do to us (bite us and leave pimples on our faces).
Joc reminds me so much of D with her deep brown eyes with the sloping lids, contemplative demeanor, quietly observing the action around her. E is all girly personality - already seeming like a girl I wanted to hang out with in high school - smart, pretty, and confident but still a little girl. M and S - so grown up. M is driving now and in her junior year of high school, still dancing, getting more beautiful by the day. Everyone agrees, she looks like Memmie more and more every year.
Bill and Pauline were there with Amanda, Paul and Elizabeth and their girls Madeleine and Mikayla.
Aunt Nancy and Uncle Matt were there, also and it was the first time all the children of Henry and Betty Rappold were together in some 8 years. I only met Henry once and Betty twice but as I reflect on the evening I think they would have been really proud to see their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren together today. All these different lives from all over the country came together to honor them and to celebrate family. It was really a lovely thing to be a part of. Memmie would be so incredibly proud of her grandchildren and even though she is no longer with us, her spirit lives in the souls of her children and grandchildren. I feel really lucky to have married into this family.

PHL - Nonstop

Whew! What a long day that was! We left our house on Thursday, 9/29 at 9:30am, caught the bus at the local airport, checked in at the airport and were at the gate by 11:00am - and had 2 hours to kill. Finally, we got on the plane and we were so lucky because we had an extra seat and it really came in handy! D slept for 4 hours on the plane - almost the entire trip. J slept for nearly 2 hours and then sat on T's lap to color and look at books. They did remarkably well. We didn't get to Grandfather's house until nearly midnight and then they were so excited that they didn't go to sleep until 1:30am. We all took naps yesterday! We're having a really nice time. Today is the Rappold family reunion at Janine's house. That's all for now - more later.