This is something I have always wanted to write about or share with more people, but I haven't done either because we are a bit hesitant of how it will be perceived. But... today we had quite a funny experience with the boys and I thought it would be a great chance to share the entire story of how the boys ended up signing their first “autograph” at two years old!
The one thing we did share publically (well- at least on my Facebook wall!) was that both of the boys have done some modeling for Little Tikes, and about a month ago we found out that both of their photos were used on the packaging for the products they modeled! About a week ago a friend of mine emailed me to say that she opened up the Toys 'R Us flyer in her mailbox to find Caleb's face smiling back at her and since we hadn't seen the flyer, she mailed it to us. Also inside was a coupon for the Pillow Racer that Caleb was modeling, so this morning we finally decided to go to Toys 'R Us and get each one for each of the boys... mostly because we wanted the boxes! When we are checking out, Jon stops to ask if we can combine two coupons and the lady notices
that our boys are on the box... she gets all excited and calls over the other employees to show them. They asked the boys for "autographs" and the store manager wanted to take a picture of the boys next to their box! I don't think the boys really knew what was going on, but they were more than happy to smile and say cheese while having their picture taken yet again and they were over the moon excited that we got to bring home not one, but TWO dinosaur Pillow Racers! It was a really cute little moment, and yes, they let us use both coupons :)
So... If you want to know the whole story, please feel free to read on. On one hand, it is something we've wanted to shout from the roof-tops because it is so fun and exciting and we are so proud of the boys and the unique opportunities they have been presented with. On the other hand, acting and modeling are not commonplace around here, and we've always worried about how people with perceive us when they find out that the boys have dappled in such a world. But... I am forewarning you that this is long, so if you dare read on, I will just have to assume that you are close enough to us to truly know who we are as a family :)
Despite their adorableness (I know, I’m quite biased!), the thought of getting the boys into modeling or acting never occurred to us. But when the boys were young, a casting director contacted my Mothers of Multiples group looking for a set of twin boys for a movie that was being filmed here in Michigan. Just for the fun of it we sent in the boys pictures, but they were a bit too young for the role. Since it wasn't something we were really interested in pursuing to begin with, we never thought about it again. Until we got a phone call when the boys were about 9 months old... it was the same casting director and this time he wanted the director of a new film to meet with the boys. Jon and I were pretty hesitant, but we thought what the heck- we'll check it out! The casting director explained that he thought the director wanted a set of twins who were a bit younger and that he was bringing us in as back-ups, but that at the very least he'd give us a gas card to reimburse us for our time. So we spent a long afternoon in downtown Northville on the set of "The Double". It was a lot of waiting around, but the boys got to spend about 10 minutes with the director and everyone but Caleb and I got to meet Richard Gere (we were in our dressing room nursing!) Although the opportunity was exciting, we were actually relieved when they chose the younger set of twins, as the role required a special work permit that would allow the babies to film long after legal hours- well past midnight- for four nights in a row. Being the sticklers for bedtime that we are, we were glad to go home and stick to our usual routine. But the boys each got a nice paycheck for their afternoon of "work" and we walked away feeling grateful to get a little glimpse into what it was like to film a movie. After the excitement wore off, we didn't think about acting again.
Fast forward to the following spring- the boys were about a year and a half old. We got another call from a different casting director looking for a set of twin boys for the new Jason Segel film Five Year Engagement that was filming in the Ann Arbor area. She had gotten a photo of the boys from the previous casting director and was requesting a few updated photos. By the end of the afternoon (just to complicate things a bit, it was a Friday), we were scrambling to get doctors releases signed and work permits approved... the boys would film on Monday! Jon and I were excited, but also quite terrified. We didn't know what to expect- mostly about our rights as parents and how we would be able to protect our boys. Would they be in our sight at all times? If we were uncomfortable, could we refuse to allow the boys to do something? Or just walk away all together? I hit the internet to do some research and stumbled across the Hollywood Mom Blog and its wonderful author, Tracy Bobbitt. Tracy is the mother of a child actor and she writes about all aspects of raising a child in the entertainment industry. I sent her an email and not only did she respond with answers to all of our questions, but she also invited me to join a group of other mothers of child actors... I was able to talk to some amazing women who all had personal and valuable experience in the crazy, fast paced world we had stumbled into. We felt much more comfortable heading into the boys first ever film experience!
When we arrived on set and the boys were rushed to wardrobe, where they were swarmed by four wonderful women who dressed them up in the most adorable little suits while scratching down measurements on their notepads... then the suits came off and were whisked away to the
seamstress to be taken up and in so that they fit just right. Then it was off to our trailer where we met Zoe, the little girl playing the boys’ “sister” in the movie. The three of them had all sorts of fun together- they explored the giant trucks, ran around in the field, did puzzles with the set teacher, and sat together on a blanket reading books. When it was finally time for their scene, we were escorted up to the church where we were introduced to Alison Brie and Chris Pratt.... the boys would be playing their son, Harris. All was well for a moment or two, until Chris startled Matthew and Matthew started to scream. Of course Caleb started to scream just because Matthew was screaming, and Jon and I wanted to hide... it looked like their film career was over before it began!!! We got the boys calmed down, and when it was time to roll, we decided to send Caleb in first since he wasn't actually startled by Chris. We handed Caleb off to Allison and held our breath. Jon stayed in the back of the church (it was a funeral scene) where he could see Caleb and I went outside with Matthew to watch the scene on the big monitors. All of a sudden there was a close up of my baby on the big screen… he was doing it! The whole thing lasted about 10 minutes and I honestly don't know if I took a single breath the entire time. During a break between takes, Chris was messing around and had Zoe shout something, which scared Caleb and he started to cry. And that’s why they use twins! Unfortunately Matthew wasn't quite as cooperative. Jon had to stay closer, but he was able to inch away and leave him sitting on Alison's lap. She was bouncing him and rocking him and but he was still crying a little bit. Before we knew it the director yelled, "I like it! Let's go with it!" and all of a sudden they were filming. Aye yai yai- Jon is still so nervous that they are going to use that particular shot in the film and our sons big movie debut is going look like we abandoned our terrified child alone in a church full of strangers! Within 20 minutes the whole scene was wrapped. They sent us back to wardrobe to get the boys fitted for another scene, but unfortunately we had been on set for four hours before the director was ready to shoot that second scene, and legally the boys had to be done for the day. So we went home- excited, exhausted, extremely proud of our boys- and thinking that it was all over!
A few weeks later they got called to film another scene. The boys were excited to see their "sister" on set and once we got through wardrobe, we were escorted to the set where we were able to lay out a big blanket on the front lawn and the three kids played the afternoon away. When it was time to film, we wanted to give Matthew another shot, but he got a little bit nervous. I wish we had pushed him because once we got inside the house and realized what the scene was, I know he would have been just fine. But Jon and I had promised each other that we wouldn't make the boys do anything they were uncomfortable with, so we sent Caleb in instead. His job was to sit in the playroom and play with the toys while the two main characters had a discussion at the dining
room table. At one point, Alison picked him up, walked around with him for a second, then set him back down with the toys. New toys?! Caleb was in HEAVEN! The kid sat there for well over an hour. They filmed the scene multiple times, stopping once or twice when he got up and wandered out of the view of the cameras, but they continued to film the few times he toddled up to the table and inserted himself more firmly in the scene! The people working the monitors outside couldn't believe that he was staying in there for so long and following directions so well! Almost an hour and a half later, they wrapped the scene and our tiny little Caleb was getting compliments and high fives from everyone from the director to the Starbucks guy. Yup, there was a Starbucks guy. A guy whose job it was to run to Starbucks and return with 100+ grande frappuchinos for everyone on set. I could seriously get used to this!!!!! The boys spent another hour or so playing with Zoe on the front lawn... it was just a genuinely fun afternoon :) After they took some "family" pictures to use on the walls in the house, our four hours were up and it was time to go home. Of course the boys had made friends with nearly every person on set... they played iTouch games with the documentary guy, played catch with the traffic control guy, even the directors wife who was on set for a few moments played with them! It was hard to say good-bye to their movie sister Zoe... she had a few more days of filming but the boys were all done. We said our goodbyes, but not before the producer told the boys he thought they'd had quite the career ahead of them in Hollywood! We didn’t know whether to say thank you or no thank you.
Only after that second day of filming did we realize that we had something the "industry" really wanted, so we thought we would do a little exploring. I contacted some of the women from Tracy's group as well as an old friend who is a working actress in LA and got some information about local agencies where maybe the boys could find another small opportunity or two. Unfortunately we learned there isn't much work here in Michigan, but we did find an agent just outside of Cleveland, Ohio who works exclusively with Little Tikes and she was more than eager to sign the boys to her roster. Though we didn't expect anything to come of it, it was kind of exciting... and we left it at that.
Then I got an interesting message. It was from Tracy, the author of Hollywood Mom Blog. A friend of hers who is a talent manager in LA was looking for a set of blonde, twin two year old boys for a television series and she thought the boys were perfect... she wanted us to submit them. I reminded her that we lived in Michigan, not LA, but she wanted us to submit them anyways. So we sent a short email with one picture of the boys. Almost immediately, we got a response. It was a whirlwind couple of days... multiple emails, pictures and videos being exchanged and millions of questions Jon and I had never in a million years thought we would ever have to think about answering buzzing through our minds day and night. Five days later we got the call... she said she's never seen it happen like this, but without ever stepping foot on California soil, the boys were offered the job… a reoccurring role as the grandson of Tim Allen on a new ABC sitcom! Jon and I were in panic mode. What in the hell were we getting ourselves into?! From the preliminary talks, they wanted to put us up in a place in LA from August through November. Jon could go for the first few weeks but would have to come back home to work. The show was scheduled to film three weeks on/one week off, and they hoped to be able to fly us all back to Michigan for each of the off weeks so the boys could be home with their daddy. While the whole thing was amazingly exciting, it was also downright terrifying at the same time. We weren't sure if there was any amount of money or amazing life experience that would be worth splitting up our family, even for a short amount of time. But we also weren't sure we could deny the boys the experiences such an opportunity might bring. Let’s just say we didn't get any sleep for a few nights! Fortunately or unfortunately, sometimes I'm still not sure which, we got word a few days later that the production company was refusing to allow for the relocation expenses- they would only allow for a "local hire". We couldn't take the job. We were happy and we were sad. I will admit I cried many-a-tears, on and off, for weeks. Were we depriving the boys of a once in a lifetime opportunity? Of what could be a life changing experience? Of the chance to see another part of the country, to build relationships that might last a lifetime? But we had to be honest with ourselves- they were barely two years old. It was most important that they had the stable, predictable life we had made for them. The one that Jon and I were both in. Every. Single. Day. When the show finally aired some months later and Jon and I forced ourselves to watch the premier... we cried for most of it as we watched another adorable little set of twins play the role that our boys should have played. But we knew, and we still know- We may not have made the right decision, but we didn't make the wrong decision. Nothing about keeping our family together and leading a quiet, normal life could ever be wrong. Maybe we missed out on something truly amazing. But what we have here is amazing in its own right and that just can’t be wrong.
So... where did that leave us? From the experience, the boys caught the eye of a wonderful team of managers in LA who were eager to sign the boys to their roster despite that fact that we live in Michigan and had absolutely no intentions of relocating. They hooked us up with a very well-known children’s theatrical agent in LA, and we all worked out an agreement that the boys would
only be submitted for roles that would be worth the travel. At home, the boys started booking some print shoots with Little Tikes through the agent in Cleveland. They were both naturals in front of the camera and at each shoot, the director (a different one each time) couldn't believe how well they followed directions. They kept calling them back for more, and we've made a couple of family fun days out of our trips to Cleveland. (The science center there is fantastic by the way!) It has been a ton of fun to see their faces pop up on websites like Toys ‘R Us and even the British Little Tikes page!
They also got to do a photo shoot, courtesy of the wonderful and amazing Meredith Keith, for a small hat company out of Massachusetts called Little Lids. And just for fun, we've entered them in a few photo contests, though they were not at all related to the real modeling world. The boys won the multiples division of The Cute Kid contest and pocketed $500
for their college savings accounts. We entered Caleb in a model search where fans voted to determine the top 9 children, and then a panel of judges selected the grand prize winner to model for the clothing company. I made two amazingly great friends whose children are very successful actors and models while we worked together to get our kiddos enough votes to make the top 9... and guess who won the all expenses paid trip to New York City?! Yup!
So at the end of the day, our boys have had and will have some amazing experiences. They were challenged in new situations with new people and stood out like pros, although they were barely 2 feet tall. They made and played with new friends. It has challenged Jon and I to consider what is truly important in life. In a few weeks, the boys will get a chance to travel to the big city... an experience I can't tell you if or when we would ever be able to give to them. And they've got to "sign" a few "autographs" at the toy store where they giggled when they saw their own smiling faces sitting on the shelves. We are a family of laughter, so giggles are worth their weight in gold around here. The boys may never do another single thing as actors or models, and that would be just fine. We never really bargained for any of this to begin with! Or maybe there are more amazing experiences out there waiting for them.
I do have to admit that with all of the interest the boys generated in such a giant industry, it’s hard not to wonder what they could accomplish and experience if they had a real shot at it. Jon and I have toyed with the idea of spending some time in LA this summer- ¾ part fun family adventure, ¾ part time with relatives, and ½ part see what the boys could accomplish. (Yeah, I know… but there’s two of them so the math adds up.) There really is something special about them. But I don’t know if we could ever make that happen, or deep down, if we really want it to happen. Each night we just thank God for what we have and pray that He helps us make the right choices in the future… whatever the future may be.
The one thing we did share publically (well- at least on my Facebook wall!) was that both of the boys have done some modeling for Little Tikes, and about a month ago we found out that both of their photos were used on the packaging for the products they modeled! About a week ago a friend of mine emailed me to say that she opened up the Toys 'R Us flyer in her mailbox to find Caleb's face smiling back at her and since we hadn't seen the flyer, she mailed it to us. Also inside was a coupon for the Pillow Racer that Caleb was modeling, so this morning we finally decided to go to Toys 'R Us and get each one for each of the boys... mostly because we wanted the boxes! When we are checking out, Jon stops to ask if we can combine two coupons and the lady notices
that our boys are on the box... she gets all excited and calls over the other employees to show them. They asked the boys for "autographs" and the store manager wanted to take a picture of the boys next to their box! I don't think the boys really knew what was going on, but they were more than happy to smile and say cheese while having their picture taken yet again and they were over the moon excited that we got to bring home not one, but TWO dinosaur Pillow Racers! It was a really cute little moment, and yes, they let us use both coupons :)So... If you want to know the whole story, please feel free to read on. On one hand, it is something we've wanted to shout from the roof-tops because it is so fun and exciting and we are so proud of the boys and the unique opportunities they have been presented with. On the other hand, acting and modeling are not commonplace around here, and we've always worried about how people with perceive us when they find out that the boys have dappled in such a world. But... I am forewarning you that this is long, so if you dare read on, I will just have to assume that you are close enough to us to truly know who we are as a family :)
Despite their adorableness (I know, I’m quite biased!), the thought of getting the boys into modeling or acting never occurred to us. But when the boys were young, a casting director contacted my Mothers of Multiples group looking for a set of twin boys for a movie that was being filmed here in Michigan. Just for the fun of it we sent in the boys pictures, but they were a bit too young for the role. Since it wasn't something we were really interested in pursuing to begin with, we never thought about it again. Until we got a phone call when the boys were about 9 months old... it was the same casting director and this time he wanted the director of a new film to meet with the boys. Jon and I were pretty hesitant, but we thought what the heck- we'll check it out! The casting director explained that he thought the director wanted a set of twins who were a bit younger and that he was bringing us in as back-ups, but that at the very least he'd give us a gas card to reimburse us for our time. So we spent a long afternoon in downtown Northville on the set of "The Double". It was a lot of waiting around, but the boys got to spend about 10 minutes with the director and everyone but Caleb and I got to meet Richard Gere (we were in our dressing room nursing!) Although the opportunity was exciting, we were actually relieved when they chose the younger set of twins, as the role required a special work permit that would allow the babies to film long after legal hours- well past midnight- for four nights in a row. Being the sticklers for bedtime that we are, we were glad to go home and stick to our usual routine. But the boys each got a nice paycheck for their afternoon of "work" and we walked away feeling grateful to get a little glimpse into what it was like to film a movie. After the excitement wore off, we didn't think about acting again.
Fast forward to the following spring- the boys were about a year and a half old. We got another call from a different casting director looking for a set of twin boys for the new Jason Segel film Five Year Engagement that was filming in the Ann Arbor area. She had gotten a photo of the boys from the previous casting director and was requesting a few updated photos. By the end of the afternoon (just to complicate things a bit, it was a Friday), we were scrambling to get doctors releases signed and work permits approved... the boys would film on Monday! Jon and I were excited, but also quite terrified. We didn't know what to expect- mostly about our rights as parents and how we would be able to protect our boys. Would they be in our sight at all times? If we were uncomfortable, could we refuse to allow the boys to do something? Or just walk away all together? I hit the internet to do some research and stumbled across the Hollywood Mom Blog and its wonderful author, Tracy Bobbitt. Tracy is the mother of a child actor and she writes about all aspects of raising a child in the entertainment industry. I sent her an email and not only did she respond with answers to all of our questions, but she also invited me to join a group of other mothers of child actors... I was able to talk to some amazing women who all had personal and valuable experience in the crazy, fast paced world we had stumbled into. We felt much more comfortable heading into the boys first ever film experience!
When we arrived on set and the boys were rushed to wardrobe, where they were swarmed by four wonderful women who dressed them up in the most adorable little suits while scratching down measurements on their notepads... then the suits came off and were whisked away to the
seamstress to be taken up and in so that they fit just right. Then it was off to our trailer where we met Zoe, the little girl playing the boys’ “sister” in the movie. The three of them had all sorts of fun together- they explored the giant trucks, ran around in the field, did puzzles with the set teacher, and sat together on a blanket reading books. When it was finally time for their scene, we were escorted up to the church where we were introduced to Alison Brie and Chris Pratt.... the boys would be playing their son, Harris. All was well for a moment or two, until Chris startled Matthew and Matthew started to scream. Of course Caleb started to scream just because Matthew was screaming, and Jon and I wanted to hide... it looked like their film career was over before it began!!! We got the boys calmed down, and when it was time to roll, we decided to send Caleb in first since he wasn't actually startled by Chris. We handed Caleb off to Allison and held our breath. Jon stayed in the back of the church (it was a funeral scene) where he could see Caleb and I went outside with Matthew to watch the scene on the big monitors. All of a sudden there was a close up of my baby on the big screen… he was doing it! The whole thing lasted about 10 minutes and I honestly don't know if I took a single breath the entire time. During a break between takes, Chris was messing around and had Zoe shout something, which scared Caleb and he started to cry. And that’s why they use twins! Unfortunately Matthew wasn't quite as cooperative. Jon had to stay closer, but he was able to inch away and leave him sitting on Alison's lap. She was bouncing him and rocking him and but he was still crying a little bit. Before we knew it the director yelled, "I like it! Let's go with it!" and all of a sudden they were filming. Aye yai yai- Jon is still so nervous that they are going to use that particular shot in the film and our sons big movie debut is going look like we abandoned our terrified child alone in a church full of strangers! Within 20 minutes the whole scene was wrapped. They sent us back to wardrobe to get the boys fitted for another scene, but unfortunately we had been on set for four hours before the director was ready to shoot that second scene, and legally the boys had to be done for the day. So we went home- excited, exhausted, extremely proud of our boys- and thinking that it was all over!A few weeks later they got called to film another scene. The boys were excited to see their "sister" on set and once we got through wardrobe, we were escorted to the set where we were able to lay out a big blanket on the front lawn and the three kids played the afternoon away. When it was time to film, we wanted to give Matthew another shot, but he got a little bit nervous. I wish we had pushed him because once we got inside the house and realized what the scene was, I know he would have been just fine. But Jon and I had promised each other that we wouldn't make the boys do anything they were uncomfortable with, so we sent Caleb in instead. His job was to sit in the playroom and play with the toys while the two main characters had a discussion at the dining
room table. At one point, Alison picked him up, walked around with him for a second, then set him back down with the toys. New toys?! Caleb was in HEAVEN! The kid sat there for well over an hour. They filmed the scene multiple times, stopping once or twice when he got up and wandered out of the view of the cameras, but they continued to film the few times he toddled up to the table and inserted himself more firmly in the scene! The people working the monitors outside couldn't believe that he was staying in there for so long and following directions so well! Almost an hour and a half later, they wrapped the scene and our tiny little Caleb was getting compliments and high fives from everyone from the director to the Starbucks guy. Yup, there was a Starbucks guy. A guy whose job it was to run to Starbucks and return with 100+ grande frappuchinos for everyone on set. I could seriously get used to this!!!!! The boys spent another hour or so playing with Zoe on the front lawn... it was just a genuinely fun afternoon :) After they took some "family" pictures to use on the walls in the house, our four hours were up and it was time to go home. Of course the boys had made friends with nearly every person on set... they played iTouch games with the documentary guy, played catch with the traffic control guy, even the directors wife who was on set for a few moments played with them! It was hard to say good-bye to their movie sister Zoe... she had a few more days of filming but the boys were all done. We said our goodbyes, but not before the producer told the boys he thought they'd had quite the career ahead of them in Hollywood! We didn’t know whether to say thank you or no thank you.Only after that second day of filming did we realize that we had something the "industry" really wanted, so we thought we would do a little exploring. I contacted some of the women from Tracy's group as well as an old friend who is a working actress in LA and got some information about local agencies where maybe the boys could find another small opportunity or two. Unfortunately we learned there isn't much work here in Michigan, but we did find an agent just outside of Cleveland, Ohio who works exclusively with Little Tikes and she was more than eager to sign the boys to her roster. Though we didn't expect anything to come of it, it was kind of exciting... and we left it at that.
Then I got an interesting message. It was from Tracy, the author of Hollywood Mom Blog. A friend of hers who is a talent manager in LA was looking for a set of blonde, twin two year old boys for a television series and she thought the boys were perfect... she wanted us to submit them. I reminded her that we lived in Michigan, not LA, but she wanted us to submit them anyways. So we sent a short email with one picture of the boys. Almost immediately, we got a response. It was a whirlwind couple of days... multiple emails, pictures and videos being exchanged and millions of questions Jon and I had never in a million years thought we would ever have to think about answering buzzing through our minds day and night. Five days later we got the call... she said she's never seen it happen like this, but without ever stepping foot on California soil, the boys were offered the job… a reoccurring role as the grandson of Tim Allen on a new ABC sitcom! Jon and I were in panic mode. What in the hell were we getting ourselves into?! From the preliminary talks, they wanted to put us up in a place in LA from August through November. Jon could go for the first few weeks but would have to come back home to work. The show was scheduled to film three weeks on/one week off, and they hoped to be able to fly us all back to Michigan for each of the off weeks so the boys could be home with their daddy. While the whole thing was amazingly exciting, it was also downright terrifying at the same time. We weren't sure if there was any amount of money or amazing life experience that would be worth splitting up our family, even for a short amount of time. But we also weren't sure we could deny the boys the experiences such an opportunity might bring. Let’s just say we didn't get any sleep for a few nights! Fortunately or unfortunately, sometimes I'm still not sure which, we got word a few days later that the production company was refusing to allow for the relocation expenses- they would only allow for a "local hire". We couldn't take the job. We were happy and we were sad. I will admit I cried many-a-tears, on and off, for weeks. Were we depriving the boys of a once in a lifetime opportunity? Of what could be a life changing experience? Of the chance to see another part of the country, to build relationships that might last a lifetime? But we had to be honest with ourselves- they were barely two years old. It was most important that they had the stable, predictable life we had made for them. The one that Jon and I were both in. Every. Single. Day. When the show finally aired some months later and Jon and I forced ourselves to watch the premier... we cried for most of it as we watched another adorable little set of twins play the role that our boys should have played. But we knew, and we still know- We may not have made the right decision, but we didn't make the wrong decision. Nothing about keeping our family together and leading a quiet, normal life could ever be wrong. Maybe we missed out on something truly amazing. But what we have here is amazing in its own right and that just can’t be wrong.
So... where did that leave us? From the experience, the boys caught the eye of a wonderful team of managers in LA who were eager to sign the boys to their roster despite that fact that we live in Michigan and had absolutely no intentions of relocating. They hooked us up with a very well-known children’s theatrical agent in LA, and we all worked out an agreement that the boys would
only be submitted for roles that would be worth the travel. At home, the boys started booking some print shoots with Little Tikes through the agent in Cleveland. They were both naturals in front of the camera and at each shoot, the director (a different one each time) couldn't believe how well they followed directions. They kept calling them back for more, and we've made a couple of family fun days out of our trips to Cleveland. (The science center there is fantastic by the way!) It has been a ton of fun to see their faces pop up on websites like Toys ‘R Us and even the British Little Tikes page!They also got to do a photo shoot, courtesy of the wonderful and amazing Meredith Keith, for a small hat company out of Massachusetts called Little Lids. And just for fun, we've entered them in a few photo contests, though they were not at all related to the real modeling world. The boys won the multiples division of The Cute Kid contest and pocketed $500
for their college savings accounts. We entered Caleb in a model search where fans voted to determine the top 9 children, and then a panel of judges selected the grand prize winner to model for the clothing company. I made two amazingly great friends whose children are very successful actors and models while we worked together to get our kiddos enough votes to make the top 9... and guess who won the all expenses paid trip to New York City?! Yup!So at the end of the day, our boys have had and will have some amazing experiences. They were challenged in new situations with new people and stood out like pros, although they were barely 2 feet tall. They made and played with new friends. It has challenged Jon and I to consider what is truly important in life. In a few weeks, the boys will get a chance to travel to the big city... an experience I can't tell you if or when we would ever be able to give to them. And they've got to "sign" a few "autographs" at the toy store where they giggled when they saw their own smiling faces sitting on the shelves. We are a family of laughter, so giggles are worth their weight in gold around here. The boys may never do another single thing as actors or models, and that would be just fine. We never really bargained for any of this to begin with! Or maybe there are more amazing experiences out there waiting for them.
I do have to admit that with all of the interest the boys generated in such a giant industry, it’s hard not to wonder what they could accomplish and experience if they had a real shot at it. Jon and I have toyed with the idea of spending some time in LA this summer- ¾ part fun family adventure, ¾ part time with relatives, and ½ part see what the boys could accomplish. (Yeah, I know… but there’s two of them so the math adds up.) There really is something special about them. But I don’t know if we could ever make that happen, or deep down, if we really want it to happen. Each night we just thank God for what we have and pray that He helps us make the right choices in the future… whatever the future may be.
“And now you know the rest of the story!”
No comments:
Post a Comment