Coloring

When AJ asks to color with you, it could mean a myriad of activities: checkers, chess, ball toss, watch TV, and even actual coloring with crayons and paper (outlining feet and hands is really fun!). With the new rug in the new classroom, chess has notched up a bit. Of course, AJ has a very unique style of playing, and a very unique set of "AJ rules" to go with it.

Babies' First Trade Show

It was the twins first trade show with Daddy. And it was the big one - PMA. They were huge fans, particularly of their own badges.

Dracula

10/23/14 - Opening night

October 23 thru November 2, 2014
Produced by the Cuesta College Theatre Department
Role: The Child

October 3, 2014
First crack at make-up! This is a VERY different production for Serafina, and she brought the "audience" to tears on a run-through today. Takin' it to the next level.

October 25, 2014
A Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival representative watched her third show of the run and provided about 45 minutes of feedback to the entire company immediately following. He included Serafina specifically in his comments saying her every word, sound, and movement portrayed the emotion of the moment. Wow.

10/22/14: The hair artist for Dracula
asked if we could bring Serafina with corkscrew curls...

Sam got into it, too!

Railroad Time

Major transportation organizations, like the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, need to stay on top of time across their entire system!

Picasso, Einstein, and... Schmendiman

Charles
Dabernow
Schmendiman

Have I mentioned that I got a part in a play at the SLO Little Theatre?! The play is by Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin), called "Picasso at the Lapin Agile." The Lapin Agile is a Parisian bar and provides the venue for the entire play about a chance encounter between Picasso and Einstein - and yours truly! And a number of other characters. Pictured below is our first look at the set (thanks for the pic, Pam!). Read all about the play here. Schmendiman (that's me) will soon be bursting in through the door out of the picture to the right... Check out this SLOLT blogpost.

Update 10/16/14: The first review is in, from New Times. "But it's Jamie Foster as Charles Dabernow Schmendiman who steals the show in the second half..." (with apologies to my fellow cast members who are, to a one, better at this and far more experienced than I). Full New Times review. Then the Trib's review. And the review from Two for the Show.

Click here for a bunch of photos.

Update 10/1/14: Uh-oh. We're getting close.

Update 10/5/14: A "moment" is added to the set.

Update 10/7/14: We played to a small group
from PCPA for tonight's first dress rehearsal.

Update 10/17/14: Our own Picasso (Toby) sketched this
out on the whiteboard in the green room.
Left to right, top to bottom:
Germaine (Megan)
Sagot (Larry)
Gaston (Tom)
Schmendiman (me)
Freddy (Bobby)
Suzanne et al (Alicia)
Visitor (Arash)
Einstein (Cameron)
Picasso (Toby)

Working Together - at Church

That's Serafina at the top of the pyramid today at church. Lynn had this so say, "This reminds me of a pyramid Trevor and Tracy were a part of in their church youth days - love watching grandkids thriving just as their parents did!"

Tickling the Eighty-Eights

The kids' piano teacher held a piano recital at the Newman home (other students) Sunday afternoon. It was really quite amazing to see both the technical accomplishments of the kids as well as listen to their selections for "show" pieces to play. It was definitely a movie/show theme this year, with Disney taking the cake. Sam did Edelweiss from the Sound of Music, Serafina did Beauty and the Beast and Be Our Guest, and Matteo did a John Williams Star Wars piece (note his left-over-right technique). All the pics: JF2.com/140921/