I'm posting from the hotel's Business Center. We've had a very busy week. The first day of shooting was about nine hours, and it has been gradually decreasing. Yesterday was the park scene which started at 7:00, and we were back at the hotel by 10:00 AM. It's been fun, but grueling for the children. Margaret had a breakdown the third day when she was expected to do a simple scene. She cried and sucked her thumb on Rob's couch for about a half hour. Later that day, in one of her scenes, Helen was 'punched' too hard by Zoe and burst into tears. The next day (Wednesday) Rose cried in the hotel room because she accidentally burnt Margaret with the curling iron. Later that day, Zoe broke down in the hotel room and decided she didn't want to be a film director any more.I think above all things, this experience has given the girls a sense of what real show business is like--and hopefully has deterred them from pursuing it. At the end of the day we all felt hot, grimy, and dry. The pool has helped a lot. Working out in the morning has helped a lot. In a good way this experience has probably taught the kids how people in a certain business, or with a certain craft, work through something over and over to get it as perfect as possible, and not collapse with mediocrity. I think that's a good lesson, if they remember it.
Today we go to the Mandalay Bay Hotel's "beach". It remains to be seen whether the Helen & Zoe will be allowed in the pool. Susan says there's an 'ozone warning', and it might be dangerous. Maybe someday I'll become as cautious as Susan, but I can't deny my kids the fun of a day out like this. In the end, she probably won't either.
I miss my kids and my husband. We all want to go home, but the prospect of another 6 hour overnight plane flight isn't exciting.
