Douglas Family News: Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

Once again I realize that I am FAR behind on my blog posting. In my defense, it has been a busy and action packed couple of months. I can't believe we are already more than halfway through September. It's 9:00pm on a Friday so why not do a little blogging ;-)

I know most of you have heard this story already, but its too amazing not to document, even if its only just for myself. Last month, I got a message from my friend Julie that her daughter Haley had gotten a gig choreographing a ballet number for the MTV Video Music Awards. I was absolutely ecstatic for her! Most of you will remember Haley from our wedding. She was just 15 years old then. I've know her since just after her 7th birthday! We go WAY back :-) A few days went by and then I started hearing about what a mess the project was turning into ... not because of Haley at all, but production was a disorganized mess and were throwing much more than a choreographer's job at her. Then a few days later, I had a panicked Julie on one line and a clearly overwhelmed Haley on the other line offering to fly me down to LA to do my big sister/ mama bear thing (I also kind of like to organize things, in case you didn't know!).

So before I knew it, there I was. Phone call midweek and in LA on Sunday. Rehearsals started on Monday and it was nonstop action, action, action. I ended up being much more helpful/useful than I thought I would be and only because, again, production was a mess. I was taking ballerina measurements, ordering pointe shoes, driving all over LA to pick up and drop off pointe shoes to be dyed and all other kinds of fun stuff.

My original plan was to only stay through Friday morning. I thought I'd get Haley through dress rehearsal and over the hump and she would be fine for the show on her own. Well, I just couldn't leave at that pointe. I felt like I would be really missing out. Haley still wanted me there, the dancers still wanted me there, so once again Haley's ridiculously awesome parents changed my plane ticket and I got to stay for the whole thing! It was truly an experience of a lifetime and I'm so glad that my awesome husband and mom picked up my mommy shifts at home and let me go live a dream.

The experience from the dance/show business side of things was one thing. Being able to reconnect with Haley (who I haven't really seen since my wedding) was an absolute gift. You'd never know we had ever been apart. We cracked ourselves up on numerous occasions and have a whole new pile of memories to add to our collection.

Haley and I circa 2002

I was totally official. Production even invented a title for me "ballet coordinator". My dance friends can appreciate how hysterical that is ... me and my pigeon toes, the ballet coordinator!