At Nutcracker rehearsal this afternoon, Kai was told that he got the part of Ben Franklin. Ben and Betsy Ross are life sized dolls that burst out from under the Christmas tree and get caught up in the battle between the rats and the toy soldiers. Kai is excited about it, but it also means extra rehearsals. Unfortunately, extra rehearsals mean that he can't do the St. Mark's Players show of Assassins. Kai is very disappointed about it -- he really wanted to do it and was excited about it. I'm feeling very sorry about leaving them after we all had made the commitment that Kai would do it. Now they need to find another 9 year old boy and fast. We need to chalk this up as a lesson that Kai -- our whole family, really -- has a bit of a tendency to over-commit.

Two Shows, One Fall

This fall I am in two different shows: Assassins and the Nutcracker.

Assassins is being put on by the St. Mark's Players. I am in a few different scenes, but I always play the son of an assassin. In my main scene I delay my mom from trying to kill President Ford by whining and screaming about money to buy ice cream. In my audition last week I met the director, Kevin, and I had to read through that scene. My first rehearsal was yesterday and it was really fun.

I am also in the Nutcracker which is put on by the Washington Ballet. I am a party child. In yesterday's first rehearsal they put us in lines and measured and compared us to the other kids. I was put into the Elegant Family. This is my third year in the Nutcracker and I was in the Elegant Family last year. I'm the bigger brother this year. There are too many Nutcracker rehearsals -- I have another three hour one again this afternoon.