Saturday, May 8, 2010

Confessions Of A Stage Mom

"Mom, Sophie, Digby's girlfriend asked me if I could model in this fashion show in Paris," Luke mentions as he kicks off his snowboard boots one day this winter.

I had been complaining of feeling low with PMS the last couple days, but with the mention of "fashion show in Paris",  I feel of sudden rush of seritonin hit my brain.

We had just arrived in France to ski with our friends from Barcelona.  They brought and their son Digby  and his girlfriend, Sophie, with her family.  Sophie, with her thick french accent was living my teenage girl fantasy. She is a student at Parson School of  Fashion Design in Paris.
Sophie and I after skiing in back in February
As a young girl I would sketch patterns for fabrics, shop at vintage stores and then make clothes out of curtains, purses out of baby pajamas and necklaces out of wire hangers.
Here I am as a teenage wearing a thrift store vintage find.
I remember my first day of highschool making a tight skirt out of a vintage chenille bedspread with fringe.   My sister told me that it wasn't middle school anymore and the older highschoolers would not think my outfit was cool.  That was 1986.

"Oh my gosh Luke this is so exciting, tell me all about it, when is it, please say yes, this is such a cool opportunity, this is such a dream," I say bubbling with excitement.

It wasn't long before Holden too was asked to be in the fashion show.  Not long after that, they went off to Paris for the weekend for wardrobe fittings.

"Mom, we just finished the rehearsal, there we tons of photographers, the show is in this cool circus building,  and the clothes we are wearing are pretty cool." Luke calls and tells me the day of the show.

Cambrie, Faith and I have spread outfits out all over the hotel room and are busy trying to make sure we wear something high fashion, when my friend calls and says we need to leave in 5 mins (2 hours early) because there is a huge line outside the venue of the show.
Lines forming hours before the show begins.
"You can't go wrong with black, " I say to the girls as I brush my teeth.  Wait, I was just reading in a fashion magazine that red is the new black.  Wearing black might make me look so last season.  Crap.  There is a knock on the door before I have time to rethink my all black Marc Jacobs dress I got on sale last summer.

"What, why aren't you guys dressed up? I gasp as I see my friend Anke and Sophie's mother standing outside the door wearing basic jeans and a scarf. "Oh it's super casual Andrea," they say.

By the time I walked 10 plus blocks to the show in my super high heels, my feet are killing me.  We then wait in line with masses of people for over an hour to make sure we get seats.  It is funny how events imagined actually really play out.  Like for example our year in Barcelona. It has been so different than I had thought.  My mind never imagined that learning spanish would be so hard or that I would crave Duck Con Fi, or own a hedgehog named Wiggly Puff.  I couldn't imagine the wonderful people I would meet or especially that I would be here in sitting in the Bon Marchais Circus building watching my boys model.  Each day, each new event, is unpredictable.   I have learned to become keenly aware of the present and to live in the moment, because time moves quickly.

"The boys are on next," my friend says in my ear.

Then BAM, just like that Holden and Luke are in the middle of the Circus ring modeling in a fashion show in Paris.  I can't restrain my excitemet.
Would you believe gypsy pants?
"Holden, Luke, woah!!!!" I scream at the top of my lungs waving my arms like a crazy person.  "Holden, Luke....," I keep screaming.


Sophie and her models, Luke, Digby, and Holden
After the show I pace outside on the street waiting to greet the boys.  Some of the designers and models walk out.

"Bonjour," I say, trying to act like I am part of the scene.

"Mom, you were like one of those crazy hockey parents who shake milk jugs filled with marbles, when their kid scores a goal," Holden says.  "It was kind of embarressing."
At that moment I am quickly reminded that it's a been a long time since 1986. I give the boys a big hug and thank them for letting me live viacaroiusly through them for just a moment.