No casting calls in our future

As I was packing away all the Christmas stuff this evening I came across a 2009 frame ornament we were given for Christmas and realized it was a recordable one. Though I didn’t have time to print out a photo of the boys from this Christmas, I figured we should get Kostyn’s voice recorded as he sounds now before the ornament made its way to the basement. What followed made me appreciate not only child actors, but their directors as well. Telling my 2-year-old exactly what I wanted him to say “after you hear the beep” was easy enough; getting him to actually do it was a lot harder than I’d imagined it would be.

Here’s a sampling of “takes” from our attempts at getting a cute 10-second sound byte. Each time I said the same thing:

Me: “After you hear the beep, say ‘Merry Christmas!’ and then sing ‘Jingle Bells.’”
*BEEP*
Kostyn: “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the waaasdflkjasdflkjasd.....”

*BEEP*
Kostyn: “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the*BUUURP* way....”

*BEEP*
Kostyn: Jingle bells, jingle bells, I love Nana and Papa...”

*BEEP*
Kostyn: *silence*

*BEEP*
Kostyn: “Jiiiiin...glllllle.....beeeeelllllllsssssss, jiiiiiiin.....gllllllle......beeeeelllllllllsssssss.”

*BEEP*
Kostyn: “One, two, three, four! Jingle bells, jing...”

*BEEP*
Kostyn: “Beep!”

*BEEP*
Kostyn (whispering): “Merry. Christmas.”

*BEEP*
Kostyn: “Merry Christmas Nana and Papa!”

*BEEP*
Kostyn: “.............Merry Christmas!”
Me: "Praise God! Great job honey!"

The next time I come across a rerun of “Full House” I’m gonna marvel at the genius of those Olsen twins.