baiocchi

Today, Colin was going to go to the California Science Center with the studio teacher and his friend Daisy for a field trip - a trip that I was looking forward to, too.

Unfortunately, his teacher was sick, so we scrapped that plan. Jenn was sick too, so the boy and I cooked up our own day. Here's the breakdown:

7am-10am: Plan for the day, have breakfast, get dressed, and play a few rounds of Toy Story Mania for the Wii.

10:30 - catch the Red Line at the Universal City station and head to Hollywood & Highland.

From there, we dodge creepy guys in off-market costumes and other, creepier guys selling sightseeing tours and hit the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, the Guiness Book of World Records Museum and (at Colin's request) the Hollywood Wax Museum.

I've been wanting to check out these tourist traps for some time now, and it was a perfect chance to do so. Colin was a little creeped out by Ripley's - lots of dark coordiors with creepy displays that we hurried past, but he did OK. The Guiness museum was pretty fun - we had a good time reading about stuff (like world records for backwards walking and wheelies on a bike). The wax museum was OK - the figures looked like the stars, but only kind of. And by kind of, I mean not at all.

From there, we walked back to the Hoollywood & Highland center where Colin spent some allowance money at Build A Bear (for an owl, named Midnight). The woman at the store recognized Colin from "Couples Retreat."

Next, lunch at the Disney Soda Fountain (next to the El Capitan Theater). We ate at the counter and Colin played with the Cars racetrack display. Another train ride back to the car, and more Wii.

After an hour of video games, we left the apartment to go Ralph's (to get some supplies to help get Jenn back on her feet) and then to Blockbuster to rent some Disney pictures Colin hadn't seen yet: Dinosaur, Meet the Robinsons, and James and the Giant Peach. Colin liked Dinosaur the best "because of all the fighting and climbing."

After we watched all three movies, we played a few hands of Uno. An otherwise flawless evening was a little spoiled by Colin's assertion that I was cheating (a temper tantrum that earned him a trip to bed, sans-story), but still a great, great day with the boy.

Colin did a few commercials recently - nothing posted online yet, but keep your eyes open:

Ray-O-Vac batteries - filmed at Disneyland, he plays a little brother who gets turned into a frog

Honda - filmed in Mammoth, CA, he is part of a family driving to the snow for a dog sled race

US Bank - filmed in LA, he's in the commercial for a quick bit as a kid putting coins in a piggy bank.

The US Bank commercial has been seen in the Ohio area, not sure about the other ones.

So, this is how it all started:

In June, Colin auditioned for "Little Fockers," the third in the "Meet the Parents" series starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. He did a good job, but we didn't hear back and chalked it up to a good experience. After all, Colin has auditioned for a lot of parts and doesn't always get the role. That's the way of the world, and we all know that.

Skip ahead a bit to October. Colin is in Mammoth, CA shooting a commercial for Honda. "Couples Retreat" has been released to great box office and less-than-stellar reviews (aside from GNN reviews - the Grandparents Network News). Apparently, someone noticed, because Jenn's phone started blowing up. Colin's manager (Alex) and agent (Wendy) were calling her because Little Fockers wanted to see Colin. Now.

Well, she said, we're in Mammoth. Can't do it right now.

Well, said the studio, when will they be done with Mammoth? 

Saturday night, she said.

Can Colin come audition on Sunday morning? 

Saturday night, 7ish, Jenn and Colin come home. I unpack the car and the bags, and re-pack the car for a morning trip to LA.

Sunday morning rolls in and my alarm clock, unaware of the change in DST, falls back a week early. We blast out of the house like the Keystone Cops and make it to the audition with time to spare (breaking several traffic laws and a few laws of physics along the way).

Colin is one of 7 kids auditioning for the role of Henry Focker. He auditions with the casting director and then all the boys are seen by Ben Stiller. They ask us all to stay until all the kids have been seen. Several kids get called back twice. Colin goes back three times.

Just as the room full of kids is approaching Lord of the Flies territory, they thank us for our time and we're off. Lunch with Alex at the Grove. Dinner with the family at the Olde Ship. Text messages between Jenn / Alex / Wendy  - no one knows anything.

10pm or so, Alex calls the house. Colin got the gig. BAM

Monday morning, Colin goes to school for a 1/2 day, then he and Jenn go to LA for the shoot, staying at the Universal Sheraton. I come up on Tuesday evening to join them for the week. We meet Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Laura Dern and Robert De Niro. We are now freaking out.

Home Friday night, Halloween festivities on Saturday. Sunday, with help from Gramma B, we pack up the cars and the cats and the books and the Wii and the toys and head to Studio City to our new apartment, provided by the studio.

LA is where we hang our hats from now till the end on the shoot (late January). Colin is on set 5 days a week, either filming or going to school or both. We have a trailer, we get to know the studio teacher and the base camp coordinator. We're learning the names of production team members, wardrobe folks, doubles, stunt coordinators, etc. Everyone is nice and Colin (after a few bumpy days) adjusts to the new routines.

We find the local Ralph's and Target continue to make ourselves comfortable in LA. We try some new places to eat (like the oldest Bobs Big Boy) and cal up our friends who live in LA to hang out.

Jenn does the heavy lifting with Colin on the set while I do laundry and search for a new job. Colin makes friends with his on set "sister" and we find the apartment complex pool. Colin works hard, remembers his lines and follows directions. We buy passes to the LA Zoo and to Universal Studios. 

We look forward to Christmas break and coming back to OC for a few weeks. We still can't believe that all this is real....

Stay tuned for more details ...

It's been a busy weekend. Here's the rundown

Saturday - birthday party at Solano Park. The weather cooperated and, thanks to Jenn's pre-planning, we had plenty of shade and tables for everyone. Colin amassed a small fortune worth of toys and had a great day.

Sunday - Angels game with Grandpa Mark, followed by a trip to the Disneyland Hotel "to drop something off." Colin did not know that he was being dropped off, and Jenn and I were at the hotel waiting for him. I think it's safe to say that Colin flipped out. We swam at the hotel pool, went to build-a-bear, and had dinner at the rainforest cafe. Great night.

Monday - off to Disneyland to spend Colin's gift card. Star Wars figures - check. Tinkerbell figures - check. A few minor meltdowns, but nothing too bad. After lunch at the park, Grandpa Mark picked Colin up and took him to Santa Monica for a wardrobe fitting. Then back to the hotel for dinner and room service desert.

Tuesday - 6:30am call time for the Rayovac shoot. Luckily, the shoot was at Disneyland, so we left the hotel and I dropped Jenn and Colin off at the crew parking lot.

It was a great time.

A few more updates: 

Colin shoots the US Bank commercial tomorrow. He auditioned for a Microsoft commercial yesterday. Yahoo Movies has new stills of Couples Retreat - including a shot of Colin and his movie mom and brother.

Longer post later ...

Some commercial updates:

Colin has booked a commercial for US Bank - shoots next week. He auditioned for three commercials yesterday (Zales, an insurance company, and Raovac Batteries). No word on those three - stay tuned....

Busy days here at the Baiocchi house. We spent Labor Day weekend on Catalina Island with Grandpa Mike and Grandma D. Per usual, Colin had a fantastic time. We saw dolphins on the crossing, bison in the interior, tons of fish on the boat tour, and even got to ride in a golf cart! Colin enjoyed fishing (without a hook) off Grandma and Grandpa's boat ("I think we're going to have some luck here!").

Last Thursday was Colin's first day of 1st Grade! He had a great day - he came home with a full report of the playground, the recess procedures, and the toy he got to select from the treasure chest. He has a few friends from kindergarten in the class with him, and his teacher seems very nice. We're looking forward to another good year at Cielo Vista.

On the work front, we're expecting an increase in the number of auditions Colin gets in the next month or two. When Colin turns 6, he'll be able to stay on set for longer (8 hours) -- couple that with his ability to play a 4 year old and the movie in early October, and it could be a busy time.

Speaking of the movie, no word yet as to where we'll hold the Couples Retreat screening. Stay tuned for further details.

Colin told me the other day about a concert he planning. It will, of course, feature the Rock N Roll Skeletons. The show will take place "on the actual day of Halloween" and be held at Chapman University ("in Irvine near the Irvine Lecture Hall, right outside the hall"). The venue will be a stadium set up, although the stage will be on top of the stadium, and the audience members will then look up at the band.

Further details as they develop. In the meantime, please enjoy a photo of Colin in a fauxhawk.

Uncle Kenny and Colin are watching TV when a commercial for an arts & craft kit (Bendaroos) comes on. Colin has seen this commercial before, with me, and I have told him that he's not going to get that toy. While it looks fun on TV, it will be less so in real life.

Ken: Colin, do you want that toy?
Colin: Yes, but my mom and dad say I can't have it. But I know when to make my move. I'm going to ask Santa for it."

Colin, making his move since 2003.

Last Friday, we had dinner at the Chili Pepper in Orange with some friends. It's a loud place, which was a relief, as the noise from Colin, the baby, and the two kiddos (Ryan & Jack) blended into the background.

At one point in the meal, the boys were hitting each other with balloons. Ryan hit Colin, who turned to him and said:

"That doesn't make me happy. Look at my face, do you see happy or mad?"

He then scrunched up his face in an approximation of anger.

Colin had a great trip to Michigan for Cousin Elizabeth's wedding. He had great manners all weekend, did really good on the plane, and had a blast playing with his cousins. He is also a dance machine.

As a reward for good behavior, he was allowed to pick a toy from the airport. He chose a die-cast airplane toy from the Detroit airport ($8). He then spent perhaps an hour talking about the plane's features, codenames, passengers, and fighting styles. During take off, he'd hold the plane up to the window and make takeoff noises.

When we were approaching Dallas for our layover, he looked out the window and turned to me, disappointed - "I  thought Texas was a ranch!" I think he expected more cattle and horses.

Good times all around.

 

Colin, to us this morning: "I've brushed my teeth, made my bed, and now I'm dressed."
Me: "Good work, let's go downstairs."
Colin: "And let's fill in my chore chart."
Me: "Ok"
Colin: "Lockin' the bones!"
Us: "Wait - what? Rockin' the bones?"
Colin (down the hall): "No! Lockin the bones!"
Us: "What does that mean? Come here for a second."
Colin comes back, and mimes locking a door "You know, lockin. The bones. Locking' the bones!"
Us: "OK. Lockin' the bones."

In conclusion, lockin' the bones.

Thunderstruck

"I was thunderstruck when that happened."

Tune in next time for another installment of Colin's word of the day!

... did anyone else see that? About 15 posts (from Feb. to June) just vanished . Weird. Now it looks like there's a huge gap in the blog. Well, I'm sure it will be fine.

Colin is on the way home from LA today - he was shooting some additional scenes for Couples Retreat. Peter Billingsley and Vince Vaughn were on set, and they fed Colin tons of lines - including some alternate takes they said were just for the DVD.

Thursday, he goes for an audition - for a role in "Little Fockers" - the third "Meet the Parents" movie. Not sure if Ben Stiller and Robert Dinero will be in this, but it's a good audition to go to.

Colin is taking classes at College for Kids - a summer program held at Chapman University. His first session included science, art, and musical theater (ask him to sing "Hard Knock Life" for you). The second session started a week or so ago, and he's taking ceramics and theater showcase - he'll be playing Iago in a 15 minute version of Alladin.

We're gearing up for a trip to Michigan next week to cousin Elizabeth's wedding - where Colin will be the ring bearer. Or, as he says it, the ring barrier.

In other news, Colin is planning for his Star Wars themed birthday party, reading books, riding is bike, and having a great summer.

PS - we're tentatively planning for Sunday, October 11as a viewing day for Couples Retreat. More details to come.

OK, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. Turns out that quitting a job and preparing for a new one, along with taxes and other fun stuff makes it rather difficult to get any updates ready for this page.

So, here's a few things to note:

Colin finished filming "Couples Retreat" and had a great time. The trip to Chicago was fun, and Colin got to have dinner with his cousin Cameron and his girlfriend Stephanie. Colin made a great impression on the cast and crew, and we hope that it will pay off down the line.

There were a few auditions in February, but no bookings yet. He was lined up to appear in a demo reel that a director was sending to Fox, but that project was canceled.

Colin had a double ear infection this month, and missed a few days from school as he recouperated.

He also tested for his yellow belt in Tae Kwan Do - a very fun ceremony that gave the white belt kids a chance to show what they've learned. He did great - answered the judge's questions, paid attention, the whole deal. He even broke a board with his hand! It was quite the event.

Toward the end of the month, Colin and I went to Palm Springs for a weekend. We spent most of the day at The Living Desert in Palm Desert - a great zoo - and rode the tram the next day. On the way back to OC, we stopped at the dinosaur truck stop in Cabazon. The good news: lots of dinos! The bad news: lots of anti-evolution, anti-Darwin, dinos-lived-with-men idiocy. Luckily, Colin enjoyed the statues and did not ask me to read him any of the signs. Once the dino exhibit at the LA Muesum is done, we're going back for some science and fun.

Lately, Colin's been talking about the future: his house (down the block from our current house). His wife, his kids (maybe twins). He worried that, when he gets older, he won't know how to get to Palm Springs with his family, so wants me to drive everyone out there. I've assured him that when he'll learn all that stuff in due time.

He's also been entertaining some guests at the house: several invisible members of his Tae Kwan Do class that stay in his room. Jenn and I listen to him explain to his friends what they can have for breakfast, what boxer briefs are, and what they are going to do at school.

Speaking of school, Colin continues to do well with numbers and his reading. He is working on his self-control and his patience. He loves school and his friends there - the version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" that the class learned is great - espiecally his pronuciation of the word Haleluja.

Finally, a quote. I was helping Colin get dressed for school - he was struggling with a stuck zipper. As I attempted to correct the problem, I said
"Boy Colin, this is really stuck."
"Oh well," he said with a shrug. "You can't have everything.

Jenn got a call from the production office of Couples Retreat this weekend, telling her about a change of plans. Instead of filming the final scenes of the movie in middle of the week, Colin would be filming on Saturday. On location.

In Chicago.

So, sometime on Friday, Jenn and Colin will fly to the Windy City to shoot the last scene with (I believe) the majority of the cast. We're currently hunting down some cold weather clothes, and waiting for details from the transportation coordinator. Stay tuned for more details ...

Hey guys - sorry it's been so long since my last post. This is a quick one:

1. Colin had more filming in late Dec (21-23) and did great. He cried on the last day because he wanted to keep shooting.

2. He had a great Christmas and New Years

3. He is doing great at Tae Kwan Do - he tries really hard, does a great job, and has a great attitude (more than can be said about some of the kids in his class)

4. Finally, the big news: he read his first book yesterday! He's very proud - and read the book again to Jenn, too.

I'll have more later.

As many of you know, Colin was cast in the upcoming film “Couples Retreat” and filmed his first scenes this weekend. I’ve spoken to some of you about how the first two days went, and used my Facebook status to report the latest and greatest, but here are a few more details.

Colin and I left Saturday morning for Woodland Hills to make his 8am call time. Jenn was working at Borders that day, so the boy and I took off in the early morning – Colin had “Kung Fu Panda” to watch, I had an ungodly amount of time of the 405 to enjoy.

We arrived at base camp – a parking lot at Pierce College – checked in, and set up camp in our trailer. We were taken to the makeup trailer – where we saw the three actresses who were on set that day (Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, & Malin Akerman). They were, of course, impressed as Colin burst into the room, said hi to everyone and was halfway up into a chair before the makeup crew decided that he didn’t need anything.

Back to the trailer. Wardrobe comes by, we get dressed, and later, climb into a van to go to the set – a gated community in Woodland Hills. From here on in, Colin stuck very close to Gattlin Griffith – a very talented actor, and a great kid who played Colin’s older brother in the movie. Gattlin was very patient with Colin, who (before getting out of the van) told me that Gattlin was his best friend.

The scenes on Saturday were set around a kid’s birthday party, so there were tons of extras, a magician, balloons, chips, and some general chaos. Colin was a trooper – followed directions very well, enjoyed playing with the other kids, and had a great time. We met the director, Peter Billingsley, and I saw Jason Bateman, too!

And no, I did quote any “Arrested Development” to him, nor did I shout “Teen Wolf Too Rules” – although I thought about doing both of those things.

Colin can be on set for 6 hours. After that, it is illegal to have him working. The crew on “Couples Retreat” called that his “pumpkin time,” and were very conscientious about getting Colin’s shots done, and him signed out, before that time.

After a long day – with a few little meltdowns toward the end – we left the set, hung the wardrobe back in our trailer, then went to the Comfort Inn down the road where we were staying – since Colin was scheduled to shoot Sat-Tues., we figured that would be a bit easier on everyone involved.

That night, Jenn came up to join us, we watched some Christmas movies, and got some sleep.

Sunday, Colin was “on hold” for the day, meaning they did not know when they would want him on set, but would call us. Sure enough, as we were finishing our breakfast, they called and asked us to be on set by 9am.

Later that morning, all three of us were on set while Colin at Gattlin filmed a scene. The two boys were listening at the door while, downstairs, the birthday party continued to rage. In the middle of the shot, Colin starts to cry – he wanted to be downstairs and see a magic trick with the other kids. Peter – who knows what it is like to be a child actor – stopped the shoot, took Colin downstairs, and told the magician to do another trick for Colin. He did, Colin was amazed, the kids cheered, and Colin got right back upstairs for the rest of the shoot.

During the break, Peter came over and talked with Colin about his next scene “pretending with Vince.” Colin was ready – and after break he did some rehearsals with Vince Vaughn, who plays his father in the movie.

We could not watch the rehearsal, but I was able to get a good spot to watch the monitors as the scene was filmed. Colin did great – and got to eat a lot of Froot Loops while he was there!

Much like Saturday, Sunday had Colin in two scenes, a few minor meltdowns, and gave him the chance to meet a lot of new friends.

“Look – it’s Peter Billingsley! I’m gonna get him!”

I went home Sunday evening while Jenn and Colin stayed to shoot on Monday and Tuesday. The weather didn’t cooperate on Monday (at least, as of this writing), but we’ll see what happens. We have a few more dates in December and some in January, too.

All in all, it was a great experience. The cast and crew were great, and it’s neat to see how many people, and how much stuff goes into a single day of shooting. It’s still surreal for me – to watch Vince Vaughn carry my son down some stairs, then hear him joking around with the producers and the crew – but for now, it’s a fun ride to be on.

Colin booked a Crestor commercial (a cholesteroldrug of some kind), and a part in "Couples Retreat" - a movie written by Jon Favreau; directed by Peter Billingsley; and starring Vince Vaughn!

It's a big deal for team baiocchi - and it means a lot of filming. Crestor on Friday, the movie on Sat-Mon (at least), maybe more than that. Stay tuned!

Colin had an interesting story to tell me as we walked downstairs this morning. As is his style, the tale was very complex, punctuated by "You know what?" and "Guess what?" prompts to make sure I was listening. Here are the highlights.

Colin brought his blue lightsaber downstairs with him this morning "because this is my guitar."

The guitar was to be used to practice the song "Who Let the Dogs Out" for his band.

His band is called The Beatles.

But not the grown up Beatles, the young ones "when they were still practicing" 

Some members of this band are big kids, others "are in kindergarten with me"

The band members in class with Colin are, actually, invisible.

This all being said, Colin began singing "Who Let the Dogs Out' while playing air guitar on his lighstaber.

No word yet if the young invisible Beatles are a side project to the Rock N Roll Skeletons. Stay tuned.