When I received the phone call from my agent that I landed a reporter role on NBC’s hit show, The Mysteries of Laura, I couldn’t contain my excitement. But that joy quickly turned to sadness when I realized that the shoot day was scheduled on the first day of kindergarten. Needless to say, I wasn’t sure what to do.
I told my husband the great news along with the caveat. On the one hand, this was a once in a lifetime experience. On the other hand, our daughter will only have her first day of kindergarten once and I would feel awful missing it.
I’ve worked on other shows like The Following, and sometimes we’d have to report on set at the crack of dawn. This time I was praying that that wasn’t the case with The Mysteries of Laura. But, my hubby and I figured out a plan in case I had an early call time.
He would basically get her ready and take lots of pictures of her, but I knew that would be tough considering he would have two kids to get ready and out the door in time for school. To add to our quagmire, it was a half day which meant that we needed someone to pick her up by 11:30 a.m.
Thankfully, the hubs was able to work from home in the morning, pick her up, and then take her with him to work while our son stayed at day care. I also spoke with the show’s producer to figure out a later call time, which allowed me the opportunity to drop her off as well.
It would have been hard to have missed this important milestone, but I’m glad we were able to work it out. It was also nice to get a break from being home and get back into the throws of work. The cast and crew was so welcoming, and the experience was incredible.
The show is about Laura Diamond (played by Emmy Award Winner Debra Messing), who’s a brilliant NYPD homicide detective striving to balance her day job with a chaotic home life.
I felt an instant connection to the main character because I’ve struggled with the exact same thing. In fact, this blog was initially about balancing my career as a weather anchor and motherhood. It has since evolved into so much more. But, there are so many moms who often find themselves grappling between the two.
This dilemma that I faced is an example of that. There have been times when I felt so discouraged. I’ve asked myself will I be forced to choose one over the other? My answer to that is simple.
Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. I made the tough decision to walk away from a full time TV weather gig and wondered if I’d have trouble finding work again. But, I’ve been blessed with the some opportunities. So my advice to other parents faced with a dilemma. Don’t be afraid to go for it! Speak up for what you want. You’d be surprised at how things will fall right into place.
Get ready for the season 2 premiere on September 23rd on NBC at 8 eastern time. The show stars Debra Messing, Josh Lucas, and Laz Alonzo. Look out for me in episode five.
In the meantime, I put together this video of Princess on her first day of kindergarten. Please be sure to give this video a thumbs up and subscribe to WeatherAnchorMamaTV.
By the way, I’m also doing a talent series on Periscope about breaking into modeling, acting, and news. My handle is @weatheranchorma. Be sure to check it out, if you’re interested in tips about the biz. I’m also on katch.me in case you missed any scopes.
Yey!!