What Daddy Does

It's hard to explain to my kids what I do. I tell them I work on 'TV Commercials,' but I think it's hard for them to understand. So I took some pictures on my latest job to give them some kind of idea of 'What Daddy Does." I've been away on a pretty long stretch in New York. Great to be back at work, terrible to be away from the kids for so long.

Besides all of the boring paperwork we have to do beforehand, on the day of the film shoot, we have to 'land the trucks.' All the trucks loaded with filming and lighting equipment show up where we are filming and we have to have a place ready for them to park their trucks.

So here's one of the big trucks, full of filming equipment that daddy has to park. There's usually a few of these big guys.

Then all the worker guys unload all of the equipment off of the truck. 

And here's the star of the commercial! The new Chrysler 300. Looks a lot like Mr. Sheetz's car from next door. It's the same car, but this is the brand new one!

Then we have to drive the car up on a trailer called a 'process tralier.' The camera guy sits up on the trailer and films it, so it looks like it's driving! But it's actually not driving, it's being towed by a tow truck!

In another scene, our guys hook up a hose to a fire hydrant, and spray water on the street to make it look like it just rained outside. 

Then, when we're all ready to film, the director asks if the camera guy is ready, then he yells, "Roll Camera!" and..."ACTION!"

So, that's a little bit about what daddy does. In a few weeks, we'll be able to see this commercial on TV, and you can say, "My Daddy Worked on that Commercimal!"

She Can Fly!

Give the girl a Tinkerbell dress and all of a sudden she can fly!

Kiss

Evan went to his first 'Kiss' concert the other night at just 4 years old. I'm jealous, but most of all proud. I hope he will always remember it.

Don't Quit

I probably wouldn't have thought much about this if it didn't keep falling into my lap. I keep coming across this and I can't help but wonder if I'm being sent a message right now. My mom gave me this several years ago, I think it was in a birthday card, when I was going through some difficult times. It's really hard to keep your head up when things are going so badly, even when it's your own fault, so reading this reminded me that I have to keep going, and not give up, ever. Thanks Mom.

Growing So Fast

I'm always amazed when i haven't seen the kids for a few days, how much they've grown it what seems like such a short time. I asked Eliana tonight, "How come you're not a baby anymore?" She said "'Cause I big now!" That she is. Evan is tall, and Eliana is not far behind at all. There was a few funny moments tonight where both of them were trying to talk to me at the same time at full speed, and I'm trying to keep up with what each one is saying, but it's impossible! My head was going back and forth trying to hear what each of them were trying to tell me. Evan looks like such a big kid with his new haircut. Eliana's hair getting really long and she has these really big and beautiful curls in the back. Evan impressed the heck out of me last night when Mommy showed him some flash cards and he could READ! He's so smart it's astonishing to me. Both of them make me so proud. Times are difficult right now, but they are such a ray of beaming sunshine that it's hard to feel down when you're with them. (By the way, i typed this whole paragraph with two thumbs on my iPhone.)

Action Movies!

IMG 2581 from Pete Burke on Vimeo.

Check out the movies Evan and I made with the "Action Movie FX" app on the iPhone. Evan starred in this one. No children or police officers were hurt during the making of this film.

IMG 2582 from Pete Burke on Vimeo.

Evan and Eliana star in this clip where two kids on the swings get an unexpected visitor...

Back to School!

Today was Evan's first day back at nursery school. Well, it was more of an orientation, his first full day is Monday. But he got to meet his teacher and see some of his friends from last year, as well as some new ones. Evan has been so excited to be going back to school. He looks like such a big boy now.

Evan had to pick out his name written on an apple, color it in, then place it on the apple tree on the

wall with all the other student's names.

Since it was orientation, the parents were allowed to stay with the kids.

Evan put his apple up on the apple tree. Evan now proudly poses for photos. Thank God!

Evan and his new teacher, Mrs. Ryan.

It was too bright to take a photo in front of the school door, so Evan ran to a nice spot in the shade to have his photo taken. What a handsome kid! By the way, Eliana was very upset she didn't get to go to school with Evan this morning. She was mad when we got home. "You forgot me!" she said. She'll get to come to Evan's school on Monday to see him off. Next year, it'll be her turn.