Stage Mom

Last week my son Christopher, age eight, was chosen as a featured extra (hip hop dancer) in Adam Sandler's comedy "Grown Ups 2." This week we all went down to Marblehead, Swampscott, and Lynn, MA, for rehearsals, the costume fitting, and filming.

It's been a trip!

My Hollywood Week Fun Facts:

Talked to: Adam Sandler

Photographed with: Adam Sandler

Obtained autograph of: Adam Sandler

Met: Shaquille O'Neal

Shook hands with: Shaquille O'Neal

Saw up close: Maria Bello, Salma Hayek, Kevin James

Saw across the street: David Spade, Chris Rock

Star family members talked to: Adam Sandler's mother and wife

Favorite star family member talked to: Adam Sandler's mother

Star family members Charlie played with: Adam Sandler's daughters

Star family members seen up close: Salma Hayek's daughter and mother, Maria Bello's son

Child actors Christopher photographed with: Alexys Nycole Sanchez and identical twins Frank and Morgan Gingerich

Funny tidbit: The costume fitting was held in a Jewish temple.

Greatest finds while involved with the movie: Jewish Community Center outdoor pool (Audition held at JCC in Marblehead), Orange Leaf frozen yogurt bar.

What Charlie learned this week: How to do a one-handed cartwheel

Christopher's first time: Wearing a jock strap and ballet slippers

Best on-set snack: A tennis-ball-sized plum

Best accidental meeting: Running into Adam Sandler at Lime Rickey's snack bar at Devereux Beach (Marblehead) on Sunday evening

Best Compliment: Adam Sandler calling Christopher "a handsome boy" and "a nice boy."

Once again grateful to: The Apple and Nintendo corporations, makers of the iPad and DSi XL, respectively.

Biggest regret: Looking frumpy when running into Adam Sandler at the beach. (Hair pulled back in a stuck-together, chlorinated ponytail from swimming in the JCC pool and wearing my uninteresting "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" tee shirt.)

Biggest mommy-brain moment: Forgetting to bring magazines or a book to the holding area on the close-to-ten-hour filming day.

Best photo Christopher missed being in: David Spade posing in costume with four boys from the other group of dancers.

Worst part of the experience: Driving to and from the Lynn film set. Arrived thirty minutes late from getting hopelessly lost. Same thing on the way home, though the journey took even longer.

Most obnoxious stage parent in attendance: A father of a girl dancer who befriended a security guard in the men's room to get access to filming only intended for star families and paid adult extras. (Okay, I was jealous.)

Who I'm planning to channel today for the last day filming Chris's scene: Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo -- to hopefully sneak into the filming just mentioned and talk to or see up close David Spade.

Good luck to me on that one!