12
May, 2013

I haven’t posted anything on my blog in quite a while. Busy busy busy, currently without any regular child care help and my mind has been all over the place. It has been a productive and happy time, but nuts. Today, being Mother’s Day, I thought it would be a good night to gather some thoughts before I commence my cookie eating/tv watching binge. (Mad Men awaits!)

So I’ll share this… Something that I REALLY wanted to happen this weekend, didn’t happen. On Friday afternoon, I was informed that “The Newsroom” (HBO) might be bringing back my character from an episode I shot a co-star role for back in March. I was told it would work on Monday and maybe again the beginning of June and I’d hear over the weekend. Well, on Saturday, I found out they decided to cut the role from the script.

BUMMER!! I wasn’t pissed off, but I had a mini-mope fest, and then moved on. Too much other stuff to think about anyway. Who has time to waste feeling sorry for oneself? That’s one of the perks of being a single-mother/working actor: even when things are slow, it’s insanely busy, so one must move the fuck on, like a big girl.

Being a mom has also taught me a lot about appreciating what I have at the moment. Moms know that moments in life can be alarmingly brief, phases come and go and there’s something completely different looking you in the face in what feels like the blink of an eye. Sometimes not getting what you want can be the best thing that ever happens to you. And yeah, sometimes it just sucks balls, but life is such a great adventure when we learn to love what is happening at the moment. What other choice is there? It will be gone in an instant, so embrace it.

Here is my bright side of getting axed from The Newsroom:

– I was informed there’s always the possibility the character could come back in a future episode (there’s one more left to shoot in their season, so…)

– More importantly, Aaron Sorkin thought enough of me to write more scenes for me – and then chop them – but how cool is that?! I’ll take it. Honestly, it’s one of the most exciting indirect compliments I’ve ever received as an actor. Would it be totally gauche to put that on my resume?

“Aaron Sorkin digs me so much, he writes deletable lines for me”

I had a unique and memorable Mother’s Day weekend. I hope those of you who celebrated felt loved and appreciated.

To all the strong, beautiful, fun, hard-working, thoughtful, vibrant, intelligent, caring, compassionate, supportive, exhausted, talented, generous, selfless, stubborn, creative, loving, nurturing, driven, wise, wise-ass moms out there… HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! You make a difference in this world every day. You matter and you’re awesome. All the crappy moms can take a flying leap. You know who you are.

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Tags: acting • Amy Anderson • Mother's Day • motherhood • single mom • The Newsroom • working mom

12
May, 2012

Happy Mother’s Day to ALL Moms!

While I’m thinking of it, this is something I mention every Mother’s Day and probably will for the rest of my life.

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and if you know a single mom, reach out to her and don’t be afraid to make her day special. It won’t take much, a phone call, a text, or even invite her to your brunch, out for a drink, send her an ecard, knock on her door with a plate of cookies, whatever works for your schedule. Especially the single moms of very young children.

Mother’s Day can be a very lonely and sad day for single moms of little children. Aubrey’s dad and I split when she was an infant so I spent the 1st couple Mother’s Days of Aubrey’s life feeling pretty horrible. Alone in an apartment with a baby, no family near by. Tired and doing the daily grind… laundry, diapers, nap, bath, feeding… It was hard reading Facebook posts and Tweets about other moms going to brunch, getting flowers and candy, heading to the spa with their gift certificate in hand. These things  don’t usually happen for single moms. And not that Mother’s Day needs to be about fancy gifts, but remember babies and young children don’t know it’s Mother’s Day. They just keep spitting up, crying and throwing tantrums on schedule.

Some single moms are lucky to have a close connection with immediate family or relatives and they are not forgotten. They are the lucky single moms indeed, but my nearest family members are across the country. I remember those first years being asked the Monday after, “What did you do for Mother’s Day?!” UM… NOTHING! Wiped up poop? And then you get the sad, I feel sorry for you, “Ohhhh. That’s no fun.” And that makes you feel even more like shit. Seriously, I don’t mean to make single motherhood out to be a big sob fest, but it has its moments, for sure.

Now that Aubrey is almost 5 yrs old, it’s not quite as difficult. The days are still demanding but we have so much fun doing all kinds of activities and we can go out and celebrate together. This year we are going to the circus and we are both really excited! I love being a mom and I even love being a single mom. Aubrey and I have an amazing bond and I feel we will have each others’ backs for the rest of our lives. But those earliest years alone were isolating and daunting at times. If you’re reading this and you’re there right now, you’re not alone! Hang in there – it DOES get easier!

So… for those of you who know a single mom, go ahead and take the time to reach out to her tomorrow. Let her know she is loved and appreciated for the very important job she does. You may feel like you’re bothering someone on their special day, but trust me, your simple phone call might just be what makes her day special. Go ahead and bother her.

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Tags: Amy Anderson • Aubrey Anderson-Emmons • Mother's Day • single mom • Single mothers • single parenting

30
Apr, 2012

With one of my best mom friends, Bernadette. She's the one on the right.

I was lucky enough to be invited down to the world famous Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant yesterday to preview their May 13th, Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch. All I have to say is Oh. Em Gee. It was soooo good.

I hadn’t been down to Knott’s Berry Farm since, um… well, circa 1976? Yeah, it’s been a while. I’m happy to report that a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same such as Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. This is where the whole thing began in 1934 and it is known for its homestyle dishes, comfort food and of course, the fried chicken.

Don’t expect the Ritz Carlton – this is real food for real people who like to eat in a casual, family dining atmosphere. The brunch is buffet style and everything was delicious. The most amazing thing, to me, was the variety and amount of dishes to choose from. Everything from breakfast staples like eggs, bagels, fruit, sausage and bacon, biscuits, cheese blintzes and more, to salmon, shrimp cocktail, enchiladas, Spanish rice, mashed potatoes and gravy, apple stuffing, steamed veggies, soups, fresh carved meats, cold salads, rice pilaf and MORE MORE MORE. It kind of blew my mind.

Ice swan on a pile of shrimp? Check.

I ate some of this fruit to pretend I was healthy

Included in the price of the buffet are your beverages – coffee, tea, sodas and unlimited champagne 🙂

And then there’s the dessert table. Or tables… plural. I smuggled an adorable Snoopy cupcake to Aubrey and sampled a few too many chocolate eclairs, fruit tarts and of course, I had a slice of Mrs Knott’s famous boysenberry pie. Yum.

Yummm

SO CUTE!

The service was great, the employees were all very friendly and we even got a visit from Snoopy. I love Snoopy and was kind of overly excited to have my picture taken with him.

My new boyfriend

Now here’s the best part – since you’re reading this here blog of mine, if you mention “MOM BLOGGERS DISCOUNT” when you make your reservation for the Mother’s Day Brunch, you will get 10% off!

Also, Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant is located just outside the main gates of the Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park, so you can park for free for up to three hours instead of paying the $15 amusement park parking. After you finish gorging yourself (Trust me, you will and you should if you’re a mother. You’ve earned it.), if you’re able, you should stroll around the Marketplace Shops! There is a wide variety of stores, from Snoopy and Peanuts paraphernalia, collectors items, clothing, an awesome candy store, a bakery, souvenirs and more.

This Mother’s Day, I will be flying home from a week on the road, otherwise I might actually be tempted to drive back down to Buena Park to chow down again.

The end of the road

To all of my mom friends and readers – Happy Early Mother’s Day! I hope you get some fried chicken too!

Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant: Mother’s Day Brunch
Sunday, May 13, 2012
9am – 2pm
Adults: $29.95
Seniors: $22.95
Children: $16.95
Call 717.220.5055 and be sure to ask for the MOM BLOGGERS DISCOUNT for 10% off!!

I was not paid for this post, but the fine people of Knott’s treated me to a fabulous brunch and a gift certificate to the Marketplace shops where I oddly bought my daughter a Disney toy. It was a really fun and delicious morning and that’s my honest opinion. So there.

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Tags: Amy Anderson • brunch • Buena Park • buffets • discounts • fried chicken • Knott's Berry Farm • Marketplace Shops • mom bloggers • Mother's Day • Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant • Peanuts • Snoopy