This weekend my daughter, Elizabeth, is filming a movie in our basement. It's called Hairum Scarum and is about a beauty parlor where fairy tale characters come to get their hair done and talk about their problems. This is Elizabeth's third movie. Her first was Check Under the Bed, a mystery. The next was Peter's New Room, a short documentary about her 8 year old brother's new "peaceful room". (Peter's words. His room was recently repainted light blue with while trim. Curtains, bed covers and everything else are also white. He claims it's the perfect place to listen to classical music, which he does often.) So now Elizabeth is making a comedy. She and the cast and crew will work from 9 to 5 Friday and Saturday, and hopefully finish all the filming. Then, after we return from our family reunion in Illinois next week, she can begin editing.

Now, just in case you are thinking filming is the difficult, time-consuming part of making a movie, let me assure you it is not. After watching Elizabeth make her first movie I have a new, deep respect for movie editors. She spent over a year editing Check Under the Bed-- a 30 minute film, (unless you count bloopers and interviews with the actors. Then it's over an hour.) In the process our hard drive crashed twice and we had to hire Geeks on Call to rescue us. Elizabeth installed a new hard drive and doubled the memory, and spent at least 400 hours working on the editing alone. We told her she needed to get her own computer before she made another movie.

For her birthday this year she received a new iMac and some powerful editing software (Final Cut Express). She made Peter's New Room in order to try out the software, and now she's ready to tackle another big project. After Hairum Scarum she's planning to film a modern, teen version of Harvey. (Check out the black and white Jimmy Stuart version if you haven't seen it.) Since Harvey was my first high school play, I'll be happy to get reacquainted with the large white rabbit.

In case you wonder what the rest of us will be doing while Elizabeth is filming... Rachel is running the camera; Elizabeth is acting (as Cinderella) while directing; Joshua is doing lights and props; Bethany is playing Little Red; Dad, Naomi and Peter are going to a Pentagon picnic on Friday; I am buying pizza, making sure the house stays in one piece, and helping where ever possible.

So, today I'm off to help Elizabeth buy a wig, some hair cement, and donuts for the film.

Book recommendation of the day: Enna Burning by Shannon Hale. It's intense and almost painful to read, but well worth it.