This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Jessica Rush: Uh uh oh uh oh uh oh mama's talking loud Mama's talking loud Mama's talking tough Mama's talking have a being good with good enough Mama's talking life Mama's talking proud mama talking trash Hi everybody Hi everyone Welcome to this episode of Mamas Talkin' Loud.

[0:33] Cara Cooper: Thanks so much for tuning in.

[0:34] Jessica Rush: I'm Jessica Rush and I'm Cara Cooper.

[0:37] Cara Cooper: And today it's just us, it's us.

[0:42] Jessica Rush: We have a lot of exciting things coming your way. Um but one of our upcoming guests went into labor, so you know that you know changed the plan a little bit.

[0:52] Cara Cooper: She'll have a lot to talk about.

[0:53] Jessica Rush: Oh my god, in like six months when we can get her to talk to us.

[0:57] Cara Cooper: Exactly.

[0:58] Jessica Rush: Exactly. No, we were so set to do it. And literally the day, y'all, the day that we were gonna talk to her, she emailed and said, My water's broke.

[1:07] Cara Cooper: And if you catch the fact that I said waters, that's a subtle hint as to his.

[1:11] Jessica Rush: Ooh, well done, well done.

[1:12] Cara Cooper: I know I said waters. Um, so she's not American.

[1:16] Jessica Rush: Um but she uh she went into labor, so then we were sort of scrambling. What are we gonna do? And we thought, you know what, let's say hi, and uh let's do a season three, you know, catch up.

[1:28] Cara Cooper: Cause Well, check in. See how we're how we're all doing.

[1:32] Jessica Rush: Well, we're still here. We're still here coming to you from separate locations, but on the same in the same time zone, which is the same thing.

[1:43] Cara Cooper: Yes, I keep that. I keep telling Jessica she needs to just come over and we'll just sit in my little studio that Andrew Call made me and uh we'll we'll record it together.

[1:53] Jessica Rush: Uh Cara, what have you been up to? Cara's kids are back in school and my child is not yet, so I'm having serious um jealousy issues about it.

[2:04] Cara Cooper: Yeah, my kids went back on Monday. We're recording this on Saturday. Uh so they've been back for a week, which is nuts. Um, and it's been great. You know, as much as it's a transition for them, it's also a transition for me.

[2:18] Cara Cooper: Like the get A, the getting up and getting them out the door at a certain time is crazy town. Um, and I have one day where I just have been, and that's kind of really special. I kept it that way. Like we decided not to put him in school one day, so we could kind of hold on to that, I don't know, little kidness where he still has a day to just be with me.

[2:41] Cara Cooper: Um also a day, there's a day where there's nobody. There's there's a few days essentially.

[2:49] Jessica Rush: Yeah, which kind of got like there was a lot that got messed up this week. As you all know, there was, you know, a hurricane that hit uh New York and New Jersey, and thankfully um we were spared, and as was Jessica, but lots of people around us had a lot of issues.

[3:04] Cara Cooper: Thankfully, we don't know anybody that um had catastrophic issues, but um, you know, it was lots, lots, lots happened this week.

[3:13] Jessica Rush: Lots, and I I know it's like and it's just the first of September. Um it's been crazy. I Cara and I, you know, thanks for coming back to us after our little hiatus that we took for yeah, the month of August to hang out with our family.

[3:29] Cara Cooper: I guess July and August almost actually the whole time.

[3:32] Jessica Rush: Yeah. I mean we did a lot.

[3:34] Cara Cooper: Yeah.

[3:36] Jessica Rush: Well, I mean, we did a lot for the podcast too, and like preparation and like getting things ready. But then we also just, y'all, we crammed life in because as we know, the Broadway is coming back. I mean, it's back. My husband is in a show right now, Saturday night on Broadway.

[3:50] Cara Cooper: But like and my husband is in rehearsal.

[3:52] Jessica Rush: Yeah, exactly. So the time was ticking. That clock was that countdown was on to get as much done family wise as we could. And we did to the point that my son on our last night away from home, he goes, Can we just stop vacationing? Can we? I just want to go home.

[4:11] Cara Cooper: And mind you, when we say vacationing, it's not like you're you're going to see family and things. Like just so y'all know at home. It's not like we're living in the lap of luxury. We're just trying to, you know, we like got in all the visits, all the family visits that we you usually don't have time for.

[4:26] Jessica Rush: And then COVID hit, and then that wasn't a thing we were capable of doing. And people got vaccinated. And so we, you know, we made the rounds, as they say. Uh, and by the last night, my son was like, I want my bed. I want my bed now. And I was like, I feel you, buddy.

[4:41] Cara Cooper: Exactly. I feel you out of the mouths of babes.

[4:44] Jessica Rush: Right. Oh my gosh. That's too much. But um, now we're back here in life, and um, and back to chat with the working artists' moms and get our kids in school. I start rehearsal on Tuesday.

[4:57] Cara Cooper: No, how are you feeling? How are you feeling about all of it?

[5:02] Jessica Rush: I'm really excited. I posted on my Instagram the other day, just like when I had to go in for my costume fitting to the theater, and I walked in, and it was the craziest thing, y'all, because everything was just as it had been left, truly.

[5:14] Jessica Rush: Like there were still wig heads on spikes in the quick change area, first off. No wigs on them, but wig heads. The call board was still up with sign in sheet, and they still had so y'all, you may not know this. I didn't know it until I was in a Broadway show that opened, but when you open a show on Broadway, all the shows that are currently on Broadway, they everyone signs a little flyer with the show logo and maybe a little note on it.

[5:39] Jessica Rush: But then so it's fun because then you come in on opening night and you'll see like if your friend is in waitress or if your friend is in Lion King, whatever they've written to you, you know, or to however many people they know, just saying, you know, break legs, have a great opening, love you, whatever. And it's a really fun tradition. It's really special.

[5:56] Cara Cooper: And those were still hanging up, Jessica, from November 7th, 2019.

[6:03] Jessica Rush: That's nuts. Because when we left March of 2020, they were still up. It was only it wasn't that long after our opening. You know, we were still early in our run, relatively, and those were still there. But I I did break down crying when I saw the stage.

[6:13] Cara Cooper: When I saw the the stage right entrance. Um I just the and then I and then I started crying again, like ugly crying, which Elliot asked me. She's like, What is ugly crying mean? But I was ugly crying when I went downstairs to wardrobe and saw my dresser and the wardrobe department.

[6:36] Jessica Rush: It's so much that I had to cut I covered my eyes like a child. Like I can't, I just can't tell them. But it was just all the feelings, all the emotions. So I went um, I went today for my PCR test, so that on Tuesday I can go to rehearsal and start that.

[6:55] Cara Cooper: So exciting.

[6:57] Jessica Rush: It's gonna be a great, great day. I'm excited. I still don't know if I'll believe it. Like when I, you know, yeah.

[7:04] Cara Cooper: I, you know, and it's been it's been interesting because Eric, when we came back, y'all, when we finished recording, I don't think Eric knew he was doing waitress yet. And um, so we thought he would be without a job for a while because it would take a while to get things going.

[7:16] Cara Cooper: And then out of nowhere, Sarah Bareilles and the Weisslers decided to bring back waitress, and they wanted to bring back as many of the original company as they could, and that included my husband who played Cal and originated that.

[7:28] Jessica Rush: And so there they are. Blessed blessed be the call from Waitress. Like that, and here he is thinking he wasn't even gonna be in a show when Broly came back. He was literally part of the first musical to open again.

[7:43] Cara Cooper: It's amazing.

[7:44] Jessica Rush: So that was that was awesome. So anyway, it's been I am etern I am super grateful for all the things that are happening. But it also means that like there's that sadness, and I know you can speak to this, and that bittersweet aspect of losing the time that we had.

[8:00] Cara Cooper: For sure.

[8:01] Jessica Rush: It already La Jolla feels like a dream. Like I don't even yeah, I mean, it I think what's so interesting about it is that the time was so mired in stress and concern and anxiety about obviously the virus. Um but there was also this strange uh comfort to being with your, you know, your nuclear family or whomever you're with, if you were with friends or whoever your bubble was, right? During that time.

[8:30] Cara Cooper: It was like those were your people, and this was your your world, actually.

[8:35] Jessica Rush: Um, tonight we took my kids to we go to this pond and we went there today, and it was there were a lot of people, and my kids were really um kind of over overwhelmed and unhappy to be there, which was unusual, but we chalked it up to it being the first week of school, and they are both tired and they're both overstimulated from that.

[8:58] Cara Cooper: There's a lot to process from I think the first week of school. And we brought we came home earlier than we intended. We got some food and we ate outside on our back deck. And I looked to at Graham, my husband, and I said, This reminds me of COVID.

[9:12] Jessica Rush: Because like any chance we got to be outside, we did. And we would just go in our backyard. And I mean, we played tag with the kids and we played baseball and soccer, and we just ran around and it was really simple and wonderful. And it reminded me of the simpler time where we were just together, and the fact that we were together and healthy was enough, you know.

[9:35] Cara Cooper: Yeah.

[9:36] Jessica Rush: Um, so it's it's um I'll I will be eternally grateful for it, you know. Uh sure for the rest of my life. You'll look we'll look back on that pocket of time. It does strangely feel like a dream. Um, and I can't imagine being in a different space for you, especially. Um, it must feel so far removed from where you are now in your new apartment, which is amazing, you guys.

[10:00] Cara Cooper: I'm obsessed with Jess's apartment. I came home from visiting her and I immediately was like Googling places to live in New York.

[10:07] Jessica Rush: And I was like, what if you're gonna do it? Come back.

[10:09] Cara Cooper: No, I I mean we found a COVID unicorn, you guys.

[10:12] Jessica Rush: So it's um we are you really did.

[10:15] Cara Cooper: We really did. It was I mean, we found it way back in February when uh things were cheaper and nobody was here. And then we moved in in May, and um, so yeah, it does feel really weird because we were in a whole different, we were in a different state, we're in a whole different situation, and um it feels especially going back to the theater where it's like time just stopped and nothing changed, you know.

[10:40] Jessica Rush: It's like yeah, it's the strangest mind F.

[10:44] Cara Cooper: I'll say F because my mother informed me she doesn't like it when I cuss on here, you guys when I drop F bombs.

[10:50] Jessica Rush: Oh, Sarah.

[10:51] Cara Cooper: I know she was like, I just what if so she named a person, I won't name who it is, but it's a preacher's wife. She's like, what if so and so listens and they hear you say that? I just don't like to hear you say that. So I'm trying to keep the sailor in check today, you guys.

[11:06] Jessica Rush: That's so nice of you, Cara.

[11:07] Cara Cooper: It's really funny. It's really not that often. I mean, come on.

[11:11] Jessica Rush: No, no, no, no, no, no.

[11:12] Cara Cooper: Anyway, that's very funny. You just you made something pop into my head and then it popped right back out, and I can't remember it.

[11:20] Jessica Rush: Ah about time stopping, about having the time for our family.

[11:25] Cara Cooper: It was it was had to do with motherhood, and I I'll get back there. One of these, you know, mom brain guys, you know all about it.

[11:32] Jessica Rush: It never goes away.

[11:34] Cara Cooper: I I I'm so intent on being organized for this year in my head, and like in my head space because I have a I feel like I'm not I feel like my thoughts are so jumbled because I've got so much on my mind, and so I'm trying to find a way to not compartmentalize, but like visualize it, have all the different calendars for my kids and Elon's therapies and Finn's activities and Mama's talking loud and my training clients, you know, just have all the things.

[12:02] Jessica Rush: So I went to home home goods, home home goods and home sense, and I came in with like six calendars, and Graham's like, really? That's I was like, I just I couldn't decide.

[12:12] Cara Cooper: Well, and also I'll return probably all of them, but well, I have to say, like, Cara is a very techno technological person technology. Hmm, how do I want to say it? She uses technology a lot, like with regards to calendars.

[12:26] Jessica Rush: This is something I had to sort of start doing once she and I started doing this because I don't do things on a computer calendar I like to write it down a planner and I do have to say Cara there is something more helpful about having like all of it and one glance without all the little type and like having to pick it out and what kind of like look on it on my phone.

[12:44] Cara Cooper: Yeah no no there's a product I want to get though this okay skylight calendar there's yes like the skylight frame the skylight frame shout out skylight yeah we could we'll do an ad for you because both my in-laws have one and then my grand's grandmother has a skylight frame and we send pictures of the kids to it all the time.

[13:05] Jessica Rush: My parents and Leslie have one that I gave them for Mother's Day during the COVID pandemic. They're the best yeah um but they have a they have a skylight calendar now and it just like it's big enough as a screen that sits as your calendar because I don't like to come into my computer to see my calendar anyway this is a total sidebar tangent but I thought my buying six calendars at home sense and home goods was utterly ridiculous but you know hey you have a lot of things to keep track of I'm gonna I'm making a concerted effort this year though to to have downtime that is not also productive like I have this weird we talked about this a little bit with Celia I feel like equating your value to your productivity like I really need to get that in check.

[13:50] Cara Cooper: Yeah like I don't need to be doing something every second of the day I need to actively relax and I do like when we're with friends and socializing that's when I relax but I need to be able to do it in my space, just in my head.

[14:02] Jessica Rush: Yeah.

[14:03] Cara Cooper: Right.

[14:04] Jessica Rush: Celia, way back we talked to her, she was literally like episode two.

[14:04] Cara Cooper: Episode two.

[14:08] Jessica Rush: So go back and listen to it, you guys, because she's coming back to Kill Mockingbird.

[14:08] Cara Cooper: She's coming back to Broadway.

[14:13] Jessica Rush: She starts rehearsals the same day I do.

[14:15] Cara Cooper: Um and she might have moved to my neighborhood.

[14:17] Jessica Rush: Holla.

[14:18] Cara Cooper: What?

[14:19] Jessica Rush: Um, yeah.

[14:20] Cara Cooper: But she um she talked about uh being in the theater when that motorcycle backfired and that whole experience, and that was before the pandemic.

[14:28] Jessica Rush: So go back and listen to it if you haven't.

[14:30] Cara Cooper: Um also listening to Celia speak is so soothing.

[14:34] Jessica Rush: She has like the most soothing voice and she really does.

[14:37] Cara Cooper: And she talks like this, and she's so intelligent and so awesome.

[14:41] Jessica Rush: So do do yourself a solid. That'll be a really good one.

[14:45] Cara Cooper: Um but it's true, I think that you know what's interesting?

[14:49] Jessica Rush: I had this thought while you were saying that.

[14:51] Cara Cooper: My mother, in the same conversation where she told me not to curse on here.

[14:54] Jessica Rush: Um, she also told me, though, that she loves listening to the episodes and hearing how confident and honest we are about making time taking time for ourselves, basically.

[15:10] Cara Cooper: Like, that we don't apologize for it.

[15:13] Jessica Rush: And you know, she said, you know, in my generation and all the generations before, I it was never something we even thought about doing, you know.

[15:21] Cara Cooper: It's like your children and your husband, and then you and she was like, and you girls just you you take time for yourself.

[15:29] Jessica Rush: And I was like, right, mom, because you gotta put your mask on first and the mental health.

[15:33] Cara Cooper: She's like, No, I I understand all of it.

[15:34] Jessica Rush: She's like, and I support it.

[15:35] Cara Cooper: She said, I just am in awe of your power in in being able to do that and not worry about, you know, the other things people think, or the fact that you're letting down your family.

[15:46] Jessica Rush: And I said, But trust that that's not, it doesn't come easily, at least for me.

[15:49] Cara Cooper: I mean, we've sort of touched on this.

[15:50] Jessica Rush: It's like the mom guilt is real.

[15:52] Cara Cooper: It's like, you know, I I it does not come easily.

[15:56] Jessica Rush: And I was actually, I was talking with a friend out where I live, and she'll know who I'm talking about because I know she listens to us.

[16:02] Cara Cooper: Um, but we were on a walk, and um I was talking about needing to do something for myself and how hard it is.

[16:09] Jessica Rush: And she's like, Kara, she's like, practice what you preach.

[16:11] Cara Cooper: She's like, This is all you talk about on the podcast.

[16:14] Jessica Rush: You need to take care of yourself.

[16:15] Cara Cooper: That's right.

[16:17] Jessica Rush: You're right.

[16:19] Cara Cooper: It's true, but easier said than done, you know.

[16:21] Jessica Rush: It's like, oh, it's crazy.

[16:23] Cara Cooper: I'm sure so many of you out there understand that and and empathize and relate to it for sure.

[16:30] Jessica Rush: I think as hard as as much as we know we need to put ourselves first, and that we should and deserve to take time for ourselves.

[16:36] Cara Cooper: It's very hard.

[16:37] Jessica Rush: You know what? Today I went and got a facial at this place by my house.

[16:41] Cara Cooper: I hadn't, I mean, I haven't had facial, I rarely ever, you know, like maybe four in my life, and definitely not one in the last several years.

[16:50] Jessica Rush: But you know, we got the mask me happening a little bit, like we're all, you know, it's back majorly exactly.

[16:56] Cara Cooper: I was like looking at my skin, and I was like, you know what? I'm starting my show on Tuesday.

[17:01] Jessica Rush: I'm gonna get my face all cleaned up.

[17:03] Cara Cooper: And I went and I was laying there, and two two reasons I'm telling you this.

[17:09] Jessica Rush: One, Kara, I have come to the conclusion, and I say this because Kara's known me for so long now, but I enjoy facials more than massages.

[17:15] Cara Cooper: I'm just gonna say that I uh I like the way it feels when they smooth the stuff on my face over and over again.

[17:22] Jessica Rush: I get that.

[17:24] Cara Cooper: I definitely get that.

[17:25] Jessica Rush: Because we always talk about like massages, everyone's like, Oh, I need a massage, oh, I need a massage.

[17:29] Cara Cooper: You know what? I think I just need a facial.

[17:30] Jessica Rush: I just need I just need you to put some lotions and potions all over my face.

[17:34] Cara Cooper: There's something very luxurious about it.

[17:36] Jessica Rush: Like you feel yeah, you know, like you're taking it up a notch.

[17:41] Cara Cooper: Sometimes a massage is like an assault to your body and your emotions, and then you're like you have to deal with the aftermath.

[17:48] Jessica Rush: And you're not relaxed at all.

[17:49] Cara Cooper: Anyway, so there was that.

[17:51] Jessica Rush: And while I was doing it and lying there, you know, I've always it's been hard ever since Elliot was born, so now for seven years, that it's hard for me to not hang out with her and E in the mornings, like on weekends or things like that, because the time we usually have together, I mean, before COVID and now, but we're going back to this situation.

[18:10] Cara Cooper: The time we have together is so limited that you know, since he was going into tech at noon, I want to make sure I was around in the morning, so I didn't want to go take Pilates or I didn't want to take my run or go for a walk or whatever, because I thought, oh, I should be here so we can all have breakfast together and we could should do things.

[18:27] Jessica Rush: And he's never having me like he always says, like, go do your thing, mom, like do take time for yourself.

[18:32] Cara Cooper: You deserve it.

[18:33] Jessica Rush: And so today, as I was laying there in that facial, I thought, you know what? I do deserve this.

[18:38] Cara Cooper: I deserve this.

[18:46] Jessica Rush: I fully deserve that moment lying there getting lotions and potions on your face.

[18:50] Cara Cooper: You do.

[18:51] Jessica Rush: You're making me want to get lotions and potions on my face.

[18:53] Cara Cooper: You should.

[18:54] Jessica Rush: I'll tell you about it because it's not a it's not pricey one.

[18:56] Cara Cooper: So I'll tell I'll tell you.

[18:57] Jessica Rush: Then you don't then you don't have that other guilt either.

[18:59] Cara Cooper: So yeah, it's weird because I've we've had like the exact same conversation where Grim's like, I'm not telling you you can't go do things, just go do them.

[19:10] Jessica Rush: And I'm like, I know you're not telling me.

[19:12] Cara Cooper: I just it's why is it that innate?

[19:15] Jessica Rush: Whew.

[19:16] Cara Cooper: She's real, y'all.

[19:17] Jessica Rush: She is real.

[19:19] Cara Cooper: Real.

[19:20] Jessica Rush: She is real.

[19:20] Cara Cooper: Um, but uh excuse.

[19:23] Jessica Rush: Do you hear my ice?

[19:25] Cara Cooper: Can you hear that? That's my ice with my with my scout and cellar wine.

[19:29] Jessica Rush: I already had some.

[19:30] Cara Cooper: My favorite, my little um the Keifico prosecco cans.

[19:35] Jessica Rush: It's like two glasses of prosecco.

[19:37] Cara Cooper: It's like perfect.

[19:37] Jessica Rush: Perfect.

[19:39] Cara Cooper: You don't have to open a whole bottle.

[19:40] Jessica Rush: Sip sip hooray.

[19:43] Cara Cooper: Next day.

[19:44] Jessica Rush: Check it out, y'all.

[19:45] Cara Cooper: Check it out.

[19:46] Jessica Rush: That's for his Instagram, Scout and Cellar, clean crafted wine.

[19:49] Cara Cooper: It's the little thing.

[19:50] Jessica Rush: Which I need to get way better at.

[19:51] Cara Cooper: Instagram is something I struggle with, but we oh girl.

[19:54] Jessica Rush: We know about that.

[19:56] Cara Cooper: Don't we all social media is unnecessary evil, I feel like.

[20:00] Jessica Rush: We love talking to you guys and like engaging with you and whenever people comment and things like that, but holy moly.

[20:08] Cara Cooper: It's a lot.

[20:09] Jessica Rush: It's a lot.

[20:10] Cara Cooper: And also with what's going on in the world right now, it's so it can be hard to find the balance.

[20:15] Jessica Rush: And it can be you know, during COVID, I feel like we kept talking about like we have to find joy and we have to hold space for both, you know, what was happening, and now it's now as if there couldn't have been more things.

[20:28] Cara Cooper: There are more things.

[20:28] Jessica Rush: And so it's like there are more things.

[20:30] Cara Cooper: You know, yeah.

[20:33] Jessica Rush: Did you see I and I know this has been posted before, but Vasti Mompoint just posted it recently about no no human was intended to ingest news 24 hours a day.

[20:43] Cara Cooper: And I think it I think the mental toll it's taking on our world and and the effect it's having on how polarized everybody is.

[20:51] Jessica Rush: You know, I think it's it's uh in a lot of ways I hope it like goes poof and goes away.

[20:58] Cara Cooper: Yeah, I know.

[20:59] Jessica Rush: I actually, if I hope we like the pendulum swings back and um just because I think it's done more harm than good at this point.

[21:08] Cara Cooper: For sure, for sure.

[21:10] Jessica Rush: Um I I miss the simpler times, you know, the simpler times for sure.

[21:16] Cara Cooper: I was telling Elliot today about when I turned double digits, and here she is talking about I mean, she's not double digits yet, but you know, she's talking about wanting to save her money for a Nintendo Switch Light, or like she'll I'll I'll be doing something.

[21:27] Jessica Rush: She's like, let's take a selfie.

[21:29] Cara Cooper: And I'm like, oh my god, oh my god.

[21:31] Jessica Rush: You know, but I was telling her that I had a bowling alley party for my 10th birthday.

[21:34] Cara Cooper: So you know, you're jealous.

[21:37] Jessica Rush: Was she impressed by that?

[21:38] Cara Cooper: She was like a bowling alley party.

[21:40] Jessica Rush: She didn't even understand.

[21:41] Cara Cooper: I said, Yeah, we had a party at a bowling alley.

[21:43] Jessica Rush: I said before that it was a roller skating rink, like three years in a row.

[21:47] Cara Cooper: My kids love a bowling alley.

[21:48] Jessica Rush: Oh, that's that must be a suburbs thing.

[21:50] Cara Cooper: Yeah, I mean my kids live because there's also arcade games and things like that.

[21:57] Jessica Rush: Yes, and cheese COVID and mozzarella sticks.

[22:01] Cara Cooper: I mean, come on, you guys.

[22:02] Jessica Rush: Yeah.

[22:02] Cara Cooper: Um it's reminds me of that meme where it's like, do you want an order of do you want to eat six string cheeses in a row?

[22:10] Jessica Rush: And you're like, no.

[22:11] Cara Cooper: And it's like, do you want an order of mozzarella sticks?

[22:13] Jessica Rush: Yes.

[22:17] Cara Cooper: Oh my god.

[22:19] Jessica Rush: No, that's so gross.

[22:21] Cara Cooper: It's so true though.

[22:22] Jessica Rush: You're literally eating like cheese sticks, deep fried.

[22:25] Cara Cooper: I mean, they're delicious.

[22:26] Jessica Rush: Don't get me wrong, y'all.

[22:27] Cara Cooper: Kara always says it's amazing that I now drink like green juice and things like that.

[22:34] Jessica Rush: Cause the things I've told her I grew up eating, she just can't even, she can't even understand it.

[22:40] Cara Cooper: I mean, I'm I I grew up like going to the health food store.

[22:42] Jessica Rush: So like I had a I had the complete opposite upbringing.

[22:46] Cara Cooper: Um, but yeah.

[22:48] Jessica Rush: Girl, you love a green juice and a caboo too.

[22:51] Cara Cooper: So there you go.

[22:51] Jessica Rush: I do, I do.

[22:52] Cara Cooper: But also love me some Mickey Beans.

[22:55] Jessica Rush: You know, so I'm not mad about it.

[22:58] Cara Cooper: This is a funny story for I don't even think I ever told you this.

[23:02] Jessica Rush: So we did a lot of road tripping this summer.

[23:04] Cara Cooper: We spent 30 hours in a car in six days.

[23:07] Jessica Rush: Oh going back and forth to Wisconsin to visit Graham's family.

[23:10] Cara Cooper: And uh we stopped at Wendy's twice.

[23:14] Jessica Rush: And on this the the last day of our trip, Finn goes, can we stop at the real McDonald's?

[23:22] Cara Cooper: Like, not the one with the girl on it.

[23:26] Jessica Rush: Uh-huh.

[23:27] Cara Cooper: He knows.

[23:28] Jessica Rush: He wants those golden arches, baby.

[23:30] Cara Cooper: Like the like he thinks that all fast food is McDonald's.

[23:33] Jessica Rush: McDonald's.

[23:34] Cara Cooper: Like that's really the only thing we've ever done.

[23:37] Jessica Rush: Graham and I just started laughing.

[23:38] Cara Cooper: We're like, we can stop at the real McDonald's.

[23:40] Jessica Rush: It's fine.

[23:41] Cara Cooper: Meanwhile, my child's like, um, can we have Taco Bell or McDonald's or you know, especially living in La Jolla for so long in our car and then driving across the country?

[23:50] Jessica Rush: She knows it.

[23:51] Cara Cooper: Yeah.

[23:51] Jessica Rush: Those car rides, man.

[23:53] Cara Cooper: Oh, it reminds me of like it reminds me of like in Texas or in the South.

[23:56] Jessica Rush: We say you want to coke, or I want to coke.

[23:59] Cara Cooper: But we don't mean sodas.

[24:01] Jessica Rush: Yes.

[24:01] Cara Cooper: Or a pop.

[24:02] Jessica Rush: No.

[24:03] Cara Cooper: What is that?

[24:05] Jessica Rush: Absolutely not.

[24:05] Cara Cooper: Pop is like Midwest, I think.

[24:08] Jessica Rush: Okay.

[24:08] Cara Cooper: Okay.

[24:08] Jessica Rush: Okay.

[24:09] Cara Cooper: That's the Midwest, I think.

[24:10] Jessica Rush: No, in the South, we just say Coke.

[24:12] Cara Cooper: Like, and then you're like, well, what kind of Coke?

[24:14] Jessica Rush: Dr. Pepper.

[24:15] Cara Cooper: That is weird.

[24:16] Jessica Rush: You know, Sprite.

[24:18] Cara Cooper: I know.

[24:19] Jessica Rush: Well, in New Jersey, you just call it by the soda name.

[24:22] Cara Cooper: It is Texas, and we won't even start down that road.

[24:24] Jessica Rush: Hold on.

[24:27] Cara Cooper: You guys, there's so much.

[24:28] Jessica Rush: There's just a lot of things.

[24:29] Cara Cooper: There's so much in the world right now.

[24:31] Jessica Rush: We're gonna take a quick break.

[24:33] Cara Cooper: Don't go anywhere.

[24:34] Jessica Rush: We'll be right back.

[24:41] Cara Cooper: And there's so much in the world right now.

[24:43] Jessica Rush: And I'm just here to say, even if you are vaccinated, you can get very, very sick.

[24:51] Cara Cooper: And just want you all to know that.

[24:52] Jessica Rush: I have a family member, not in my nuclear family, but someone who is fully vaccinated, who got sick and was really, really sick, guys.

[25:03] Cara Cooper: Like, like took this person down.

[25:07] Jessica Rush: Um, and so I just want y'all to keep wearing your masks and to take care of yourself because this person, I think, was shocked by how sick they got um having been fully vaccinated.

[25:22] Cara Cooper: So take care of yourselves, everybody.

[25:24] Jessica Rush: This isn't over.

[25:25] Cara Cooper: It's not over.

[25:25] Jessica Rush: And I'm gonna be okay.

[25:27] Cara Cooper: You're gonna be okay, but it's not fun.

[25:30] Jessica Rush: Like, don't like try to keep it from happening.

[25:32] Cara Cooper: And obviously, we don't know about our kids.

[25:33] Jessica Rush: That's like a whole different issue.

[25:35] Cara Cooper: But it um, yeah, so that was my two cents.

[25:40] Jessica Rush: Yes, no, wear your mask.

[25:42] Cara Cooper: Keep being careful.

[25:43] Jessica Rush: It's like, you know, today I was on the subway and everyone was masked except these three, you know, kids I call them, but they're like in their early 20s and they got on in their Yankees gear.

[25:53] Cara Cooper: And there were four cops on the train on the car in the car with me, like two at the doors next to me and two down the way.

[26:00] Jessica Rush: And I'm looking at these kids, and everyone else is masked on the subway.

[26:05] Cara Cooper: And it's a rule for those of you who don't live here in New York City.

[26:07] Jessica Rush: It's not a mandate, it's not like a law that they have to wear a mask, but the MTA does require it.

[26:13] Cara Cooper: So, you know, in theory, um, that you wear a mask when you're on the subway.

[26:17] Jessica Rush: And we all should anyway, because hello, it's still happening.

[26:21] Cara Cooper: Um, and I so I didn't go to them because I was like, I don't really need confrontation, but I did ask the police officer standing next to me.

[26:31] Jessica Rush: I said, excuse me, because he had on a mask.

[26:33] Cara Cooper: I said, Um, are masks still required on the subway?

[26:36] Jessica Rush: And he's like, Oh yeah.

[26:37] Cara Cooper: I was like, you what about those people?

[26:39] Jessica Rush: And I like pointed to them, and he was like, Oh, yeah, well, he's like, it's not really, it's not a law.

[26:44] Cara Cooper: He's like, So, like, we can't do anything, it's just like the MTA.

[26:47] Jessica Rush: I wanna be like, you could go over and tell them to put on a mask.

[26:50] Cara Cooper: And they would listen to you.

[26:52] Jessica Rush: I know maybe they were I won't make an assumption about who they were, but I should backpedal, not pack pedal, but just say that the person that got sick, they have been wearing their mask.

[27:01] Cara Cooper: They've been doing all the things, yes, they are having a hard time figuring out where they got it from.

[27:04] Jessica Rush: So that's what I'm saying.

[27:05] Cara Cooper: Like, even by being safe, you can still.

[27:08] Jessica Rush: So exactly.

[27:09] Cara Cooper: I wasn't there was no careless behavior, it wasn't careless behavior that made it happen.

[27:13] Jessica Rush: Right.

[27:13] Cara Cooper: Uh no, no, it's real, it's real.

[27:15] Jessica Rush: And you know, for if you're coming to Broadway shows, you gotta be vaccinated and you still wear your mask indoors.

[27:21] Cara Cooper: And let me tell y'all, I mean, wear some cool clothes, put your hair up.

[27:26] Jessica Rush: Because it's gonna be hot.

[27:27] Cara Cooper: It was hot, y'all.

[27:28] Jessica Rush: Like, we went to Elliot and I went to the reopening.

[27:31] Cara Cooper: Well, we went to the invited dress of Waitress the night before they reopened, and it was like a packed house because not only was it, you know, everyone from the company's people, but also they invited waiters and waitresses from the Times Square Hell's Kitchen, yeah, Hell's Kitchen area, because they've been so affected by the shutdown because without Broadway shows, who's in midtown?

[27:53] Jessica Rush: Nobody.

[27:54] Cara Cooper: Um, so they invited waiters and waitresses.

[27:57] Jessica Rush: And so there it was a packed house.

[27:59] Jessica Rush: Yeah, it was really awesome. And um, but it was the night of the storm, so it was really humid, and B, they had not turned that air on in time in that theater, y'all. You don't know this, but they have to cool these theaters down for like, I mean, truly, they should have turned it on the day before, basically. It was so warm and humid, and we had our masks on, and Elliot's like, I'm hot. I was like, girl, you gotta keep us going. But literally, it was like putting our hair up, we're sweating. That's a fun insight. I mean, I don't know if it's a fun fact, but if you're inside a theater during the day for like a rehearsal of some sort, you go literally are in the theater in like snow clothes because it is freezing, but they need to have it freezing so that when all the people come in that night, it doesn't get overheated. So, I mean, most understudio rehearsals, I remember being in like sweatpants, sweatshirts, sometimes scarves, gloves, yeah. So cold, come show time.

[28:51] Cara Cooper: The temperature was right.

[28:52] Jessica Rush: Yes, come show time. We were still a little chilly because we didn't wear a lot of clothes in our show. Um, meanwhile, the boys are in the house. When do women ever wear a lot of clothes in a show? Let's be honest. I mean, I don't know. I'm gonna think right now. Kara has, I don't think I've ever, I don't think I've ever been in a show where I haven't bared my stomach. I mean, it is amazing stomach that you know. I know that's not the point, but like that is just case in point right there. Like, let's just talk about that.

[29:24] Cara Cooper: Yeah, yeah.

[29:25] Jessica Rush: For sure, for sure. No, I was gonna say, you've always worn the crop top. But it's I'm not making it, it's not about my body, it's no, no, I know that like women are what women are asked to wear, right? Of course, meanwhile, a lot first. I couldn't have said no, like, let's be honest. At that point in time, maybe I could today, but at that point in time, I couldn't be like, No, I'm not gonna wear this. No, they're gonna be like, see ya.

[29:50] Cara Cooper: Yep, exactly.

[29:51] Jessica Rush: But women are always, yeah. And then we had the boys in their full suits, and they would be like, It's so hot. We're like, oh my god, shut up. I'm freezing. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, oh my god. Those were the days, those were the days. Honey, I wear a jumpsuit now. My tummy is covered. Mama is not wearing any more half tops.

[30:11] Cara Cooper: I love those outfits that you get to wear. And I have to come see it, you guys. I am finally gonna go see Tina. We're working on what date I'm gonna go. But you, I don't know, I guess they know this, but all of us Jersey girls were set to go to see Tina the Saturday after the shutdown. So it was like the 15th and probably shut down on the 12th or something. We all had our babysitters lined up. It was gonna be our grand excursion to see Jess, and then you know you know that the rest is history, literally history.

[30:40] Jessica Rush: Literally, literally, it's gonna be in the books, yes, for sure.

[30:44] Cara Cooper: But you're gonna come back.

[30:45] Jessica Rush: Yep, and it's gonna be awesome. Yeah, and we hope everyone is, you know, coming back who can come on up, you know. It's super safe. My husband, I will say, like, because they've now word got out, but you know, he's been in rehearsal, he started August 4th. So what are we at? September 5th. Excuse me, it's late. We're doing this late, and I've had some wine, so post parting post kid bedtime. Although you don't, your kid is not home tonight.

[31:10] Cara Cooper: She's not, she's not.

[31:11] Jessica Rush: You guys, one of the benefits of my parents no longer living with us. While it is difficult for child care in some ways, what's awesome is when I get to go drop her off at my parents for a sleepover.

[31:23] Cara Cooper: That's really nice. Tell me more.

[31:25] Jessica Rush: I mean, I'm like salivating with jealousy right now. No, I know. Um, no, but they so they've been going, they opened um this week, and they've had one breakthrough case, so no one else got it, but no one else got it. So, like it was the end of the third week of rehearsal, and it was actually right after we had Elliot's birthday party, which was mostly outside um in our backyard. But um the next day Eric went to work and he texted me and he was like, This person tested positive, and I was like, What? What? Immediately I'm thinking about all the people we just had over and Elliot and all the things. So everyone had to go get PCR tested and everyone was negative, and then they were all negative again a couple days late. Like they're now testing more often. So, you know, considering that how many people it takes to be backstage and on stage working at a show, yeah.

[32:17] Cara Cooper: Um, that's really remarkable.

[32:19] Jessica Rush: And it just shows that vaccines A do work and masks, masks, yes, exactly. And masks work as well. So um keep doing those things because you guys were not out of it yet, as we know from the numbers elsewhere. But I was worried at first I was worried that if word got out, people might get all sort of weird about it. But the thing is is that a cast member testing positive has doesn't affect the audience at all. Do you know what I mean? Like even if that person's positive when they're doing the show, the audience is completely fine. A, you're far away, and B, you're wearing your masks indoors like you're supposed to, you know.

[32:54] Cara Cooper: So um, yeah, it's like it's it made me feel better going into rehearsal now that like okay, all right, like they're doing it, they're being unmasked with each other on stage, and you guys watching them do the opening number and the choreography and passing the props. I mean, there's a ton of props in Waitress in the diner, particularly in the beginning of the show, and they're doing all this choreographed movement with the things and smiling at each other and singing and dancing, and I just I got so excited to go back. I miss it so much. Like what we do is so specific and unique and special, sharing that space with each other and telling a story.

[33:32] Jessica Rush: Um, I got so excited. It's so exciting.

[33:36] Cara Cooper: Oh yeah, it's the best. It truly is. There's nothing like it. And I I think I've said this on before, but like, there's nowhere I feel more me than when I'm on stage doing a show. Like, that's just it's like the most me I ever feel. And that sounds very strange.

[33:51] Jessica Rush: But no.

[33:51] Cara Cooper: Well, you are Broadway's Cara Cooper, so it's been a minute.

[33:56] Jessica Rush: Oh gosh. And then COVID happened. I just hit my microphone. Um, but yeah. So here we are. Here we are. I have sweat dripping down my, it's hot. We're just but we have lots of exciting things coming from you.

[34:11] Cara Cooper: We do this season. And this is just a little drop in the bucket, a little hi. Um, while we, you know, get everything. Get everything in order. But we um for one, if you read the description for Elizabeth Stanley's episode, Elizabeth kicked off our mini-series, Returning Reborn, the Rebirth of the Broadway Mom. And you can hash you can search hashtag returning reborn MTL on Insta. That's what uh we're using to notate any posts having to do with that mini series. Um, she's sort of in rehearsal and with the baby, and we have other moms who are also doing the same thing that will be coming up in the next few weeks. And they're they are returning mothers, however, those episodes um will be dung, but drum roll, please. Available on our Patreon.

[35:08] Jessica Rush: You guys, we're going so legit. It's about as legit as we can get without being like actually sponsored by someone. We're working on it, guys. We're working on it. We're working on it, y'all. We love doing this. We just we gotta we gotta get it going a little more, you know, get more people listening and coming into our community and sharing their stories. So anyway, these will be sort of little mini sodes, check-ins throughout the process as they, you know, before they start rehearsals, once they're back in rehearsal, once the show is running and they go, you know what I mean? Like how they navigate this mom life as we and the emotions as we return to Broadway. Um, so that's exciting. Check out our Patreon, like I said, mom is talking loud. Woo!

[35:52] Cara Cooper: We had our new logo, which I love from Squigs. Thank you, Squigs.

[35:56] Jessica Rush: Thank you, Squigs, Broadway. Extraordinary and you'll be able to find that logo on some merch that's gonna be coming your way. We're so excited. We're so excited for merch, you guys. We've been wanting to do it forever, but you know, with the pandemic, it just wasn't the time. It felt like this is that was the time to just keep telling stories and fostering hope and connection. Um, you know, where we could. Uh, but now as we start to, yes, it's still happening and becoming more endemic, but as we start to move out of it and back to quote unquote normal life, um, particularly for those of us in the community, we're wanting to sort of ramp it up a little bit and and get on that merch because I know I want it.

[36:39] Cara Cooper: I do too. Are we the only ones that want it? Tell us.

[36:42] Jessica Rush: You guys want merch. It's gonna be a real cute merch. But that's why we also got a new logo. So um stay tuned for that. And some of that will be exclusive uh at our Patreon. And uh yeah, all that will be the official Patreon announce will happen soon. It's there and it's up if you want to search for it. But I haven't quite like figured y'all. I'm learning all this. Like, yeah, I haven't like it's there, and you can you can join it, but I'm not ready to officially announce it like on our on our Instagram feed. But if you listen to this episode, you hear it. So, you know, it's coming. Um, it's just a lot of things between social media and the Patreon and our side hustles, our pandemic pivots, motherhood, going back to work.

Oh my god. But you know, you know, someone was like, Are you gonna have Ivy and Clark still and everything? And I have, I have not posted on Ivy and Clark since Mother's Day, actually. Um, I do keep getting orders, yeah. Thanks on Etsy. Um, so I'm gonna start like giving attention back to that again on social media because I think ironically, I will be able to accomplish more once my child is in school.

[37:52] Cara Cooper: Yes, for certain.

[37:53] Jessica Rush: And then also, like once your show is up and running, there's that like yeah, you had a little downtime, like once you know the show and you're in your groove.

[38:01] Cara Cooper: It's Kara. I have I have a 30-minute break in act one and a 30-minute break in act two. So I have I have time to do those things.

[38:11] Jessica Rush: So yeah, we're excited, y'all. We're excited. We um, you know, it's it's a lot of work to be sure. But um, you know, Kara and I had like a come to Jesus heart to heart talk, and we decided to keep going, you know, like sort of revamp it and keep going. And um but we also gave ourselves the like over hmm, what is the word I'm looking for? We just told ourselves the grace, yes. We told ourselves like this is not gonna be a stressful endeavor. Cause yeah, when you're trying to run businesses and podcasts and things like that, some stress comes from it. So we were trying to just uh let go a little bit and give ourselves the grace that you know, like this. Like, oh, we don't have a guest this week. Why don't we just talk and see what happens, you know?

[39:00] Jessica Rush: The grace that we always tell y'all to give yourselves. So we're gonna practice while we preach a little bit, and uh but with exciting new things, yeah, and new guests, and uh yeah, and we're so glad y'all are here for the ride with us still. We are let us know if there's anything you want um merch wise, we'll make it happen. Merch wise DM us on Instagram, or you can email us at mom is talking loud at gmail.com. Um, or you can uh tell us also if there are guests that you want to hear. You know, we're gonna start branching out more. We're not just gonna do Broadway moms. We our goal is that we will um once Broadway reopens and we've told those stories that once uh once that happens, we will be telling more of the hashtag working artist mother stories.

[39:47] Cara Cooper: So um working moms in the arts, all kinds of arts, all kinds of arts all over the place, not just New York centric. So if you know some awesome moms that you think we should talk to, let us know that as well. Or if you're one, you know, tell us and uh yeah, and we'd love to chat. So thanks for attending in everybody.

[39:59] Cara Cooper: Yeah, instead of stressing about it.

[40:08] Jessica Rush: Thanks, everybody. I'm gonna open this door in a second and get some because I'm a puddle.

[40:16] Cara Cooper: Oh my god. Y'all have great weeks. I hope that your kids are back if you have kiddos. If you don't have them. I hope that you're sleeping in. And um and we're sending you all grace as well as you know you move into this next phase. Some of you might not have even had kids, like Jessica did in school this past year. So that transition is a lot, and there is anxiety surrounding it and the and the virus. That there was no school spread in my school. They wore their masks, they did their distancing, and there were cases, but no one got it in school. So if that um allays anybody's fears who's listening, I hope I hope it does, is what I I guess I should say. So um we're just sending you good vibes.

[41:01] Jessica Rush: Yep. Always, always. And uh we'll yeah, we'll talk to y'all soon. We'll have we'll have some other hashtag Broadway Mom to talk to you next week. Hopefully. And if we don't, that's okay too.

[41:14] Cara Cooper: Exactly. Exactly. Be well, friends.

[41:18] Jessica Rush: Bye.

[41:24] Cara Cooper: Thanks so much for listening to this episode of Mama's Talking Loud. Special shout outs to Justin Squiggs Robertson for our fabulous new graphic. Kristen Lopez, Bobby Lopez, and Justin Wardweber for our awesome theme song, and of course, the Broadway Podcast Network for bringing us to you.