Remember the previous two times when I was explaining how our life in New York City is pretty ordinary most of the time, until something epic happens (see The One with Cash Cab and Morning Show Debut)?

Well, it has happened AGAIN!

Good Morning America (GMA) completely surprised the Tidy Family by flying Nana and Grandad in from Kentucky to join us LIVE in the studio!

After the confetti had settled and the cameras stopped rolling, I turned to my mom and said, “What just happened? You have to tell me the whole story!!”

So here’s the REAL behind-the-scenes story!

The Audition Process

The story of my audition process hasn’t changed. If you haven’t read about it yet, be sure to check out Morning Show Debut first.

However, my mom’s audition process was a bit different than previously reported! The GMA producer started her call with my mom by briefly explaining the segment, and that they were looking for a family who was spending Thanksgiving break apart, and that they would pre-record a taped segment of us video chatting together using a Portal by Facebook device in each of our homes instead. And then the big surprise! She asked my mom whether she would be available to fly to New York City on Thanksgiving Day, so that we could be reunited on air during the LIVE portion of the segment on Black Friday.

“Well, I work in a hospital and Thanksgiving is my scheduled holiday to work, so I’ll have to ask,” my mom said.

The producer replied, “If you can’t, I’ll have to move on to another family. It’s a deal breaker, because this surprise is an important part of the segment.”

After learning this, my mom replied, “Oh okay! No problem, work will definitely let me off!”

Secretly in her head she thought, “Hopefully…I’ll see what strings I can pull.”

A few days later, the producer called us both separately to let us know that our family had been selected for the segment. Just before ending the call with my mom, the producer said, “We’ll see you on Good Morning America!”.

The Logistics Process

The pre-recorded shoot in our homes involved coordinating quite a few logistics. But I had no idea that my mom was also working with a different GMA producer to logistically plan for the LIVE surprise.

My mom provided travel information to the producer, such as closest airport, hotel preferences, and travel dates. The producer booked all the travel and provided my mom with a complete itinerary.

Yesterday at 2:00pm my mom and step-dad landed in New York City, but we had no idea! They stayed at a hotel close to our apartment and ate Thanksgiving dinner at a local diner here in Astoria.

And based on the photos that they shared with us after the surprise this morning, Audrey Ann and Bonnie Rose had quite the adventure too. Because after all, they had to fly too.

Tidy Dad Family: Waiting to go LIVE

 

Our chauffeured car arrived to our apartment at 6:30am this morning, and we were driven to the GMA studio. We enjoyed a luxurious ride across the bridge into Manhattan, as the sun slowly rose over the city.

 

As we approached the studio, the driver said, “Don’t be surprised if people start taking your picture as you get out of the car. They are going to think that you all are celebrities!”

As we climbed out of the car, two GMA producers met us and led us through a side door. They took us into an elevator, then we got to peek into the studio where all the magic would take place! Then we were ushered into our private green room to wait from 7:00-8:30am.

Coffee, bagels, pastries, and fruit awaited us in our room. They told us to let them know if we needed anything else. They also said to text them if we needed to go to the bathroom because, “The hallways are such a maze, we don’t want you to get lost.”

Just before it was time to go live, one of the producers returned to our dressing room to let us know they had decided to make a slight change. Instead of sitting in seats in the front row of the audience to answer our question, we would be sitting on a couch right next to the anchor. I was certain this was because they found our family so charming and wanted to give us more camera time. Little did I know, this detail had been planned from the very beginning.

Nana and Granddad: Waiting to go LIVE

 

Meanwhile, my mom and step-dad’s chauffeured car picked them up from their hotel at 7:00am, as we were already settling into our room at the studio.

As they arrived at the GMA studio, they were also met by producers at the doors and taken to a separate green room, down the hall from ours. The real reason we were supposed to text the producers if we needed to use the bathroom was because they didn’t want us to accidentally see them in the hallway!

After being prepped on the sequence of events for the segment, my mom busied herself making sure that Audrey Ann and Bonnie Rose were camera-ready. She strategically dressed them in tall boots so that she would avoid losing any shoes!

Going LIVE on GMA

At 8:30am, we were taken into the studio! As our pre-recorded piece began to play, we walked on-stage to the couches to take our seats. Emily and I sat down on the couch, and helped Mabel and Matilda into their spots.

You can watch the full segment here:

The next few moments moved quickly. The anchor asked us how we use Portal by Facebook to connect with grandparents. I shared that it has transformed video chatting for us, and has become part of our everyday life.

Honestly, I highly recommended this product, especially as a grandparent gift! The girls can play, dance, and move around the room while video chatting, and they stay in the frame the entire time. No more chasing kids around the room, or letting them hold the device and only catching dizzying glimpses of their forehead or the ceiling. 

The anchor then asked Emily and Mabel a few questions, before he turned to Mabel to say, “Maybe it would be fun to see them [Nana and Grandad] face-to-face?”

Immediately, a huge sliding door opened, confetti rained down, and my mom and step-dad walked out into the studio!

We cried, we hugged, and I thought to myself, “How is this possible?!”

The Debrief

As our segment finished and as we walked backstage, I turned to my mom and said, “You have SO much to tell me!” She laughed and said, “You have no idea!”

After taking a few more photos together and gathering our belongings, the 6 of us got into the elevator with a producer to make our way back outside to our waiting car. As we all rode back to Astoria together, she shared the details!

 

After returning to Astoria, the girls walked with Nana and Granddad back to the hotel to gather Audrey Ann and Bonnie Rose’s accessories. As they walked in the lobby carrying their dolls, a woman in the lobby said, “Look! Those are the little girls from TV this morning. And those are the grandparents!”

Their return flight leaves Sunday morning, so we are quickly planning some fun city adventures for the next few days! What an epic surprise!

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