"Yuck! Icky! Blegh!"



Dear Mr. Cooper Kingsley White,

The following is a list of things that you keep trying to eat/drink that I would like you to stop trying to eat/drink:

1. Crayons
2. Candles
3. My coffee
4. My soda
5. My foot
6. Lint (yes, that includes dust bunnies)
7. Sand
8. Leaves on the ground
9. Trash on the ground
10. Rocks (yes, that includes pebbles)

I appreciate your cooperation in this matter. If you cease your efforts to consume the listed items above, I will agree to continue purchasing the tapioca pudding that you enjoy oh so much.

In summary:

wax = yuck

pudding = yummy

Good nap and good luck.

Sincerely,

Your Mother

Breaking the Sound Barrier



When we go to the mall to play in their "toddler-friendly-padded-romper-room," Cooper likes to run, spin around and scream at the tippy top of his lungs.

Other children back away from him.

Two girls have pushed him...to the ground...with force.

Cooper is never discouraged. He pops right back up and continues his crazy play.

He goes up to every adult and starts to talk to them. Then he tries to grab their purses, shopping bags or water bottles.

I say, "No, no, Cooper! That's not yours. Give it back, please." and make him return whatever treasure he has stolen. Once I've taken the object away, he has a meltdown.

I feel other mom's eyes on me as he wails.

Some of them sympathize. Some of them judge me.

Well, I'm doing the best I can. I hope that's good enough for Cooper.

KETUBAH

**SNEAK PEEK**

I finished the ketubah for Alex & Edy's wedding on October 6th.

This was both a challenge and an honor.

DEFINITION: A "ketubah" is a beautiful and ancient part of the Jewish wedding ceremony. It is the official contract between bride and groom, whose marriage officially starts the moment it is signed. Ketubot (plural for "ketubah") once were plain legal-looking contracts, but over time a tradition formed, called "hiddur mitzvah" which calls for ceremonial objects to be made as beautiful as possible. Ketubot are now works of art, chosen to reflect the personal feelings of the bride and groom. They are now also proudly hung in the home, serving as a daily reminder of the vows they have made to each other. At its heart, the ketubah is a personal document, a contract between the bride and groom, signed in front of God and family.



I wanted to tell Alex & Edy's love story and I struggled with how I could do that.

I didn't use paint. I decided to create quilled images with paper.

The upper left corner represents Alex's roots. It features orchids; the national flower of Colombia.

The upper right corner represents Edy's roots. It features red poppies. As I was researching, I discovered that Poland doesn't have one solitary national flower, but the red poppy is considered by most to be the unofficial frontrunner.

The lower left corner is Boston, where Alex and Edy met. It features mayflowers; the state flower of Massachusetts. I am quite proud of my paper swan boat.

The lower right corner is L.A., where Alex & Edy's love grew and where they decided to marry. It features the yellow "beach" poppy; the state flower of California.

I hope they like it. I hope I didn't muck it up.

Beach Baby of La-GOON-Ahhhhh

We've had a few trips to Laguna Beach with Cooper and he digs it.



He digs the water. He digs the gulls. He digs the sand. Literally.



At first he was a wee bit scared of the crashing waves. Then, he invented a game. The waves would roll in and he would run away from the shore. He played 'Catch Me If You Can,' with the ocean.



I guess I better start saving to send this kid to surf camp.



He also likes to run up to other people who are lounging on the beach and start shouting at them. He surprises folks with his dramatic and emphatic baby babble.



I once heard someone say that toddlers tend to sound like little old Korean shop owners at this age.

"GAH! Koo chow wa na ba dee po po beh."



The only problem with the beach is how much sand Cooper eats.



Wouldn't you think that after tasting just a bit of sand that my child would cease shoving it into his mouth? Nay. He kept eating it. The more I said "No," the more amusing he found the whole experience.



Just remember, Cooper...the more sand you eat, the more sand you poop.

And that's not very fun for either of us.

Aquarium of the Pacific

We had many adventures while daddy was away and one of them was a trip with Memere and Pepere to the Aquarium of the Pacific.



Coop LOVED it. He started by smacking on all the glass and making his usual "GA BA DA" sounds. He was into the fish.



I have to say that I was impressed with the aquarium. The building is two floors of aquatic fun. They had a lady doing the hula. They had an actual size sculpture of a blue whale. (Way big. Way, way big.) They had a diver in a tank full of marine life that had a mic. He swam around and answered questions for the kids.



The jellyfish were in a section with black lights so they glowed. Cooper thought they were neat.



There's a walkway that's fully surrounded by sea lions. This one kept playing with us.



The outdoor area has a shark lagoon and a "petting" area where you can touch crabs...



and stingrays! The stingers have been removed for safety sake.



This was such an event for Coop. He touched the stingray and then BAM!!!



The stingray jumped up out of the water and tried to climb the wall toward Cooper! I wish I got the actual "attack" on camera. This is just the aftermath. Look at my boy's profile. He's amazed! He was freaked out at first, but then went charging toward the water for more.



You know what's funny? We go to see fish at the aquarium and my boy's FAVORITE part was the ants. They had stinging dessert fire ants in a glass enclosure and he kept touching the glass and following the ants with his finger. He likes bugs.



There was also a bird sanctuary outside where the birds land on you and you can feed them nectar. Cooper didn't really like that part. I think he found the chirping of the birds loud and annoying.



Is there a better way to end the day than with an ice cream sandwich?



"This rocks! I can't believe I ate boob milk for so long! That stuff never came in chocolate or strawberry!"

My little guy is growing up big. Way, way big.

OK



I believe in fairies, the Boogie Man and Chupacabra.

But Oklahoma? That's ludicrous.

What I've Learned in Seven Years



You do not like mushrooms, quiche, avocado, pickles or coffee.

You need to hit the snooze 3 times before you even think about getting up.

The day can be made better or worse by the Red Sox, Patriots or (to a lesser degree) the Celtics.

The beard is here to stay.

You'd rather change a diaper than kill a bug.

You follow the rules.

You love language.

You love film.

You love dirty jokes.

When you sing to your son, you have one of the sweetest voices I've ever heard.

You're a great dad.

You have more courage than you think you do.

You do stressful, tedious things to help us survive.

My silly dancing makes you smile.

You make my life better.

I love you so.

Happy Anniversary.

Cooper at a Wedding



Congrats to Trista and Chris! They just took the plunge, tied the knot and made it official. It was beautiful!



Cooper dressed for the occasion, as you can see. He complained a bit in the backseat as we ventured to Newbury Park, but he seemed to be in good spirits...until we arrived.

The house was all a-buzz with eager wedding guests. As we approached, my child started freaking out! I know that kids wig from time to time, but this was heavy-duty YIKES screaming/crying. So unlike Cooper. I tried to feed him, give him something to drink, change him, give him a toy, hold him, sit him down, stroll him, dance with him--nothing was working. After about 15 minutes, I was worried we might have to go home.

But we started to play a bit in the hallway and he stopped crying. I think he saw that he was in a new place with lots to explore (and destroy) and he cheered up! Either that, or he had gas and it finally passed.

I think this picture of us wearing the same expression sums it up...



This is a look that says: "WE MISS DADDY!!!!!!"

Weddings make you think about the one you love. And having a toddler to run after all by myself made me think about how lucky I am to have a partner in parenting.

Hats off to single parents. I have no idea how you do it.

Mr. White Returns

So...there have been a lack of updates. I apologize all over the place. It's been so hectic that I need to invent a new word for hectic...it's been hecticaca.

While Jakob was away on his trip, I took Cooper to a wedding in Newbury Park and then to Kidspace Museum in Pasadena and then to Laguna Beach and then to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Um...I'm way pooped out. I'll be posting about these as soon as I sort through the digi pix.

After all that, I really could use some rest--but I have Nicole Elliott-Bays' baby shower this weekend. Then it's my seven year wedding anniversary. (Too poor for gifts or a fancy dinner. Maybe a movie?) Then more vaccinations for Cooper. Then Coop and I are trying out a music class. Then Jakob goes to Vegas. Then Alex & Edy's wedding is coming up I must finish their ketubah. All the while, I'm writing, producing and making rediculous puppets for my one-woman show in October.

I'm totally overbooked. As me and my chums say, I've Gantz'd myself. (You know I love you, Ryan.)

The good news is: Jakob came back! Yay.

I'm posting a few pictures from the White Boy Journey. I'm not adding a lot of commentary. (I GOT ENOUGH TO DO, GOSH DARN IT!) Enjoy!







Carl's Jr is called Hardees elsewhere...weird!



They couldn't find ANYTHING in Medina...except this rad mural. "Share the dream."

"Hey baby...wanna see another great work of art?" Sean says while pointing to his crotch.




This is the famous 'BUTTER BURGER' of Wisconsin. I'm having a minor heart attack just looking at it.

They actually stayed at a place with this picture on the wall. CREEPY CRAZY HAUNTED!



San Francisco's hottest spot...for the blubbery male.