Is it just me, or does Coop look GIGANTIC? 
I've avoided writing about daycare thus far. After all, this blog is public and I want to be sensitive to everyone, most of all to Cooper.
Coop loves school. He adores his teachers. He lights up around the other children.
However, he has had some trouble adjusting. There have been reports of aggressive behavior, pushing, hitting and biting.
I always thought that two-year old boys were supposed to be tiny maniacs. First of all, they are TWO. Secondly, they are BOYS.
I never imagined that I would be in parent/teacher meetings that included words like "attention deficit" and "autism" and "Asperger's syndrome." Not so early in his little life, anyways.
No, I didn't arrange regular playdates for Cooper prior to entering school. Yes, we read together every night. Yes, I let him watch television--an hour of Sesame Street in the morning and 30-minutes of Muppet Show or Fraggle Rock before bed. No, he doesn't eat his vegetables.
And, no, I don't think there's anything wrong with him.
I've been told that I'm wearing love goggles.
I've been told that I'm too close to step back and see.
They do have more experience with children that I do.
My gut and my heart says he does not have a developmental disorder. I think I need to listen to my senses first and go with my instincts.
Isn't that parenting?
Class Photo
Halloweenie Treats
"Ladies and gentlemen...
Mr. FOZZY BEAR!!!!"
Cooper officially loves Halloween. He was such a good boy at pre-school this morning. (More on that in another post.)
Here's an Insane Clown Pumpkin from the pumpkin patch trip.
JAKOB ZOMBIE from our Day of the Dead shoot.
ONE-EYED GANTZ ZOMBIE!
Most of you know about the famed Detroit Street Party. Every year these crazy wackos we went to school with convert a charming home into a scary movie explosion! This year's theme was 'Ghostbusters'.
ECTO1 car
Spooky librarian..."Shhhhhhhhh!"
And, finally, my Goblin Gourd that I carved at 1:00am:
Happy Halloween, kids!
Pumpkin Patch - Year 2!
Cooper had so much fun at the pumpkin patch last year that we just had to return.
I knew he wouldn't sit long in that cart. 3 minutes and 10 seconds went by and then he had his leg up over the rail ready to jump wagon. 
He touched every gourd in the place. He also liked throwing the hay.
When he started throwing the pumpkins, I became concerned. I didn't want to pay for a bunch of busted squash. More importantly, there were infants and wee babies at the lot that day and I certainly didn't want my kid to commit assault with a deadly pepo.
Check out that Super Mario Bro! They spared no expense.
We ended up getting a HUGE pumpkin that I have yet to carve. I want to get some better tools. I want it to be impressive. I have not decided on the design, but I have two days and I work best under pressure, right :)
My boys. My Halloween. My oh my.
Music News!
Here's singer/songwriter, Cooper Kingsley White with his latest single, "Wave Bye, Baby."
This is the original acoustic version.
Rumor has it that a remix is in the works and may be released sometime early next week--depending on how much mommy can get done. There is, afterall, a Halloween costume to be made.
31
The best presents are not found at the mall
in the glass cabinet at Macy's.
Nor can they be found at the Melrose flea market,
Or the specialty food shoppes of Brentwood,
Or the fancy liquor stores in the North Hills...
The best birthday gift is someone you love letting you know that they love you, too.
Welcome Baby Gantz!
DEVO RYAN GANTZ
Born October 8th, 2008.
21" long, 9lbs, 5 oz.
Congrats Ryan and Jenny!
And welcome to the world, little Devo!
Click here for more pix.
Pimp My Ride
Coop's carriage was looking dull and dingy. It was time for a makeover.
A MONSTER MAKEOVER!
Art Therapy & Ear Medicine
I really should have rested yesterday, but I painted instead. 
Something in my head kept yelling, "Get up and paint, Snarky! Sleep only cures fatigue...drink a real soda and let your loud, stinky art out."
BTW - My inner dialogue sounds much like the Scullery Maid from Disney's Sword in the Stone. 
Cooper was up all night. He had a slight fever. He was saying that his ear hurts. Every couple of hours, "My eeeur hoits...my eeeur hoits." He slept in our bed for most of the night and then we were off to the doctor's in the morning.
Here's a word that Cooper now knows and hates with every lil' fiber of his being:
"MEDICINE"
He's not a fan. Nope. Not at all.
This particular antibiotic (Azithromycin) can be taken with food. I tried to get him to swallow using the fave drinks and desserts, but he wasn't falling for it. I offered a cookie ice cream banana sundae. He still scrunched his face and whined as if to say, "If I have to deal with that "medicine" stuff, then keep your sugary goods, Lady."
But he seems like he's on the mend.
And he's been asking for school.
I know he misses it.
All Aboard
Memere and I took Cooper to ride the train at Griffith Park.
That smile is worth more to me than a trunk full of treasure.
He kept laughing and screaming, "Chooooo Chooooo! ALL ABOARD!" 
I have a parent/teacher conference this evening. Cooper has been a bit of a challenge lately, but I'm pretty sure that's typical of a two-year-old.
I know that sometimes he doesn't listen, but I suspect that it's not an obedience issue. I can shout, "Cooper, please come here," fourteen or more times and he won't budge. Then I whisper "Muppet Show" from across the room and all of a sudden there's pep in his step. It's "selective hearing" and it's an unfortunate Charbonneau trait. I suffer from it myself. HEY! I can feel all your sarcastic "No, really?" eye rolls!!!
My New Year's Resolution will be to be a better listener.
And, of course, to post more often :)
UnDead
I acted like a zombie last Sunday.
Look, Ma! I'm in the movies!
To at least a dozen people in this town, I'm still an actress.
