Ladies and Geklefins...please enjoy the musical stylings of...
COOPER AND THE UNCLES!!!!
CLICK HERE to see Cooper and Uncle Sean rock the guitar
CLICK HERE to see Cooper go solo
New Fave Band:
Breakfast of Champions
Superman cup + Batman pajamas + Krispy Kreme donut = SUPER COOPER flying around the house for nearly half and hour
Fashion and Vegetables
This style is so versatile. It works for a 2 year old who digs Yo Gabba Gabba or a 22 year old enjoying their 5th year at Emerson and still living at the Little Building dorm...who also digs Yo Gabba Gabba. 
Those are the slippers that Jakob got for me to wear in the hospital when I was giving birth to Cooper. Simpsons fans will know that famous fish.
Cooper told me last night that he wanted to be a green bean. I was confused.
"You mean you want to eat green beans?"
"No, I want to BE a GREEN BEAN!"
Hey, we all have dreams.
Inspirational...Celebrational...MUPPETATIONAL!
The family that plays together, stays together. 
When our dear friends Josh and Kayla Cagan gave our family the incredible gift of designing our very own MUPPET WHATNOTS, well, we took it very seriously! 
Cooper's Whatnot arrived first. Coop went with a lounge singer dressed in a burgundy tux. SO CLASSY! We believe he picked this attire because it looks a lot like something The Great Gonzo might wear. In fact, he named this new friend 'Gonzo.' And because he already has a smaller stuffed animal of that other Gonzo, he calls this one 'THE BIG GONZO."
Jakob's Whatnot looks like a crazed economist. I feel like he should be yelling at me about our current feduciary crisis. The plaid suit, bald head and glasses made me laugh as soon as I saw him. 
My whatnot is a showgirl, actress, performer, fashionista, poet, artist, drunkard, tough cookie with a big heart...just like me! Cooper named her...her name is "Pretty."
Thanks, Cagans!
The Essence of Democracy
Hey, where the dilly have I been?
Well, today I've been called forth to serve Jury Duty at the Foltz Criminal Court Center in Downtown Los Angeles. A judge just walked us through orientation. She called us "the essence of democracy." I'm waiting in a humble and odorific assembly room for my name to be called. What a perfect time to blog.
There's a lot going on. I started a new job. I commute from Burbank to El Segundo every day. It's murder. Not "flock of crows" murder. More like 'suffocating' or 'drowning' murder. I take three highways (which feel more like parking lots) and it usually clocks in at around 90 minutes or more of me sitting in traffic.
As some of you know, I have a lot of anxiety when I drive. The freeways of this city make me tense. It's not fun. However, the show I'm currently working on is by far the most rewarding and emotionally draining television I've ever produced. I can't reveal too much about it, but keep an eye out for 'Obsessed' when it premiers on A & E this summer. You'll find my name in the credits under Assistant Story Producer.
Now, on to the real reason anyone visits this blog - COOPER! My next post will have more pix. Here's one from my friend Robert's blog:
My lil' Coop is growing up fast. His verbal skills are quite extraordinary. He now tells me about his day at school. He says he has a friend named Sam. I guess last week Sam hurt his lip and Cooper was concerned about him. Now he tells me that Sam's all better.
I love talking to my son. He's hilarious. In his best Fozzie Bear voice he shouts, "Ahhhh, I am so funny! You don't know funny. I'M FUNNY!"
He loves looking at himself in the mirror, especially when he's wearing a cape. He has Batman pajamas and a Superman shirt. Both have little capes on the shoulders attached with Velcro. (Hook and Loop Tape for those of you who work on craft shows. Tee hee.) He dances around and pretends to fly. It's so freakin' adorable.
COMING SOON: Cooper's new PUPPETS...Cooper sings with Daddy...More Cooper Fashion Trends and Cooper Cooks.
Check back for those delights.
FeBLUary
The month of February kicks me right in the balls.
A thousand pardons if you find that expression vulgar, but it's how I feel.
I can never think of what to do for Jakob's birthday. I wish we had more money so I could buy him LOST:THE GAME.
The good news is that Cooper has started his new daycare and they adore him. He had his first three days last week and they had nothing but glowing things to say about him. He went to the potty. He shared. They even commented on how advanced he is verbally. Teacher Stella explained to me that she has the children sit on the blue circle rug and wait to go outside until she calls their names one by one. Cooper piped up, "Could you please call my name. I want to go outside!" She said she was blown away. (Language delayed my butt!)
I was just so overjoyed to have a daycare professional say positive things about my kid. I got a little weepy when she talked about how great he was doing there. I think the other daycare experience filled me with a tremendous amount of shame.
Speaking of shame, I'm working out everyday, but I'm still gaining my weight back. Also, I haven't painted in weeks. Also, I still don't have a job. I really thought I'd be hired by now. I guess the tv news is right, things are the worse they've been in 34 years.
Meeting Mr. Claus
Things to remember for next year's trip to see Santa:
#1. Don't go on Christmas Eve day. In fact, avoid the Burbank Mall entirely on December 24th. T'was madness. Like being trapped in a Hieronymus Bosch painting, but with cheesy holiday decor.
#2. Have back up. We waited in line for over 90 minutes. It was just me and Cooper and as I scanned the long, long, long (one more) long line, I saw that it was mostly parent "A" holding a spot while parent "B" was off occupying their child. Good plan. Wish I'd thought of it.
#3. Have toys on hand. All I had for Cooper to play with during that painfully slow-going hour and a half was some spare change. He got 17 minutes of joyous play out of five quarters, three dimes and 2 nickles.
He did the best he could, but Cooper became agitated and cranky and grouchy, all at the same time! I nearly gave up at mid-line. I thought, "Next year is fine. He won't even remember this."
But then Santa stood up and waved to all of us in line. I heard Coop say with such clarity, "SANTA?!" He tried to get Santa's attention by yelling lines from the classic stop-motion animated version of 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,' which had quickly become his fave holiday film.
Picture my kid yelling these lines at the top of his lungs at Santa's throne while other children are sitting on his lap and making memories:
"You have a SHINY NOSE?"
"You a MISFIT?"
"You a SNOWMAN!"
"You can't fire me, I QUIT!"
The last one made me laugh. The little dentist elf sings it with gusto and my child captures the feeling behind the line perfectly. Cooper deserved a chance to meet the big man in the red suit, so we hung in there. 
We finally got to the front of the line and Mr. Cooper could hardly speak. He didn't say a word to Santa. He became shy and quiet. Look at the little hands and the closed mouth. After all the freaking out and the screaming, I was shocked that he became so docile.
But then again, it is Santa. He is magic.
Pure Imagination
When I was a kid, I had a vivid imagination. Some folks even thought that I had an overactive imagination. Some folks think I still do. (BTW--That's fine by me.)
Whenever I pretended to be She-Ra, I'd fashion a tube top out of aluminum foil, wrap it around my torso and I was The Princess of Power.
And when I pretended to be Jem (the same costume as She-ra, just with matching foil skirt!) I was truly, truly, truly outrageous.
I would get lost in play and everything seemed colorful and fun. 
Now I watch my son act out Shakespearean tragedies with Gonzo and Zoe.
Better than any play I saw in college. This kid fully commits.
CHRISTMAS 2009...The Holly & The Jolly Of It All!
Holy Pop Tarts! I'm so far behind on the Coop Bloggy Blog.
After enduring the nuttiest November EVAH, I was looking forward to a Feliz Navidad. For those of you who don't know, Cooper was kicked out of daycare for unruly and aggressive behavior. (BABY'S FIRST EXPULSION!) 
Fortunate for Coop, Santa knew the whole debacle was bullspit.
Cooper loved the Christmas tree. He was very into the star. "Star on top of da TREEEEEE!" he'd sing.
I attached some paper snowflakes to the ceiling fan so that when it turned all the snowflake's shadows swirled around on the walls of my dining nook. Sure it was just a goofy paper craft, but it was a tad magical. The shadows slowly circled around and I heard a Danny Elfman score play in my brain. 
We had a pre-Christmas dinner with Uncle Sean since he was journeying east to spend the holidays with his main squeeze, Kate.
(I really wanted to use the term "main squeeze," just then.)
Kate got me the pricey shampoo that helps me wash away my low self-esteem. Sean got Coop an electronic drum kit and he's been playing it quite a bit. He's a wee Ringo...or maybe a wee John Bonham, or perhaps, god help us, Lars Ulrich.
We decorated cookies and set them out for Santa. Cooper actually met Santa this year at the mall. (More on that insanity in a future post. I just don't presently have the energy.)
Christmas morning started in front of the computer. Thanks to our new web cam, we were able to have Cooper open a few gifts as Mimi, Grampy and Uncle Jordan looked on from New Hampshire. Thanks computers! You're tops!
Coop loves puzzles and he got several for Christmas. He also got some percussion instruments, books, Fraggle Rock, Yo Gabba Gabba, a Spider Man clock, a keyboard and a NEW set of tools. (Mommy left the old tools on the road by the car and they were stolen. None of that matters now. Mommy can shed her guilt.)
Memere and Pepere joined us for holiday feasting and boy did we feast. Scallops and bacon, ham, pineapple stuffing, braciole, butternut squash soup, cheesy potatoes...I ate so much I felt like a big, bloated tick. 
Cooper refused to nap and since it was Christmas, I refused to make him. I drank nog and watched "It's a Wonderful Life." 
Christmas 2009 = success.
Class Photo
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?
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)