December 2007 - Posts

• Go to Babies R Us if you like getting headaches

  We are wrapping up overdubs and mixing the record this week at Tarquin Studio.  In between sessions yesterday, we hit Babies R Us for a few must-have items.  Reality check-baby will be here any day and we don't have diapers or breast pads.       I got into a discussion with another pregnant mom at the super store.  Our consensus:  Babies R Us=headache.  I told her to start following my rule of thumb, only stay for 30 minutes maximum and then get out before the migraine starts.  With so many items, you start to feel like you are neglecting to remember crucial baby items like a safety foam pad for the bath tub so your child won't slip and drown or a pacifier thermometer so you don't have to stick it you know where every time the baby feels hot.  We left with a couple essentials and the woman I talked to was checking out at the same time, both us us rubbing our foreheads.   Then we ventured over to Baby Depot for a changing table.  Baby Depot is a more basement, discount style store with the same things as Babies R Us but with a gross bathroom (which Magnolia and I visited 3 times while shopping).  I had to sit down on a display table at one point because I had a belly stretching moment.  Immediately Magnolia came over to me and said, "Mom, let's go, I have to poop and this time I probably can't hold it if we wait."  And I realized, I missed Babies R Us, at least the bathroom there smells nice.    We did manage to buy Magnolia her first sled.  Turns out the sled was a way more important purchase for this family than onesies and changing pads-at least for now.  And, this morning, at the doctor, I found out that I'm still not in labor yet.  Although, I am beginning to dilate.    + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Dec 19 2007, 01:14 PM by korkor with 2 comment(s)

• Popping out (in the) New Video

  Jason (porcupine) and I (fox) adjusting our masks pre-shoot  I pretty much look like the staypuff marshmallow fox.  But, we had to shoot it pre-baby so, being that I'm so close to delivery, I'm enormous.  In fact the doctor doesn't want me to go full term because the baby is already large and I hemoraged the first time I had a big baby.   The baby might come early either by intervention or on her own.  This doesn't change the fact that we are working until she arrives.  Steve Choo (left) a friend of ours, is an amazing person for making this video happen for us. His contributions included handmade animal masks  from someone in Germany, brand new technology filmed with a RED camera and beautiful ideas all around.        The roughs we've seen are absolutely beautiful and... Magnolia makes a cameo.  Trust me, we didn't force her, I've learned the difference between MAKING your child take part in your projects and LETTING them take part in what you love to do.  She wanted to wear a mask and put makeup on like us.  So, we inserted her in place of me in the end scene.  And, the video story immediatly became more poignant.  After all, she hands a flower to a giant terrorist bear.      We can't wait to see the explosion into the dancing animal sequence...and of course, Magnolia making her debut. + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Dec 17 2007, 08:35 PM by korkor with 6 comment(s)

• The F'n Stomach Flu and Finding the Bright Side

  Magnolia threw up all over her bed.  Then she threw up for two straight days.  So, I sat with her on the couch, pedialite in hand, and watched The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and many episodes of her new favoirte show The Big Comfy Couch. Um...Does this make anyone else laugh to the point of crying? Watch it with the sound off while he dances.     And, Do any other parents feel selfish when their kids get the stomach flu?  Because all I kept thinking aside from "please make my baby better" was, "I can not get the stomach flu."   I must have washed my hands and face everytime they touched her.  Everyone at Thanksgiving came down with the dreaded virus within a week either side of visiting family.  I still haven't puked.  I think I somehow avoided it.  Maybe it's because I already had it twice this year.  Maybe it's the pregnancy protecting me.  But, Jason had it and so did my dad and my little nephew.  The stomach flu sucks perhaps worse than any other kind of cold or flu.       The little pukers, hours before the first night of hell.   So along with the video of the big comfy couch which should at least get a chuckle out of you, here are some things that are cheering us up now that the vomit stopped.    Frances England's children CD "Fascinating Creatures" Magnolia's Christmas list (including a globe and a robe) Magnolia telling us that she really doesn't need to go see Santa because he reads her mind. Peter Tarquin's chili (they guy recording our record actually makes us dinner almost every night)   Our live-in nanny while we record, Erin Abbott.      She takes pictures, writes childrens books, has toured with a million bands, put out an early 7" of one of my favorite bands, IDA, has good LA celebrity gossip, watches crappy TV like me, and most importantly, makes Mags happy.      We finished tracking all the songs for the new record and now we're mixing.  And yes, I actually tracked some good shit while sitting on Peter's green couch.           + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Dec 11 2007, 08:15 PM by korkor with 8 comment(s)

• Tarquin Studio (And a story about knowing when to stop exploiting your kid)

  The leaves are covering the ground-blanket style as we start to finish this record.  We are recording the bulk of it at Tarquin studios in Bridgeport, CT with Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, The Grates).   As always, because we are totally doting parents and we think that our daughter is already a musical prodigy even if her songs make no sense, we decided to bring her in for an hour in hopes to catch her cute, helium singing on the mic. When Magnolia got to the studio, she was obviously tired (red eyes, cranky, etc).  It was getting close to bedtime (first red flag).  I asked her to hold a mic and sing.  She of course, wanted a more expensive, silver mirophone which I refused to let her use and therefore frustrated her and immediately spawned heavy whining (second red flag).  Then, when I finally got her to put the headphones on and sing into the right microphone, she wouldn't sing anything. Silence.  After more adult prompting.... more silence.   This whole time, she had a pen in her hand and at this point, all she wanted to do was draw on a small piece of paper she found.   I ignored this fact because it was time to record!  (third red flag). I started singing "twinkle twinkle" with her to prompt her (once more) into song.   No reaction.  She stared at me while I started up on "twinkle, twinkle" again and then, out of nowhere (well not really out of nowhere) SHE STABBED ME IN THE MOUTH WITH HER PEN.    I was dumbfounded for a brief second and then immediately embarrassed.  I totally deserved it.  She got in trouble for stabbing me ( I asked her why she did it, and I was stern, etc) and then she launched into full crying session.  I told her I was sorry for making her sing when she didn't want to sing.  I had just tried to exploit her and therefore eased her right into preschool tantrum mode.  Never again will I force my child into singing or doing anything she doesn't want to do for the sake of our artistic endeavors. She was calm and happy again once my mom gave her some gummies for the ride home.  But, I suffered a harsh awakening.  How could I act like such a stage mom? I had a bloody lip to show for my ignorance.  We got it all on tape but I haven't heard it yet.  For the record, I've never been stabbed or even hit by my child before or after this incident.  That's reeeeeally out of character for her.    Attention artist and musician parents, don't exploit your children.  We all say we won't do it ever, we'd never stoop that low and then before you know it there we are forcing them to lay some blood on our tracks.     She's making her own record now. She tells us when to hit record and we give her absolutely no direction.    And it's snowing. + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Dec 11 2007, 12:59 PM by korkor with 5 comment(s)