April 2008 - Posts

• Dad is the new Mom

  For the first time today, Magnolia cried for her dad all evening.  He went out to dinner with a friend and she just missed him.  In the past she has cried when I'm away from her even if I've just gone to the gym for an hour.  We even have a little routine of signing "I love you" to each other through the car window as I drive away. But this is a first, crying to me because Dad was not home. While crying for Jason, she said, "He just does fun things that I can't tell you about." hmmmm  When I pried into what that might be she confessed that he gives her candy and also lets her set up pillows and slide down them.  I guess I got a couple cool points for saying, "Well, I think I can make a pillow slide too." And let me tell you, it ignited an hour of pillow sliding.  And when I asked what exactly she missed about Dad.  She said, "Well, his whole entire body."  I told her I missed his whole body too. It's a little bitter-sweet when your kid starts weeding out mom as the go-to person.  But he's a pretty good dad so I totally understand.       On a side, non-jealous-of-Dad note,  has anyone ever noticed how the lyrics for "The Wheels on the Bus" could lead child into thinking dads are cooler than moms? The mommies on the bus say "SHH SHH SHH" The daddies on the bus (who will take over as favorite parent soon) say "I LOVE YOU!"   But, seriously, I'm happy for the two of them. + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Apr 27 2008, 10:04 PM by korkor with 9 comment(s)

• First 2 Shows with June-Blow Outs, and our new Music Video

  June joined us for a weekend of shows.        We played at Newbury Comics and Middlebury, VT  (Brett, thanks for the photos)    The show went well, everyone was nice.  Jason met a New Kid on The Block (his little brother was at the store to watch the show and he introduced the NKOTB guy to Jason.)    While eating lunch after the show June had 2 major blow outs-if you are a parent of a baby, you know what I mean when I say blow out.    One of the messes had to be changed in the record store bathroom.  The other, in a McDonalds bathroom.   June has these blow outs all the time-only now we've realized tour blow outs are harder to manage..where do you put the clothes?  BTW, Are we using the wrong size diaper or something? Anyway, my reality is one that involves sound-checking and then figuring out where to change a diaper.    On to other new things..our video is out now...new song...I'm the huge pregnant fox.  Magnolia makes an appearance.   Here it is:  + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Apr 23 2008, 08:11 PM by korkor with 20 comment(s)

• KidRockers and National Record Store Day

  We took the family into NYC for a kid rock show (not "Kid Rock," I mean a rock show in the afternoon for kids).     (Mags with Zach from Rogue Wave, June with Dad)   Our friends Rogue Wave played a special set for youngsters.  Mags leapt out of her chair when they asked if anyone wanted to play tamborine with the band.     Zack's wife makes cool kids clothes also.  Mags bought a rocket shirt.      The dicussion I had with Magnolia while the band played:   Magnolia:  "Mom, they are making weird faces when they sing. I don't think those faces are cool."               (She's never used the word cool like that before. But at a rock show, I guess there is a first time for everything) Me:     "Actually, when people are really into their music, they make faces while they play.  They don't even mean to. They are just into it.  I think   it IS cool." Mags:  "Oh, so they are INTO the song?" Me: "Yes." Mags: "Than I guess it's cool, mom. It just looks kind of funny." Me: "Yes, but do you think you might make faces like that when you play?" Mags;  "Maybe when I'm INTO it."    I told my friend Gram (in the band) that story but it might have come off as offensive, sorry. And for the record, I like weird faces.  She really just was observing the facial changes that came with the music.  Plus, does anyone care if a 3 year old thinks something isn't cool?  I hope not. Anyway, the show was excellent.  Really, it's "kidrockers" is for moms who don't get to go to enough rock shows anymore too, not just the kids.   We're playing at Newbury Comics (record store) in Boston tomorrow for National Record Store Day. It starts at noon. Come. We will try to make weird faces.      + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Apr 15 2008, 04:47 PM by korkor with 6 comment(s)

• Magnolia's version of our new song

  Our record will be out on May 20 and it's called "Re-Arrange Us"  And then, we will be on tour.  Our children will be traveling with us for most of the tours.   I don't know how it's going to be with 2 kids on the road (June hasn't been on tour yet).  It's all new again, especially because there will be parts of the tour on a bus.  I really wish we could borrow the Dixie Chicks bus-I heard it's fitted for a family.  The only bus I've ever been on tour with had giant airbrushed pictures of a sumo wrestler surfing on the outside, and as you might have guessed, no cribs for babies on the inside.     + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Apr 15 2008, 09:34 AM by korkor with 12 comment(s)

• The Zoo

  The only thing my daughter really wanted to do at the zoo?  Race and beat everyone, everywhere.  If she lost the race (that, by the way, only SHE knew was going on) she'd drop to the ground and cry.  We have a new "no racing mom and dad" rule in the house because she hasn't learned how to lose or even call it a tie yet.   Oh, she did like the sculptures and the french fries and the carousel and the candy that I bribed her with...  Not a ton of interest in the real animals though.    Last time we went on tour, we stopped at 3 or 4 zoos around the country.  The penguin exhibit at the Omaha zoo was supreme.   But, zoos with stone tigers to sit on and peacocks murals to stick your head through are still Mags' favorite.      + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Apr 11 2008, 08:54 AM by korkor with 6 comment(s)

• 1234, We're not sick of this song yet

  After talking to a few other parent friends of mine, we found out that "1,2,3,4" is not only a hit but, basically a wonderful children's song (only, she doesn't count right when she's singing, as Mags has noted)     Magnolia once told me to tell Leslie Feist that she should name her guitar "Singy" after Feist announced from the stage that her guitar is nameless.  Mags was so into the concert that she's been singing her songs ever since that show (last summer, pre-ipod commercial).      PS: Since Jason and I both went to KU, I watched a basketball game last night and it was so good I wanted to move back to Lawrence.    + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Apr 08 2008, 07:59 PM by korkor with 12 comment(s)

• Little Orphan Annie is not for 3 year olds, duh.

  After watching Annie, Magnolia has been working some shit out. She acts out the part where the mom gives the baby away even though she "still loves the baby" Oh wait, this didn't even happen in the actual movie, but she actually cries while pretending.   Also, she told me yesterday (again with the real tears) that she wants new parents.  We are apparently mean to her and well, she's had us long enough so she's gonna get some new parents. (Meanwhile, I had just finished being a human vaccuum again, sucking up pieces of her snack that dropped onto the floor-bet her new parents won't do that!)    It's a hard, knock life?    So, when you think Annie would be a great movie to show your almost 4 year old, remember that she or he might actually try to understand the concepts and that you will be having talks about why mean people like Mrs. Hannigan would be in charge of all sweet little girls anyway.    On a side, band note we are almost at tour time.  One more month.  And, I think we're going to finally get on one of those late night TV shows! Goodbye Annie, hello Conan. + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Apr 01 2008, 08:54 PM by korkor with 12 comment(s)

• Now THAT'S Music!

  At about 6am the other day I was greeted by my waking three year old excitedly shouting, "Mommy, I can sing through my nose!"      Along with working on new talents, she loves getting into the crib with June, picking out all of her own clothes (see below), asking me to only talk in Spanish (fake Spanish of course) and playing a game she likes to call "mean Daddy." (he's not)    While June is getting big fast (check out those feet), Mags has obviously been going through some changes lately.  This is due to the approaching "ferocious fours" and also because she's realizing that the little sister is here to stay (goodbye center of attention 24/7)   Anyway, after playing "name that tune" for a while with my snout-singing daughter, I called my sister and passed on the news of my kid's new talent.  A few days after that, my sister said to Magnolia, "I heard you can sing out of your nose." Mags obliged her and did her nose puffing to the rhythm of "Twinkle Twinkle" Then my sister said, "Can you sing out of your butt?"  I think this was a rhetorical question of some sort but here's what happened next...   Magnolia paused, made a funny face, and blew so much loud gas out of her rear that I thought someone was playing a whoopee cushion joke on me. Then she ended this improv session by saying "Now THAT'S music!"   Unrehearsed, honestly.  And, she brought the house down.     Our little comedian, Magnolia (Seen here discovering photobooth)   + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted Apr 01 2008, 08:02 PM by korkor with 11 comment(s)