The Coker Family

We love dinosaurs

thecokers — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:54:42 +0000

I guess it happens in every family. One day your kids have many interests, and the next there’s just one passion: dinosaurs. We’re living through that era now, with frequent viewings of “Dinosaur Train” on TV, discussions of paleontologists and so on. Today, Charlotte even had a dinosaur-related art project at school. The girls were so excited about it that I decided to do a mini-interview with them. Here it is!

Theories about the Tooth Fairy

thecokers — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:02:49 +0000

Sophie's letter to the Tooth Fairy

Sophie has a loose tooth for the first time in more than a year. She talks about the Tooth Fairy on and off, but things kicked into high gear last night. That’s when Sophie decided to write the Tooth Fairy a letter and began expounding on her theories related to how the Tooth Fairy knows when a kid is about to lose a tooth. (Hint: Satellite monitoring is involved.)

“Dear Tooth Fairy,” she wrote. “I finaly have a lose tooth! I love you. love, Sophie. P.S. It’s rilly wigly.” (Fun spelling preserved here for your enjoyment. Please note that the Tooth Fairy sports a side ponytail. It’s the height of fashion.)

I couldn’t resist shooting a mini-interview with Sophie in which I asked her to explain her theories.

The Tooth Fairy didn’t visit last night (I happen to know she was exhausted and fell asleep while watching a movie), but that didn’t phase this 7-year-old. She’s confident that a combination of heavy rain and lowered blinds kept the Tooth Fairy from collecting her note.

Tonight will be different!

Here’s the video:

Hula hoops: Awesome Hanukkah gift

thecokers — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:21:15 +0000

Sophie and Charlotte received hula hoops as an early Hanukkah present from Uncle Jesse and his girlfriend, Debbie. They have been having such fun with them! Sophie, especially, seems to love the hula hoop and has worked all week on new tricks to try out while keeping the hoop spinning. Her record (so far) is 4 minutes and 15 seconds.

Check out her Cool Trick (à la “Yo Gabba Gabba”):

2011: The Year in Review

thecokers — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:10:25 +0000

Tomorrow’s Dec. 1, which means it’s time to unveil our annual Year in Review.

This year’s column features Eric’s favorite albums and Rachel’s favorite songs from 2011, as well as lots and lots of photos of our adorable daughters (surprise!). We did decide to spare you the movie rankings, which right now would have to include Spy Kids 4 if we ranked 10 films!

Sophie discovers Shel Silverstein

thecokers — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:12:21 +0000

Here’s Sophie reading a poem from Shel Silverstein’s book “Falling Up.” She has discovered a love of poetry, just like her bubbe!

Awesome post-flood find

thecokers — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:57:25 +0000

Discovered today during flood cleanup: Isaac Asimov’s response to fan mail I sent him when I was 12. Once a nerd, always a nerd?

Adventures in HisptaLand: Rachel’s Arizona

thecokers — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:47:49 +0000

A Hipstamatic view of Arizona, captured with my iPhone.

Click to view slideshow.

Featuring the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon and places around Sedona.

Sophie learns to skate

thecokers — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 18:21:59 +0000

Here’s Sophie learning to roller skate at a friend’s birthday party:

I wish I could describe the scene at the skating rink. There were two teenage girls in tight jeans, oversize T-shirts with the ends tied up in a knot and long, feathered blonde hair. I think the same two girls were at my childhood skating rink every Saturday back in the ’80s! Sophie did progress from using the “walker” to skating on her own, all in the course of a couple of hours. Definitely a lot of fun!

Charlotte and Goldilocks

thecokers — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:04:56 +0000

Charlotte loves to tell us a story, especially when it’s one she knows by heart from hearing a book over and over and over!

Sophie’s thoughts on God

thecokers — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:51:56 +0000

Actual conversation with Sophie in the car yesterday:

Sophie: How did God make the world?

Me: Well, there are a lot of ideas about how the world was created. What do you think?

Sophie: I think God made all the plants and now he’s dead, but there are people to build everything else we need now.

Me: You think God is dead? Why?

Sophie: Because he was such an old man.

Me: Long diatribe about how God isn’t a person, doesn’t have a gender, isn’t dead, yadda yadda yadda.

Sophie: Well, when someone’s dead you can keep them in your heart. So that’s what I think we should do with God.