I figure we could do another round of Ask the Wife to pass the time.
Please do understand that if I say I can’t answer a question or make a comment on something, it has not much to do with your question and probably more with agreements that we have signed with various companies and groups.
Don’t ask me where Peter is or what he is doing right now. Just think good thoughts for our leader.
• 
I have nothing to ask. Just wanted to say hi.
Hi!
ANSWER: *Waves* Hi! *grin*
What if we ask what he ISN’T doing instead? 😉
ANSWER: He isn’t bowling this week which he must be jonesing on by now since he tends to bowl at least 3 games a day.
What cute thing did Caroline do today?
ANSWER: I’m going to answer for Tuesday since she just got up this morning with a sniffy nose and lots of coughing poor dear.
She was in her big helper mode. If I asked Ariel to get me something, Caroline was right there insisting that she was a big helper and she could help! She helped me empty and load the dishwasher. She helped me with folding laundry. She helped me pick up the living room (when she didn’t stop and play with what she was picking up). When we were done with the living room, she put her hands on her hips(think classic Peter Pan pose) and declared herself the bestest helper ever.
Hi, Kathleen. (Yeah, I’m not always on LiveJournal…)
How long have you been a dedicated Internet user? What felt like your first true online community?
(My example: I’ve used the ‘Net since getting e-mail in college in the mid-90s, but except for being part of the 1999 online effort to save the show “Cupid” I wasn’t really part of any particular online group. Back in 2003 I got into the forum that author Caitlin R. Kiernan used to have, finally getting that community; and since friends of mine there were also on LJ, I set up my account. Things grew from there. And you?)
ANSWER:I have been online with my own account (I’m not counting all the time on my parent’s academic accounts or my college account) since 1991.
My first community was a Doctor Who group called the PMEB. Before that I dabbled in some of the online communities on AOL.
So, seeing as how you’re both creative types, how often does inspiration strike you?
ANSWER: Depends on the problem I am trying so solve. Creative is just a normal state of being for me. Always has been since childhood. So I am inspired by all kinds of things and it really don’t follow a pattern. I tend to solve more if I focus on what I need/want to do.
Gosh I hope that made sense. I haven’t had coffee yet.
If you had your druthers, where besides NYC would you like to live?
ANSWER:Oxford England, Vermont, or some where on a horse farm in Dairy (Ireland) or possibly LA.
How, written phoenetically, do you pronounce the word “Cthulhu”?
(Ayup, I’m shootin’ for strangest quetion here.)
ANSWER: You got a better answer than I could give below.
Is Caroline a picky eater? If she is, how much are you willing to fight that at mealtimes?
ANSWER: If you opened a dictionary and looked up Picky Eater, I swear Caroline’s picture would be there.
I do try to get her to try new foods which is like pulling teeth. I put things that she doesn’t eat but that we are having (say peas) on her plate. She doesn’t have to eat it but she can not toss it to the floor (loss of dessert after a warning). I will get her to kiss the food or lick it so she gets a bit of the taste. Eventually she’ll take a bite and then we are on the path to adding another food to the short list of what she will eat.
Then there are the times that she just asks for a food out of the blue. She asked for eggs. Peter made her scrambled eggs and she ate them up. So I making her eggs for lunch today.
Is there any possibility that ST:NF will make a few novel comback?
ANSWER: Next for NF is the IDW comics. Then there will be a novel which should happen real soon now.
What do you miss about Atlanta?
ANSWER: Well my family lives down there so I miss being able to go to Sunday dinner and catching up on everyone’ week. But we do stay in touch.
I have friends down there but I see them when I go there a couple of times a year.
Good BBQ is hard to get up here.
And I sincerely miss the Center for Puppetry Arts.
James, obviously I’m not Kath, but the usual phonetic pronunciation of Cthulhu is k’too-loo. Alternatively, k’thoo-loo, kuh-too-loo or kuh-thoo-loo. The difference with the k’ as opposed to the kuh- is essentially minor; the former sound just suggests the same sound in words like “direct” and “connect”–in English, it’s a bit difficult to pronounce in the initial position but not much worse than some combinations in other languages.
ANSWER: Thanks Joseph
Does PAD watch the greatest show on Earth FUTURAMA?
Professor: You all remember Leela’s orphanage, right?
Fry: Yeah, we talk about it all the time.
Leela: Really?
Fry: Nope. Burn! [high fives Bender]
Professor: Well done fellows.
ANSWER: Yes, we do. I’m the bigger FUTURAMA fan of the two of us but he still enjoys it.
Do you think the first person to discover fire was also the first person to get burned? If so, did the second person learn from that guy’s mistake, or do you think there were several idiots who suffered the same fate before one finally came to the conclusion ‘Hey, maybe I shouldn’t touch this stuff directly’?
Remember to show your work.
ANSWER:I am figuring that fire happened several places at the same time. Usually from lighting strikes. I figure cooking started the same way. I figure the learning curve was pretty quick. I know dogs that have gotten singed that know better than to stick their noses in a campfire.
Being as you are from Atlanta, have you ever visited a shop in Athens called Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother? For those not in-the-know, it’s a great “junk” shop that also happens to sell comic books. I haven’t been there for a couple of years, but I sure hope it’s still there.
Also, as for my opinion on where Peter is… I think he’s secretly one of those super secret Navy S.E.A.L.S. that are called in whenever Cobra threatens the good ol’ U.S. of A.
ANSWER: I know right where the Junkman’s Daughter is in Little 5. I have to admit to not having been to Athens since 1985 and I am betting I went there because I know I visited a junk shop that sold comics when I went to Athens. Honestly, i don’t know if it is still there either.
Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother on My Space
http://tinyurl.com/3v2dkb
What makes Peter’s head explode more.
Major changes from an editor in a story line he has laid out for a comic book because of some big crossover that is only tangentially related to the character.
Or, major changes in a novelization from a producer because, well, producers are idiots?
ANSWER: Neither really.
He honestly anticipates both as he is working.
His motto is expect nothing but anticipate everything.
By this point in his career he tends to sigh a rather heavy sigh and figure out how to work with what he has been given.
KOD,
What one thing or moment made you decide that puppetry was your thing?
ANSWER: Honestly I can’t remember a time in my life were puppets weren’t part of my life. Puppetry is to me what drawing is to some artists, it just is. It always has been and always will be.
One of my early memories is playing with a set of Wizard of Oz hand puppets that came with fabric softener. I think the heads are probably still somewhere in my parents house.
“Gosh I hope that made sense. I haven’t had coffee yet.”
PERFECT sense. Wow, precaffienation, too!
My first community was a Doctor Who group called the PMEB.
Let me guess … the Paul McGann Estrogen Brigade?
A friend of mine was one of the founding members of SEFEB over in DS9 fandom, so that’s a familiar-sounding acronym to me. 🙂
And a new question: back when Caroline was 2-3, did she insist on having you or Peter sit with her at bedtime until she fell asleep? And if so, did she eventually grow out of it? (We’re having issues like that with Katherine — it’s not a huge issue most of the time, but when she’s really wired it can be a big commitment!)
Oh, and do you usually refer to your husband as “our leader”? 🙂
TWL
ANSWER: About that age Caroline would fall asleep in Peter’s lap and I would take her upstairs. Now we can put her to bed and she stays there and goes to sleep. So I guess she grew out of it. Has she given you a reason why you have to stay?
Our Leader or Our Fearless Leader *grin*
No questions as much as hoping you guys aren’t feeling any ill effects from the Hummer incident.
ANSWER: Thanks. I am feeling pretty much normal which is a good thing.
Question 2: As a puppeteer, what did you think of the puppet theme in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL? (And if you haven’t seen this yet, go see it: It’s a strong contender for funniest movie of 2008, even though it’s still April!)
ANSWER: Haven’t seen it yet. I know some of the Henson folks had a hand in it. Plan on seeing it soon.
Are you worried about the possibility of your husband being secretly replaced by a Skrull while he is away from home?
ANSWER:Not currently……heehehee
Have you seen Being John Malkovich? If so, what did you think of it, as a puppeteer?
ANSWER: i went to see it because I had met the puppeteer. I thought it was quite good but then I always thought that Philip Huber was an excellent marionette artist. I thought the whole thing was rather amazing.
Martin, what makes you think Peter wasn’t replaced by a Skrull YEARS ago??
Thanks for the answer.
Is any footage of your puppetry work online?
ANSWER: No. Most of my performance work was done pre-Youtube. I do have somewhere a tape of the performance we did of a Neil Gaiman poem back at DragonCon oh so many years ago.
I do have some pictures of the puppets.
well, Martin, Clay… if an alien ship lands and out struts a 300-325 lbs Peter David, we’ll… well I was going to say “know” but I guess we still wouldn’t, huh? We’ll have ’em fight, whoever wins is OBVIOUSLY the REAL PAD.
For Tim Lynch:
For what it’s worth, I have a 3 1/2 yr. old daughter, and she insists on having either my wife or me sit in the rocking chair as she gets ready to sleep. (The room is dark, nighttime lullabies are playing on the CD, etc.) We originally started by sitting ’til she was asleep, but we’re down to 1-2 songs now and then out. She’s still awake at that point, but she accepts it.
I’m assuming it’s a phase, and she’ll be done with it by the time she’s, oh, 12. 🙂
Hope this helps!
Rob Carlin
Any news on when we can expect to see your Doctor Who story?
ANSWER: According to Amazon UK the book is to be published May 30th of this year.
I was gonna ask this:
“Any news on when we can expect to see your Doctor Who story?”
I don’t know if you already have elsewhere, but could you give us the name of the anthology so we know what to search for?
ANSWER: It is called Doctor Who Short Trips Qualities of Leadership
Kath, I need some advice…
Much like PAD, I am going to be out of town for several day (I am a teacher and have to take my class to outdoor school for a week). This leaves my wonderful wife home alone with a 5 year old and an 8 year old. So, what kinds of things does PAD bring you back from his trips so that you will take him back? I need some suggestions! Let’s just say I am going to need something good to make this up to my wife…I leave on her birthday 🙁 !!!
ANSWER: Well it is easy for Peter to shop for me. He gets me such things as Battlestar Galatica Dog Tags with the name of the character that I am in the BSG book he wrote. He knows that Disney stuff or Muppet stuff is so made of win for me.
Does she like nice bath products that you will give her time to use once you get back?
Can you get something related to her hobbies?
About that age Caroline would fall asleep in Peter’s lap and I would take her upstairs. Now we can put her to bed and she stays there and goes to sleep. So I guess she grew out of it. Has she given you a reason why you have to stay?
It started when my wife went out of town for a conference, but that was 16 months ago at this point — it’s now become more of an ingrained habit. She says that she’s scared (of what varies — monsters, bears, bats), but I think it’s more a force of habit than anything else.
One big difference between your situation and ours, though, is that she’s been in day care from an early age — so maybe she just wants more mommy or daddy time. My guess is that she’ll grow out of it; I was just wondering if there are ways to encourage the process.
TWL
ANSWER: It has become a habit at this point so she is expecting it. You have to find a way of creating a new habit for her to follow. Like setting a timer for how long you will sit there with her would be my suggestion. We tend to play the if you are a big girl then card on Caroline occasionally.
Tim: Your answer may be sticker charts! I’m a big believer and user of sticker charts. I have an almost 4 year old girl who has issues with bed, bedtime, staying in bed, waking me up for a milk refill, string cheese refill, etc. The charts were used for potty training, too. Thank God for sticker charts!
First charts should have few boxes, so the reward comes early. Add more boxes to the path as time goes on. Right now, we have two charts going. One has Black Beauty (crudely drawn by mom), a path with boxes, and a barn where the apples are. To get a sticker in the morning, Amber has to sleep in HER bed at night. I can get about a month out of one chart, with a small plastic horse or two (you can get sets of animals in a tube for $5. They have 6-10 animals inside) when the chart is full.
Second chart is the real work in progress for us. (The Black Beauty chart is there because she doesn’t want to give it up.) Goal: Don’t wake Mommy at night for cheese or milk. This chart has a unicorn on a path to a cloud (her choice). Not nearly as many squares as Black Beauty has. But if I’m summoned for food, I remind her that she won’t get a sticker. It’s her choice. We’re getting more and more nights were she decides her water supply is okay after all. And best of all are the nights were she never calls me at all!
Aside- I know going to bed with milk is bad. But she had about a year of tonsillitis and sore throats, and often lived on milk and whatever nutrition we could get into her. I had to choose between sending her to bed hungry or letting her have milk. Now that the tonsils are gone, we’re working on changing her eating/drinking habits.
You could have a sticker chart for each night she goes to bed and doesn’t fuss if you leave after a timer in the hallway goes off (say 10 minutes to start). Timers are my other weapon of choice. They are impartial! So if daughter settles quietly after the parent leaves, in the morning she gets a sticker. Put the chart on her closet door so she can see it. And put the stickers out of reach! The prize can be a new bedtime story book, a small toy, a special outing for ice cream… whatever she’ll value. Make putting a sticker on the chart into an event! If she doesn’t get one, don’t make a big deal out of it. Show her the progress she is making. Show her the prize she’ll earn! She’ll come around fast if you set her up for success and raise the stakes slowly. Sticker charts rule!
Good luck!
Jacalyn
ANSWER:Oooo yeah this sort of thing works well indeed. Caroline earns toys with various tasks and a check off chart.
Y’know Tim, that it’s your own fault that your daughter wants so much of your time. If you’d named her “Mothra” like the various Board regulars here urged, she would have already reached the point where she didn’t want anything to do with you.
I like the chart idea — we’ve been talking about that already. Our only stumbling block is trying to figure out how to talk to her about it without making it sound like “Mommy and Daddy really don’t want to stay with you,” since that might be taken the wrong way.
We’ve done the timer stuff on other things — I have a watch alarm, so we get things like “you can play until the watch beeps, then it’s bath time” and so on. It usually works, so that’s a good thought too. (The only problem with it at bedtime is that I wonder if the noise would rouse her up again.)
Some great ideas. Thanks much, Kath and Jacalyn!
And David, I’m not at all sure about that. She’s a pretty offbeat kid — she might think Mothra was the coolest name ever.
TWL