Sunday Kidman Urban Is in the 'Raccoon Phase'

Christopher Peterson/BuzzFoto/FilmMagic

Things are topsy-turvy at the Kidman-Urban house – and there’s a 16-month-old handful called Sunday Rose to blame.

Keith Urban says his daughter with wife Nicole Kidman has entered a “great phase for her. It’s really sort of coming alive and communicative.” But that also means she’s into everything, he added.

“[Country singer] Kix Brooks said, ‘Is she in the raccoon phase? You know, just pulling every drawer and pulling everything out.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, she’s in the raccoon phase,’” Keith said, speaking to reporters Tuesday at a Nashville party for his latest No. 1 single, “Only You Can Love Me This Way.”

The country star, who is embarking on the Australian leg of his Escape Together World Tour, on Dec. 12, says he’s looking forward to introducing the curious toddler to Christmas in her parents’ homeland.

“We’ll be able to spend it with all of our extended family on Nic’s side and my side, so we’re really looking forward to that,” he says. “My sister-in-law on Nic’s side has four children and my brother has two, so there’ll be lots of kids running around.”

– Eileen Finan

Comments

Okay. It is nice that Sunday is communicating and probably can enjoy christmas time! I really never say this or negative things and please don’t think i’m being negative it just kills me to hear how the whole extended family will be there yet it doesn’t mention Bella or Connor. It all seems a bit odd after Nicole’s divorce to Tom it seems like she let go of Tom and the kids to start all over. I’m sure Nicole loves them it’s just I think unlike Angelina Jolie, she treats her biological kid different than her adopted kids. For all I know I can be wrong I just feel bad for the older kids.

- Lisa on December 2nd, 2009

I don’t normally post, but I am so happy for this family. After all the two of them have been threw it is just very heart warming to see them so happy. I thin mind you from a distance Nicole seems to have come out of that no “affect zone” and I am sure their having their miracle child is the cause.

- Simply Bohemian on December 2nd, 2009

I don’t think the fact that Nicole’s older children aren’t mentioned necessarily means that they won’t be there for part of the holiday…that’s a rather big assumption to make, isn’t it? Nicole has said plenty of times that Bella and Connor don’t like to be talked about publicly and I think it’s admirable that she (and Keith) respect their privacy when asked.

- Tara on December 2nd, 2009

Lisa, rumor is they don’t call her Mom any more & Tom was very unhappy that Nicole went back to her base religion. He does not want the kids to be influenced by anything other than Scientology.
Some of this was said by Nicole herself in a interview, I will have to Google it to see if I can find it. She said the kids calling only Katie Mom. Ws very painful. As I said in the above post she is finally showing some affect. Please don’t shoot me for saying this but many, many people have noticed that Katie has become what Nicole was.

- Simply Bohemian on December 2nd, 2009

Lisa–how do you know that they are being excluded?
I’m sure they’ll be together during the holiday and will be celebrating with both sides of their family.
I hate how that whole issue is brought up on every Nic or Keith post.
It’s their life, not ours…who are we to judge?
Sorry its just annoying to me that so many people think they know exactly what’s going on in other people’s lives and judge how they parent.

Anyway, I think its nice they’re having Christmas in Australia and will be with both of their families.
I would love being Australia during Christmas
I can’t believe Sunday is 16 months old already!

- Rhea on December 2nd, 2009

Simply Bohemian, the article that appeared in InTouch saying that the kids don’t call her mom was false. Nicole’s rep said the entire article was made up.

- Ashleigh on December 2nd, 2009

Ashleigh, I was not going by intouch. I don’t read magazines let
alone the trash rags. I think it’s sick the way they prey on people.

- Simply Bohemian on December 2nd, 2009

Actually what Kidman said was that the children do not call her MUMMY, they call her mum or Nicole and considering they are teenagers, that is pretty much per for the course where the label “mummy” is concerned. Rather than going by what has been edited in print and reported falsely for over 3 years, a quick search of “Nicole Kidman”"GMTV” on Youtube will bring the interview where you can hear what she actually said instead of what the tabloids think will sell and be repeated by those unaware.

As for her excluding her kids. Lisa, go and read something called DISCONNECTION in scientology. Paul Haggis only recently shared his experience. Maybe then you will question who to feel sorry for.

Good luck to her, Keith and Sunday and starting over in her case is something she has earned. Unlike Kidman, Jolie does not have to contend with an ex-husband in a cult who is told what to do and how to do it. Wherever scientology is involved, it is about keeping your life far away from whatever damage they can cause.

- sleekraven on December 2nd, 2009

No, I hate critizing celebrities and i’m sorry if it came upon that way. In my post I said I could be wrong and it would be great to see the family together. I hope Bella and Connor are there. I’m just saying as a mother to step-children it’s hard for the kids and I just hope Bella and Connor are happy. I really do like this family and Sunday is adorable. I was just letting out my feelings and incase you didn’t read I do believe Nicole loves them and I know the kids dont like being publicized i understand.

- Lisa on December 2nd, 2009

Lisa, you are entitled to your feelings Sadly, this is not a typical mother who has 2 kids from a previous marriage. I always think of it as “a mother who has 2 children in scientology, children who are asked to give personal information about those in their lives however personal”. Before 2005, those kids were not indoctrinated in scientology and it was Kidman who had physical custody of those children but as soon as they became indoctrinated, Kidman pretty much lost because it has now become all about keeping her sanity and survival. Before Sunday came along, the children were already long gone so it is not a case of her abandoning them for Sunday. I really urge you to read up a little bit on DISCONNECTION, it will open your eyes a bit.

- sleekraven on December 2nd, 2009

Thanks Sleekraven. I’m really not intending any disrespect. Nicole is a successful, beautiful women. I will look that up.

- Lisa on December 2nd, 2009

I have to agree, Nicole is the one that I feel sorry for. She obviously WANTS to be a mother to her older two children. You can tell that she is in pain whenever she discusses being pushed out of the situation. I don’t understand how anyone rational can read what scientologists believe and think that it is a good and positive thing. And it really irks me when they are classified as “Christians”. It is NOTHING like Christianity.

- K on December 2nd, 2009

Let’s not be so hard on Lisa. She stated her concerns politely, and I do think a lot of us have noticed something amiss between Nicole and Bella and Connor. We do see pictures of Bella and Connor with Suri, but we don’t see the older children with Sunday. I think it’s a fair assumption that Bella and Connor do spend the majority of their time with Tom. Assuming, for the sake of argument, that there is some kind of estrangement, I will give Nicole the benefit of the doubt and blame it on Scientology. It’s possible that both sides are right – she doesn’t see her children much, but it may be in their best interest right now.

- AE on December 2nd, 2009

By the way, Sunday is very cute – I think she looks a lot like Nicole – and I like that term “raccoon phase.” (Although, having dealt with raccoons, any curious toddler is far more endearing than those pesky animals.)

- AE on December 2nd, 2009

Sunday is so cute! It doesn’t feel like 16 months ago that Sunday was born, but there you go. I remember when Nicole was pregnant, she was barely showing even late into her pregnancy and all of a sudden she had given birth.

And I never comment on the ongoing Nicole/Tom/Bella/Connor debate but this time I can’t resist putting my two cents in. Of course the only people who really know the situation are Nicole, Tom, Bella, Connor, and those few closest to them, but you have to admit it is strange. I know the kids don’t like to be talked about and Nicole obviously respects that, but she used to make the offhand comments here and there about how she spent a weekend with the kids, or she took them to an awards show, or this or that, without actually divulging details about them. She doesn’t make those comments anymore, and there is never any indication that they spend any holidays together. And I do realize that I know very little about their personal lives and what I see online and in magazines is not going to tell me the whole story. But with what has been coming out lately regarding Scientology and disconnection (and I know that Nicole has said that Bella and Connor are being raised as Scientologists and she did not seem happy about it), it seems like such a possiblity in this family. If they are being raised as Scientologists and Nicole is unhappy about that, it doesn’t sound like she has a lot of influence over their upbringing, which I find incredibly sad.

And now I’ll step off my soapbox!

- alice jane on December 3rd, 2009

People, none of us have ANY idea what the true situation is with Tom, Nicole, Bella, and Connor (or with Tom and Katie, for that matter). We need to keep in mind that a lot of what is reported about Scientology is just gossip, i.e. we really have no idea how much of it is actually true.

My guess is that the situation is A LOT less complicated and A LOT more mild than a lot of us think!

Simply Bohemian- Nicole never went back to her “base religion” (as you referred to it)….because she never left it in the first place. She has always, from what I’ve read, been Catholic. Unlike Katie, she never actually converted to Scientology. From what I’ve read, I think she may have taken a few Scientology classes, but she never actually converted.

Bottomline: I think we’re making a lot of unneccesary assumptions here, ladies!

- CelebBabyLover on December 3rd, 2009

Simply Bohemian, I only mentioned that article because it was one that HER rep specifically refuted.

- Ashleigh on December 3rd, 2009

I like the “racoon phase” comment too! It’s cute! And remember this is Keith speaking about little playmates for Sunday, not older kids.

I do feel sorry for Nicole though, I doubt she chose to be so cut off from her older kids’ lives. I don’t know if she could have fought for them and won. I guess if they were kind of indoctrinated from a young age they would be against her too if she did anyway.

- Alice on December 3rd, 2009

I’m not even going to touch on the whole thing regarding Bella and Conner, b/c that’s not what this article is about.

Sunday is an adorable little girl! I love getting to see pics of her. I completely understand what they mean about a “raccoon phase”- my youngest is only a month and half older than Sunday!

- Shannon on December 3rd, 2009

As a freshman in college, one of my good friends (and he still is a good friend) was raised by his father from 10 years old on. His twin brother was raised by his mother. They lived in the same city growing up. The mom was a scientologist. Eventually the mom and brother stopped contact with my friend and he has always been devastated by it. He didn’t tell me too many details, but he did say everything about the split had to do with religion. Very sad. I think it is very cult-ish and scary. And most likely has very little to do with Nicole.

- melania on December 3rd, 2009

Just because we don’t hear about it or see any photo of it, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. Some celebs CHOOSE to live privately unlike others who parade around their children everywhere. We hardly saw any pictures of Bella and Connor when Nicole was married to Tom, and I’m assuming that was the choice that Nicole made. We only started seeing Bella and Connor’s pictures more after Tom got married to Katie Holmes. So, I don’t see why things need to change with Nicole now that she’s married to someone else.

- Ashley on December 3rd, 2009

“Raccoon phase” LOL that’s too funny

- sil on December 3rd, 2009

Cute baby, and cute daddy!!

- trish on December 3rd, 2009

CelebBabyLover–

Welcome to the 21st Century. Like many churches and “churches” the “church” of scientology has their beliefs officially posted online for those who wish to join. I have high degrees (plural) and a 170 IQ, so before you open your mouth to make stupid ASSUMPTIONS that people do not know what they are talking about, you need to think twice. Get off of your lazy butt — wait, you can even stay on it! — and do some RESEARCH.

- K on December 3rd, 2009

I forgot to say last night that I doubt there’s any sort of “disconnection” involved, as Nicole HAS alluded to seeing Bella and Connor over the past year. She has spoken, for example, about how one of her favorite pictures is one of Bella cradling a then-newborn Sunday. She also said a few months after Sunday’s birth that, right after Sunday was born, she enjoyed being in the “bubble” of her, Keith, Bella, Connor, and Sunday.

She has also spoken about how Connor visited her on the set of her movie Australia (in fact, if I’m remembering correctly, Connort even had a small behind-the-scenes job on the set!). She also mentioned last Spring at some Hollywood women’s event (I forget the name of it) that Bella was helping Keith take care of Sunday while she (Nicole) was at the event.

My point is, I think those kids see Nicole a lot more than we realize! As for not sharing little tidbits like she used to, I’m guessing that IS due to them not wanting her to mention them in interviews. They probably asked her point-blank not to share those little tidbits about them in interviews. Before anyone says anything, Tom has said that they’ve requested that of him as well, but sometimes he slips up.

- CelebBabyLover on December 4th, 2009

I just recieved my copy of this week’s PEOPLE magazine today, and in it there is an article in which Nicole answers questions from PEOPLE readers. One of her answers seems to confirm that she DOES see Bella and Connor more than is publically known, and that Bella and Connor DO spend some holidays with their mother, stepfather, and youngest sister. The question was whether Sunday is close to Bella and Connor. Here is Nicole’s answer:

“Yeah, we are actually going to be having Thanksgiving together (obviously the article was done prior to Thanksgiving!). Sunday now wears Bella Jane’s pearl bracelet, a tiny seed pearl bracelet that Bella had when she was 18 months old. I tell her, ‘That’s your big sister Bella’s bracelet.’ She holds it up and says ‘Bracelet!’”

So I’m guessing Bella and Connor alternate holidays with their parents. They spent Thanksgiving with their mom, so it makes sense that they will probably be spending Christmas with their dad! Bottomline: Just because we see hardly any pictures of Nicole with Bella and Connor, doesn’t mean she never sees them! When you stop to think about it, we really don’t see pictures of her with Sunday that often, either. I think, like other posters have said, Nicole is simply a much more private person than Tom is!

- CelebBabyLover on December 5th, 2009

K- Even if what is posted about Scientology IS true (the Church of Scientology is by far no stranger to conspircy theories and rumors, which is why I’m a bit skeptical about whether any of those sites are legite), that doesn’t mean that every Scientologist follows all those beliefs.

For example, the Roman Catholic church forbids sex outside of marriage, but there are plenty of Catholics who engage in premarital or extramarital sex. They also forbid the use of birth control….but quite a few Catholics still choose to use it.

My point is, everyone is different, and not everybody is going to follow their religion’s beliefs or customs to the letter! Anyway, please read my last two posts. Obviously Nicole DOES still see her older kids.

- CelebBabyLover on December 5th, 2009

Oh, and I also meant to say that I think we’re just going to have to agree to disagree at this point.

- CelebBabyLover on December 5th, 2009