Slide VI

A trip down the Giant Slide. At the Alameda County Fair. (0:15)

Bobble Lagoon

Zipped inside a beach ball, floating on a pool. At the Alameda County Fair. (1:04)

“My New Thomas Intro”

Shot—and edited! (with a few tips from Daddy)—by the boy using the iPad. He did a first pass edit before adding the music, and was pretty darn close. Not close enough for him mind you, but once he calmed himself down a bit, we made five or six nudges and BOOM.

Mushroom Swing

Length: 0:32

On a fast ride with Mommy. Mother's Day at Gilroy Gardens.

A Christmas Recitation

Length: 1:16

From the gospel according to Luke, by way of Schulz and Melendez.

Splash Battle

Length: 0:55

At sea (aka LegoLand) with Grampy Bill. Caught by surprise.

Freeway Chase

Length: 1:09

The family that makes preposterous action sequences together, stays together.

Edited down from one shot, one take, almost no rehearsal. Also directed by the boy.

Boulder Chase

Length: 0:13

This one was directed by the boy. And by directed I mean he was out the front door barking orders before I even had my camera.

[YouTube link]

Swim Toy Torpedo

Swim Toy Torpedo from Chris Ereneta on Vimeo.

Length: 1:55

A bit of fun with the boy at a busy neighborhood pool. Shot with my Father’s Day present. Music “Perpetuum Mobile” by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, as suggested by Anna Rascouët-Paz.

Flashless? (Click here.)

Balloon II

Length: 0:25

Looks like fun. Less convinced it sounds like fun.

Flashless? (Click here.)

Grapefruit

Length: 0:48

Nana’s neighbors have a grapefruit tree. Ripe fruit that falls onto the ground often ends up in the curbside yardwaste pile.

Meaning it ends up in Nana’s kitchen.

Flashless? (Click here.)

Pour

Length: 1:21

Washing the boy’s hair before he took swimming lessons felt nearly impossible. These days: NOT A PROBLEM.

Flashless? (Click here.)

Stairs

Length: 0:32

At a family Christmas gathering (2008), the kids make the most of Uncle John’s condo.

Flashless? (Click here.)

Water Balloon

Length: 0:46

For a boy on the spectrum predisposed to tantrums and anxiety attacks, a filled water balloon is akin to Chekhov’s proverbial gun-in-the-first-act.

Flashless? (Click here.)

Bouncy Seat

Length: 2:10

Music video from 2004 not previously posted to the intermawebs.

A thick-limbed boy jumps in a doorframe harness. Cut to Elvis vs. JXL.

Flashless? (Click here.)

Teacups II

Teacups II from Chris Ereneta on Vimeo.

A year and some later. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

The boy still enjoys a good spin.

(Note: a new endtitle to reflect the evolving URL.)

Length: 0:27

(Flashless? Click here.)

Boys & Uglydolls (2004)

Length: 1:44

An attempt to pose three babies, three plush toys, and a 4-year-old for a photograph. Results were mixed, then set to a 90s pop track. My boy is the confused one in the back with the enormous arms and legs.

(Flashless? Click here.)

Teacups

Teacups from Chris Ereneta on Vimeo.

So. Here we are.

What is a prodigal videoblogger to do.

This here's from a year ago. The Magic G*ddamned Kingdom.

Length: 1:17

(Flashless? Click here.)

Note: My feedburner account's busted, so it'll take some time before this is a podcast again.

Nana

Flashless? (Click here.)

Length: 1:15

A bit of summer backyard fun with one of the boy's favorite playmates, my mom. Moments like this help us set aside our vexations over his rigidity and anxiety attacks. It's this kind of interaction the specialists tasked with assessing his social skills never get a chance to see.

Open Mic

Flashless? (Click to view.)

Length: 2:56

In the kids' area at the county fair this year there stood a small stage in front of a couple of benches. There was no schedule of performers or showcases, just a live gooseneck microphone at a kid-friendly height.

When we first walked past, a couple of girls were using it to sing "Happy Birthday" together. The boy appeared not to take notice. A few minutes later, however, when there was no one on stage and no one in the audience, he wandered up the ramp, muttered a few words into the microphone, and stepped back down again. After a few more tentative experiments, he marched back up and launched into a complete song, an En Vogue number from Sesame Street (complete with the requisite melisma).

While his diction is... imprecise, his rhythm is surprisingly good. He even attempts to sing much of the song while inhaling, in his attempt to keep the beat. I have included the song in its entirety, so nota bene.

The general shakiness of the video is due to the effect of Christa's foot tapping on the bench on which we were seated.