Nana

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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.

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semanal08, semanal08week32

Open Mic

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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.

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semanal08, semanal08week27

Recitation

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Length: 0:27

A spontaneous adaptation of a poem entitled "I Like Peanut Butter" from an out-of-print children's book the boy has at one of his two schools (he won't say which).

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semanal08, semanal08week25

Raspberries

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Length: 0:44

Creakily climbing back up on the horse after a jarring dismount. Aided by my Father's Day present, a Flip mino.

Up to this point I've typically avoided footage of the boy playing to the camera, but with the Flip he's had a bit of a conceptual breakthrough. He's not just performing for my benefit--he's performing for his own.

Photo (cc) by Marko Kivelä.

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semanal08, semanal08week24

Slide V

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Length: 0:24

New Year's Day 2008. The boy's slide-ascension skills continue to improve.

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semanal08, semanal08week15

Maze

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Length: 1:25

A bit of hay bale fun from October 2007.

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semanal08, semanal08week14

Dance Party

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Length: 1:41

"100 Years in Cinema" is the title card slogan for the collaborative movie clip party I host each year with friends. Back in August 2005 I posted the opening montage from the 8th Edition to the videoblog.

Lately it's become a favorite of the boy's when we watch old Matchbook Films videos in the kitchen via Front Row. The fast-paced onscreen action and the Chemical Brothers beats make a compelling argument for a dance party of one.

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semanal08, semanal08week12

Bubble Gun

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Length: 0:42

A pantsless summer moment in MN.

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semanal08, semanal08week10

Stack

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Length: 0:38

This week the boy discovered the falling baker from the early years of Sesame Street. He's learning well.

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semanal08, semanal08week9

Train

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Length: 0:35

Subtle but significant change of pace for me. For the casual viewer: not much to see, feel free to move along.

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semanal08, semanal08week8

Rotation

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Length: 0:34

August 2007. In which the boy goes for a spin.

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Brick Wall (Run IX)

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Length: 0:46

October 2007. In which the boy takes matters into his own hands.

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semanal08, semanal08week6

Slippery (Slide IV)

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Length: 0:20

Going to the park after a summer rain helps clarify the relationship between a waterslide and a standard playground slide.

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semanal08, semanal08week5

Slide III

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Length: 0:08

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Spring

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Length: 0:17

A quick Christmas moment.

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Story Time #14: Owl Moon

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Length: 7:55

In casual conversation it is often difficult to explain life with a hyperlexic boy.

My wife's brilliant new blog has begun to open the eyes of more people to some of the particulars of our family's life together. And I of course have more than a hundred individual video posts that fill in even more detail.

But I've generally edited my "Story Time" series pretty tightly, to capture just the highlights of the boy's recitations. This time I'm inviting you to experience this family pastime in near-real time.

We tell people that he memorizes and recites stories, but those who haven't had (or taken) the time to really listen to him may not understand that this is not merely passive brain activity. Storytelling for him is PLAY.

The story, in this case, is one of the most beautifully written and illustrated picture books in our collection, OWL MOON, the 1988 Caldecott Medal winner by Jane Yolen. The boy knows it from a Scholastic video adaptation, and from the hardcover book. The audio from the DVD--read by the author--is also available as a download from iTunes.

It's the story told in the voice of a young girl walking in the snowy woods, the first time she's been allowed to accompany her father on a late night search for owls. The book makes for excellent bedtime reading, and makes an outstanding gift for fathers of young children (especially girls).

The boy and I have taken this walk many times after dark. On one beautiful evening back in August 2007, I brought my camera along.

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semanal08, semanal08week2

Trike

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Length: 0:39

The big present from Santa this year was a 45-pound trike. just like the ones at his preschool Took the boy to the elementary school blacktop to give it a spin (our street is too hilly). He prefers to scoot, rather than pedal, and can move a lot faster than I expected. Didn't want to be one of those parents who puts a helmet on their kid on a tricycle, but um...

Week 1 of Semanal, a 52-week videoblogging adventure.

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semanal08, semanal08week1

Backseat Karaoke

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Length: 1:11

Those old enough to remember the Electric Company (or hip enough to have bought the DVD box set) will likely remember the "Sign Song", written by Clark Gesner, and unmistakably arranged by Joe Raposo. The boy's current affinity for the song is due in part to its second half, in which the vocals are omitted (so that viewers could read the signs and sing along at home).

Here he demonstrates his mastery of the song (including an unintentional endnote on the mp3 I hijacked from the DVD), and a camera awareness I've not revealed in the past.

Couldn't resist, though. Cuteness prevailed.

Night Bubbles

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Length: 1:15

This one's dark, gotta admit it. Not, like, heavy or serious. Just: almost impossible to see.

Comedian (Mirror IX)

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Length: 1:59

Practicing a few comedy fundamentals in the mirror before heading off to bed.

One of the reasons the boy's extended family and friends initially had trouble understanding his autism assessment was his impish sense of humor. It's not something that's seen in the forms of autism typically shown on talk shows and news programs (what I like to call "TV autism"), but the spectrum is both broad and mysterious. Christa's doing a fantastic job chronicling the particulars of the boy's special spot on the spectrum in her new blog.

He has always loved making us laugh, especially during the evening bathroom ritual. (See here and here for relevant examples.) Of course, he still needs to work on that whole making himself laugh while he's doing it. Not everyone can get away with what they got away with on the Carol Burnett show.

Insomnia III

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Length: 0:33

Would you believe Christmas morning, 2006?

Ball Pit

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Length: 0:43

Taking a break from the trip down memory lane, with a moment from earlier today. Can you spot the boy?

Insomnia II

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Length: 0:46

Past bedtime. October 2006.

Story Time #13: Time of Wonder

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Length: 1:24

From late March, when the boy was beginning to feed us lines. Tricky, as he was still working on his own diction (for example, here where he can't quite say "begins"), but remaining insistent that we get it right.

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Length: 0:53

From the morning of his third birthday back in January, upon receiving the full-size version of a book he already owned in boardbook form.

Story Time #11: Apt. 3

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Length: 0:17

A quick driveby.

Story Time #4.5: Big Time Olie

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Length: 1:04

Here again in August 2006. The boy's diction is limited, but definitely expressive, as he reads to his grandparents two thousand miles away.

Floor

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Length: 1:02

A moment of "outsider" modern dance from August 2006.

Sigue (Run VIII)

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Length: 1:21

At this time a year ago (when I captured this), the boy was running the loop at a serious clip. It was a pace not unlike this (running this same track in the house) that triggered the heart/anxiety incident that landed me in the ER this summer.

The word, of course (Spanish for "go on!"), was learned from Dora. Or Diego. Who don't teach children the Spanish language so much as they teach them random words to shout at the top of their lungs.

Recorded the same night as Bowling.

Puddle

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Length: 0:56

Our old front walk collected water every time it rained. Or whenever the boy asked to bring out the hose. August 2006.

Run VII

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Length: 1:22

Two reasons I post so infrequently are, I'm realizing, just one reason. First, the single unedited shots that make up the majority of my posts (about the boy, anyhow) are tough to capture. They require patience, and a lot of wasted footage waiting to see if something is going to happen. Second, I am acutely aware that these kinds of videos ask for a certain level of patience from the viewer, to wait and continue watching to see if this is the kind of single-take video that ends with a narrative payoff, or one of those that's all about the journey. My concern for the viewer makes editing take longer than one might imagine, as I nudge the starting and ending points by a few frames to get the feel of the transitions just right.

As time has gone on, however, and I browse back through the history of Matchbook Films on my iPhone, I realize that the videos I return to again and again are the ones that are less about storytelling and more about momentshowing. And I remain convinced that within these videos there is something revealed that is about more than how much I adore my own kid.

Perhaps I'm deluding myself. But until my audience drops down to one, I intend to keep sharing these favorite moments, like this one I'd forgotten about from August 2006. Lake Calhoun, Minnesota. The boy has gotten out of the water and into a dry diaper, when he suddenly decides to run off down the path.

Story Time #3.5: Oh, The Thinks You Can Think

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Length: 1:01

A reading moment in the middle of the kitchen floor. From back in July of 2006, when the boy's diction was a lot less clear.

The Gingerbread Man II (Mirror VIII)

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Length: 2:03

For a few of you, this may seem excessive. (In the comments for the last video like this I posted, my brother made a wisecrack about New German Cinema.) Believe me, I watched this multiple times, looking for ways to cut it down.

In the end I decided to go with the cumulative effect of the boy checking to see if the book that the boy in the mirror is holding is, in fact, the same one that he is holding himself. One page at a time.

The Gingerbread Man

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Length: 1:46

Back in April we flew down to San Diego, to celebrate my dad's mom's 90th birthday. On two previous trips to my Aunt Julie's house, the boy had read (and subsequently remembered) a small picture book adaptation of The Gingerbread Man. This time, however, the book became not just a vehicle for reading and memorization, but a toy. And one that created an opportunity for him to play with my aunt, who is positively brilliant at engaging with kids.

I often wish he had more adults like her in his life.

Also: this video features a forgotten method for descending carpeted stairs that I wish I wasn't too oversized to employ myself.

Dent Numa Numa

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Length: 1:06

The boy and his cousins sing a spontaneous version of "Dragostea Din Tei" (the "Numa Numa" song) while goofing off with Photo Booth effects. We may have a YouTube minihit on our hands.

Carousel

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Length: 0:24

Digging back into the vaults for moments I'd missed in the crush of work. This one's from a trip to the zoo from almost exactly a year ago.

Mirror VII

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Length: 0:36

Photo Booth in Leopard now records video. Here the boy plays with the "Mirror" effect.

Two Man Band

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Length: 0:59

A bit of free jazz from the boy and his friend Oliver.

Hole 14

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Length: 1:09

The boy and I play golf together. Of course when I say golf, I don't mean golf so much as: running around on a miniature golf course holding a club and a ball.

Still, he has a good time.

A strange, but good time.

Don't Speak

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Length: 1:55

Potty training. Going exactly nowhere.

Pool

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Length: 0:25

Titled this before I'd remembered this video, a prequel from nearly three years ago, featuring the same two boys in a wading pool (although at the time they couldn't even sit upright, let alone jump into the water).

(And hoo boy were they a lot chunkier back then.)

Run VI

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My first version of this was about half this length. I chopped it down to create a non-stop barrage of boys running and shouting. Total mayhem.

But the boy complained. He had seen the unedited assembly and loved it. When I presented him the finished piece he was mad that I had wrecked it. To humor him, I reassembled the four original shots and let him watch that a few more times.

Then I looked back at my "official" edit, and my heart sank.

The boy's edit was better.

Sure in the raw footage there are moments of dead space, and some awkward transitional framings, but in attempting to remove the rougher bits I had taken out all sense of context, of pacing, of beginning, middle, and end. It was just a bunch of random shots stitched together. Maybe I could have slapped on a pop song and turned it into a music video. (Maybe I'll still do that.)

For now, however, consider this the boy's first project as editor. I can't wait to see what he's making when he's five.

Length: 2:50

Rocks

Cousins throwing rocks into the water.

Length: 1:25

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Stomp Rocket

From back in January, a moment of play with a favorite Christmas present. In this one you can catch a look at the old front yard.

Length: 0:53

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Red Light

Because who wants to come to a stop?

Length: 0:44

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Story Time #10: Hyperlexia

I hadn't originally intended to do seven videos about the boy this week. But on day two, Josh left a comment asking me to explain where such a little guy was going on a school bus. This video attempts to answer that question. But for those of you (like Josh) who've only ever met the boy through this videoblog, this may leave you with more questions than answers.

I knew it was going to take me all week to put together this one, so I filled the remainder of the days with unpublished videos from the past. I think it does create a bit of an arc to the week, and it's perhaps fitting that with this video I cross over the 100 video milestone.

Length: 4:16

Click to view

Those of you following a link about hyperlexia can click in the right column on the video category "story time" to see videos of the boy reading/reciting.

That'll just about do it for Videoblogging Week 2007.

Tags: videobloggingweek2007,hyperlexia

Pillow Fort

Cuteness in low light conditions. (Some people on older monitors or on PCs won't hardly be able to see a thing, here. It's all in the audio, anyhow.)

Length: 0:41

Click to view

Made it to Day Six of Videoblogging Week. Tomorrow's a traveling day; I may need to post #7 early.

Tag: videobloggingweek2007

Scary

"Is it scary?" is what we've asked him in the past, so it's what he says himself when he's feeling scared. Especially when he's having fun.

Length: 0:31

Click to view

Day Five, still alive. It's Videoblogging Week.

Tag: videobloggingweek2007

One Shoe On

A frequent morning stalling tactic, in which the boy demonstrates some small amount of rhythm. Until, that is, he attempts to talk and walk at the same time.

Length: 1:19

Click to view

Barely made it in under the wire for Day Four of Videoblogging Week. The first two posts were same-day videos, but these last two have been dug up from the archives. I may need to keep doing that for the next couple of days...

Tag: videobloggingweek2007

Story Time #9: In the Night Kitchen

Another bathtime recitation, this one from the Maurice Sendak classic.

Length: 1:26

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This is day three of Videoblogging Week.

Tag: videobloggingweek2007

Bus

Today we put our three year old onto a school bus.

Maybe you should read that last sentence again.

Length: 0:50

Click to view

It's Videoblogging Week. We're two for two.

Tag: videobloggingweek2007