Elliot’s World
Elliot has become inseparable from the camera. She films herself doing puzzles. She films me reading her bedtime story. She films a tour of the house and all the objects in her room.
I don’t know where she gets it from . . .
She also always introduces herself to the camera—which is a must-see.
Here are the first two of what will possibly become many cunning tales from the world of Elliot.
[repost] michael jackson
Besides The Beatles, one of my earliest childhood musical memories is Michael Jackson. I listened to Beat It and We Are the World on the jukebox while eating pizza in the wooden booths at Round Table. I remember learning to breakdance (or, at least what I thought was breakdancing) in the second grade in a small school in a small town in the middle of California. I thought he was the definition of cool.
As an adult that childhood wonder and magic never fully faded and has been, in fact, renewed through my young daughter Elliot’s recent obsession with him. Below is an entry from several months back with a video Elliot and I made together as a tribute to our King of Pop.
(turn your volume up)
It all started so innocently. A little girl heard a little boy singing a novelty Christmas song. “Who’s singing?”
The answer to that question has resulted in three months of obsession with the King of Pop. The most common words to come out of Elliot’s mouth used to be “Please tell me a story!” That record has been broken by the sheer volume of “I wanna listen to Michael Jackson”s. In fact, she requests a Michael Jackson cameo in every story we tell. I made the mistake of speaking in the character of Michael Jackson during one of these stories. Now it’s expected.
We don’t give in to every MJ request, but when you yourself remember the magic of being little and hearing Michael singing We Are The World and, to this day, feel a thrill at the opening bass stomps of Beat It, it’s hard to say no. It has also provided a motivating reward for good behavior. Elliot and Sarah dance to Beat It every night before bed, provided Elliot helps clean up first (the choreography of this dance they made up can be seen in parts of the movie below.)
Yes, Michael has joined the ranks of Peter Pan and Henry & Grisha as her best imaginary friends. She’s often overheard playing with him and has several toys named after him.
Thankfully, she knows nothing of post Thriller Michael Jackson . . .
This all leads up to this last saturday, when Elliot asked if we could make a movie about Michael Jackson. So, I present to you her opus: Michael Jackson!
(I’m scared of windowsills and the rain, too–it’s an understandable fear.)
short: michael jackson
(turn your volume up)
It all started so innocently. A little girl heard a little boy singing a novelty Christmas song. “Who’s singing?”
The answer to that question has resulted in three months of obsession with the King of Pop. The most common words to come out of Elliot’s mouth used to be “Please tell me a story!” That record has been broken by the sheer volume of “I wanna listen to Michael Jackson”s. In fact, she requests a Michael Jackson cameo in every story we tell. I made the mistake of speaking in the character of Michael Jackson during one of these stories. Now it’s expected.
We don’t give in to every MJ request, but when you yourself remember the magic of being little and hearing Michael singing We Are The World and, to this day, feel a thrill at the opening bass stomps of Beat It, it’s hard to say no. It has also provided a motivating reward for good behavior. Elliot and Sarah dance to Beat It every night before bed, provided Elliot helps clean up first (the choreography of this dance they made up can be seen in parts of the movie below.)
Yes, Michael has joined the ranks of Peter Pan and Henry & Grisha as her best imaginary friends. She’s often overheard playing with him and has several toys named after him.
Thankfully, she knows nothing of post Thriller Michael Jackson . . .
This all leads up to this last saturday, when Elliot asked if we could make a movie about Michael Jackson. So, I present to you her opus: Michael Jackson!
(I’m scared of windowsills and the rain, too–it’s an understandable fear.)
short: Elliot just walked. Peter took a picture.
The second of two videos from last summer’s visit to Orcas Island. Cookie decorating. Sound of Music sing-alonging. Beach playing. Yard wandering. It doesn’t get any better than this. Except when the sun is setting . . .
(Does everyone agree it’s a pleasure to play with clean sand?)
short: Elliot plays music. Peter is quiet.
I found Elliot playing her xylophone in the hallway. Above is a record of her performance. Apparently it’s a Michael Jackson song? Sounds more like Philip Glass or Steve Reich to me . . .
(I’m glad she so carefully tuned the instrument before performing!)
short: Elliot wants to make nothing. Peter wants to make a sunset movie.
The first of multiple Orcas Island videos, here’s one of the sunsets we enjoyed from the beach just below the grassy yard of the house we were staying in. Watch for the green flash . . . !
(everyone needs a good camping stick.)
heart sonoma / short: Elliot will be a giant. Peter can be a robot.
Sarah and I love being able to walk from our home to the Sonoma Plaza, or any number of other nearby parks, with Elliot. Getting outside, walking, enjoying the beauty, all outside our front door, is priceless. Sometimes, though, we’ll hop in the car, burn some fossil fuels, and drive to Cornerstone Sonoma. This is a place where giant trees covered in blue, plastic balls share a home with a sea of pinwheels, a conceptual mini golf course, a forest of red poles surrounding a reflecting pool, a warehouse full of found objects from the world over and a myriad landscape art installations that inspire creativity in the minds of visitors, little and big. Elliot loves it there–especially the children’s garden which she could spend hours in. And, quite often, we’re the only ones taking advantage of this little gem of a site–sandbox, grapevines, colorful nooks, one-of-a-kind sand toys . . . if only it were walking distance, it would be perfect!
Here’s an example:
(now I’m going to go dress up, one handful of sand at a time.)
short: Elliot bakes cookies. Peter takes pictures.
Jake and Lauren’s wonderful cookie video inspired us–Elliot wanted to show them how she makes cookies.
(for breakfast, I’m going to have a scrambled chicken egg who a chicken laid.)
elliot hours 