C.J. and Chase had two weeks off for winter break. They were a long two weeks, as they tend to be when the kids are out of school. Over the break, Chase — who has considered a future behind the camera and is quite impressive at making short films using the iMovie app on his iPad mini — tried to help C.J. make a movie using his dolls as the main characters. Chase quickly grew bored and frustrated. I don’t blame him.
So, he taught C.J. how to take his own videos using the iPad. C.J. proceeded to take 81 minutes of footage of himself playing with his dolls. He might have taken more, but, alas, there was not enough free space on the iPad. I found the many clips last night and have compiled a few snippets so that you can get a little taste of the real C.J.
Now, you have learned some of his favorite catchphrases that I hear every day, like:
- Holy ja-moly!
- Oh, snap!
- Cray-cray! (Everybody and everything are always cray-cray)
- By the way…
- You can’t get enough of me!
- I’m resistible! (Which actually means “I’m irresistible!”)
- I need my place to shine!
- I’m shopping my butt off!
- I did not sign up for this!
- I’m on fire!
- I quit!
You’ve probably also noticed that C.J. likes to make up his own jokes and may be overly concerned about hair and shoes. But, I mean, can you blame him?
Raising My Rainbow 
This clip totally made my day 🙂 how can you ever have a bad day with CJ in your life?
Lori,
Hi! CJ was definitely vocal with the character voices for the Barbies and the snowman! Question… was that a motorized Barbie vehicle making noise at one point when the floor turned to wood? He put a smile on my face this afternoon!
Holy-ja-moly! I am so in love with li’l C.J.!
The way he says, ‘You cannot get enough of me!’
That’s true C.J., we can’t! And I love the snowman’s sassy shoes!
You are doing a great job at parenting, obviously! Bringing up a gender creative kid in the States must be easier than doing the same in the Asian subcontinent, though! Sadly, it’s hell for homosexuals over here. Let’s just hope things will get better. 🙂
That was hilarious! But I have to ask, did you watch through all 81 minutes of footage to compile that video?? True dedication.
Good grief…..just wanted to share a local story with you. This is how terrifying it is to live in the South…http://www.wral.com/cumberland-school-district-to-address-student-gender-identity/13295892/ And of course in the article online it refers to this: <>
Feeling sick to my stomach for the poor family trying to deal with this in public; referring to this as a mental disorder!!! ARGH!!!! Wishing we could turn the clock forward another 50 yrs., when I am sure this will all be completely out and NORMAL! Be happy you live in California. At least you are not being put out on the news as “The first person in the state”. Horrified….and now really need to get a grip on Federal and State law regarding Gender. This makes ANYONE wanting to come out run back even further in the abyss.
He has a little bit of a southern accent in there!
“I did not sign up for this” – one of my personal mantras. 🙂
“Holy ja-moly” ❤ it!! Too cute 🙂
So cute! How does he like his American Girl doll?
Easily my favorite video! “They’re cway-cway” is so adorable! Happy to see that even with all the struggles of being gender non-conforming, he’s still sweet.
What fun! Thanks for sharing this.
“The gingerbread man married a gummy bear” LOL Hilarious:-)
If you haven’t yet, check out the song “I’m a Gummy Bear” on YouTube….My little Rainbow (will turn 6yrs this month) is OBSCESSED, he sings it all day every day!! (Then again: you may want to listen to it yourself first, and if you get annoyed after one play-through of the video….you may not want to show CJ! LOL)
BTW: Thanks for the reply to my post about not being able to find ANY therapists in my area working with kids and gender. I am going to look into the site you referred to!
This was hilarious! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing! C.J. sounds like a cutie, just like my little rainbow. It’s funny to hear the phrases they come up with. 🙂
CJ you are a star-in-the-making, don’t ever change. Thank you for sharing that Lorie, just wonderful xxx
Cute, but the beginning of this entry has me questioning WHY a child Chase’s age should need an iPhone? A standard feature cell phone I can accept. But is Chase so damn busy running from school to sports to extra-curricular activities to home that he can’t get by without accessing the internet or listening to music or ….???
& really: I do love this blog! I recommend it to the people I come in contact with thru the local PFLAG chapter I volunteer for. I just believe this is 1 instance of over-indulging a child.
If you actually read you’ll notice she said he used his iPad Mini, not an iPhone. I think an iPad sounds great for a young kid interested in creating videos and movies-it is a tool not just an overindulgent toy.
I hope we’re all here to simply share experiences, not to judge, especially based on the snippets and stories, which are far from the whole picture. So many ways to be a parent or a kid. Let’s be gentle with one another. I’ve worked with kids and technology tools for over 20 years. Sometimes these gadgets are worse than a glorified pacifier (check out all the junky preschool ‘learning’ apps among the top selling apps in the iThingy Store – ugh!), sometimes they can become an incredible tool for creative expression, communication, problem solving and more. Making videos is a great way to head down the latter path. I’ve watched as kids, often ones labeled ‘challenging,’ ‘delayed,’ ‘hyperactive,’ ‘autistic,’ or ‘defiant,’ create amazing stuff, and in the process begin to see themselves in new ways.
My sister (just a bit older than CJ) watches videos like these on youtube… usually they all sound really bratty and snobbish, it’s nice to see that not all the videos are like that.
This is awesome!
Adorable! My favorite part was, “That’s not the joke. I just had to cough.” So funny. He is so creative. C.J. made my morning. Thanks, C.J.
Literally made me laugh my ass off. I hope you will be blogging for a very long time to come because I just am so curious what CJ will do when he grows up and how he will channel all that fabulousness 🙂
If only the Ipod was around 20 years(and not a big bulky Camcorder)…this would have been my son! His imagination still runs wild. Treasure this and the videos to follow.
OK, that was freaking adorable!
What a delightful child!!! Love his imagination! Brilliant I tell you! Brilliant!
I saw the book while shopping at xmas at B and N – wonderful! I was so excited for you…keep up the great work!
OMFG how sweeeet! CJ!! You rawk!
It is refreshing to see a child actually using his own imagination to play. The fact that he’s recording it all on the iPad is secondary. What a joy to hear his imagination play out with the dolls! And those catchphrases! Too too funny!!! Thanks so much for letting us share in CJ’s world.
Thanks so much for sharing this and other glimpses into your life with C.J. I find it comforting to know that there are parents out there that are willing to stand behind their children no matter what, even when they deviate from the social “norms”.
When I was little, I liked to pretend to be Wonder Woman, had “naturally curly hair” like Frieda from the Peanuts comics, loved to play with my sister’s dolls, and wanted to get my ears pierced, too. Living in rural Kentucky, many of those behaviors were alarming to my parents and were quickly and sternly discouraged.
I think it’s fantastic, allowing C.J. to be who he will be on his own terms.
C.J. is absolutely gorgeous and I hope he never changes!
“Oh my goodness, you just knocked my boots off!”
Oh Lorie, the voice. I am in hysterics.
CJ, you are the best. Thanks for brightening up the terrible afternoon I was having x
How wonderful.