Garage Videos

My #2 son checks the camcorder.

Remember those old backyard musical movies that starred Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney? They were about a group of kids who put on shows in hopes of getting to Broadway.

Never work with kids or stuffed animals?

Welcome to 2010 and the era of the garage show!

Recently, my #2 son decided he wanted to write, direct, produce, and act in a video starring his huge stuffed friend Jeffrey (who looks like a bear but really is a gopher groundhog; his fifth-grade teacher gave it to him, and he loves it). #2 has been directly influenced by his older brother and Chase, my “third son,” who have their own video production company, Stickless StickShift.

#2 contemplates a scene.

Of course, #2 needed help with this endeavor, as well as a location. He enlisted his older brother as an actor and yours truly to work the camcorder.

My #1 son seems to be enjoying his acting role.

But where to film these priceless scenes? The garage, of course! We have a three-car garage, with plenty of room for bikes and clutter in the third stall and space to video in the middle.

#2 laments over Jeffrey’s death . . . that HE caused!

I watched my sons interacting like close friends (cue the tears of joy by Mom!) and tried to follow all the silly action, which included #2 “shooting” Jeffrey with his pop gun and then vowing to avenge the big gopher’s groundhog’s death . . . which he had caused. Most of it made absolutely no sense at all; that’s par for the course for #2′s videos. They make me laugh, but I’m never sure if I’m laughing with #2 or at him!

Will this garage show make it to Broadway? We’ll be lucky if it even makes it to YouTube!

Sidebar: I’ve edited this, because I mistakenly called Jeffrey a gopher when he’s actually a groundhog . . . not that he really looks like one!

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