Caylee's smile/behavior

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That image of Caylee sitting perfectly still in her Great Grandpa's lap will stay with me forever. She had such a forlorn look in her eyes. I will always wonder if she was just tired..or was she worried about what Casey might do to her that night.. IE., put her in trunk, again while she schmoozes up to the newest boyfriend. *Very sad thought*
 
The picture that has always bothered me is the one where she's in the carseat holding onto her doll. To me she looks like she's bracing herself for something she knows will be unpleasant and she has a slight worry frown across her forehead.

VB
 
Some of the warmest memories I have of growing up are times I spent cuddled up with my Dad. My ear on his big strong chest, listening to his heart beat and breath...I'm taken back to this childhood memory when watching the video of Caylee in her Great GrandPa's lap.
We only had one TV set for most of my childhood (a black and white!). Sometimes on a Sunday afternoon, after my Dad had spent whole the morning taking care of chores, the yard, the garden, the cars, etc. He would lay down on the living room couch to watch a football game. Usually within 10 minutes he would appear fast asleep. I would cuddle next to him, ear against chest, nearly falling asleep myself from the rhythm of it...
But the minute my brother or I tried to change the channel, he would wake up! We would say, but DAD, you were asleep, and he would say, I wasn't asleep, I was checking my eyelids for holes!
 
Hi Janie,

There are other videos of Caylee where the videographer is totally silent. In one of them you can see Casey's reflection in the mirror at the beginning. It's definitely Casey's style...a contrast to the ones that George and Cindy take or participate in. In these they talk to Caylee and engage her--there's talking and laughing.

I can't imagine the context that would allow the person taking the video to ignore Caylee's question over and over again. Caylee is doing her best to ask the person behind the camera, "Is this 1-2-3 cheese? Is that what you want me to do?" At first she even answers herself.."No." But the video continues...and Caylee tries to engage the videographer over and over. She offers a crayon. No answer. "1-2-3 cheese?" she continues to ask.

Eventually she sighs and her face becomes crestfallen. I would love to see this tape evaluated by an expert in children's body language.

I dont know :( I honestly think far too much is being read into all this

what people are suggesting here is tantamount to Casey torturing Caylee

:eek: I just dont believe that
 
If I look at a casey video speking to her parents - then look at george video yelling and pointing his finger - then at that precious video of Caylee reading her book - I see her using a lot of the same mannerisms. Pointing her finger and shaking her head while making a point and explaining the "jist" of the story. She has some really cute devilish looks on her face. She seems really happy here. And I agree with posters above - sometimes the mouth is smiling but the eyes are not but in this one, she is darling.
 
If I look at a casey video speking to her parents - then look at george video yelling and pointing his finger - then at that precious video of Caylee reading her book - I see her using a lot of the same mannerisms. Pointing her finger and shaking her head while making a point and explaining the "jist" of the story. She has some really cute devilish looks on her face. She seems really happy here. And I agree with posters above - sometimes the mouth is smiling but the eyes are not but in this one, she is darling.

I agree. She does have some of their mannerisms, but how could she not? Children absorb so much from the environment around them.

She was a very cute little girl. All children are sweet at that age.
 
Hi Janie,

There are other videos of Caylee where the videographer is totally silent. In one of them you can see Casey's reflection in the mirror at the beginning. It's definitely Casey's style...a contrast to the ones that George and Cindy take or participate in. In these they talk to Caylee and engage her--there's talking and laughing.

I can't imagine the context that would allow the person taking the video to ignore Caylee's question over and over again. Caylee is doing her best to ask the person behind the camera, "Is this 1-2-3 cheese? Is that what you want me to do?" At first she even answers herself.."No." But the video continues...and Caylee tries to engage the videographer over and over. She offers a crayon. No answer. "1-2-3 cheese?" she continues to ask.

Eventually she sighs and her face becomes crestfallen. I would love to see this tape evaluated by an expert in children's body language.

I completely agree with you. Yes, there are lots of pictures of posed smiles and kids do go through stages where they take pictures with their fake "cheeeeese" smile. This video is different! It disturbs me.

Caylee continually tries to engage KC.....goes back to coloring.....looks up to notice she is still being taped and tries to ask her Mom a question again....KC stays dead silent!

Finally, Caylee obviously feels uncomfortable and doesn't know what to do so she turns her back to the camera!

I have taken lots of videos of my kids and I do try to stay quiet to capture the moment but there are often exchanges between me and the child -- I definitely wouldn't ignore their questions for over 2 mins.
 
Finally, Caylee obviously feels uncomfortable and doesn't know what to do so she turns her back to the camera!


I love it when she turns her back. She's not letting that silent camera goon play her for a fool!

It must be KC behind the camera because when Cindy is taping, she's quite vocal and you usually hear her right away. George converses with the child, too. KC is probably the silent one.

Yes, it does appear rather cruel to ignore little Caylee's questions throughout that video. I was so glad when the child decided not to play that game anymore and promptly turned around.
 
I dont know :( I honestly think far too much is being read into all this

what people are suggesting here is tantamount to Casey torturing Caylee

:eek: I just dont believe that


I wouldn't say that. I just think it shows clear signs of abuse/neglect. I don't doubt for a moment that when no one was around, KC wanted nothing to do with Caylee, when she wasn't being ignored she was most likely being yelled at. The disappointement is written all over her face.
 
I dont know :( I honestly think far too much is being read into all this

what people are suggesting here is tantamount to Casey torturing Caylee

:eek: I just dont believe that

You're a Mom, Jane.(so am I) Imagine your own child being the subject of this video and you being the videographer. Watch it again with this frame of reference. Then ask yourself: Could I take this exact video,without one word in answer to my child?

If not, where would you feel the need to give feedback. Where would not answering become uncomfortable for you.

If you would feel comfortable with taking this video exactly as it, maybe you can explain the concept behind it better for us. (not being snarky...I really mean this)
 
I think her smiles are genuine. In addition, the very fact that she has empathy with her great-grandfather and asks him with such concern in her little voice if he's tired shows that someone taught her how to love and feel for other people. That's a wonderful thing to see in a 2 year old.

Yes, it is, Chilly. She does not look unhappy or scared in the video or any of the pictures I've seen so far.
All young children "pose" for the camera with fake smiles and often exaggerated expressions. Sometimes they are prompted by the adults who are pointing the camera, but very often they need no prompting. As for sitting still on her great-grandpa's lap, most likely she was tired, and just enjoying the peace and quiet.
If it makes some feel better to think Caylee had some kind of premonition, that's fine. I prefer to believe she was a happy, loving child.
 
JMO.. I can see videoing in silence while a child is doing something cute that you want to catch on film and not interrupt what they are doing..
but no way could I have taped my child (or ANY child) in silence when he was aware of me and ESPECIALLY when he was trying to interact with me.

I know some people think we read too much into things.. but I do think there ARE things to be read. Its just NOT normal to video a child that is trying to interact with you and not speak a word.. not even acknowledge them.. it hurts me to watch the 1 2 3 cheese video. It leaves me with a very sad empty feeling.. so I can only imagine how it made little Caylee feel.
 
I think her smiles are genuine. In addition, the very fact that she has empathy with her great-grandfather and asks him with such concern in her little voice if he's tired shows that someone taught her how to love and feel for other people. That's a wonderful thing to see in a 2 year old.
I agree with this. Caylee clearly was empathic. And I don't find it at all unusual that a two-year-old would snuggle with her Papa. She looks tired in that clip, not unhappy.

OTOH, there are some photos with smile-for-the-camera smiles. I have pics of my kids with these, too. Other pics show an impish, happy little smile that seems more genuine.

I don't see a reflection of Casey's sociopathic fake smile---I just see a little girl doing what little girls do.

That said, there are a couple of pics in which her face looks clouded with unhappiness. But lots of kids are irked with carseats.

I don't read too much into it. Little people are resilient. My father is a sociopath and I still had genuine smiles, kwim?
 
Some of the warmest memories I have of growing up are times I spent cuddled up with my Dad. My ear on his big strong chest, listening to his heart beat and breath...I'm taken back to this childhood memory when watching the video of Caylee in her Great GrandPa's lap.
We only had one TV set for most of my childhood (a black and white!). Sometimes on a Sunday afternoon, after my Dad had spent whole the morning taking care of chores, the yard, the garden, the cars, etc. He would lay down on the living room couch to watch a football game. Usually within 10 minutes he would appear fast asleep. I would cuddle next to him, ear against chest, nearly falling asleep myself from the rhythm of it...
But the minute my brother or I tried to change the channel, he would wake up! We would say, but DAD, you were asleep, and he would say, I wasn't asleep, I was checking my eyelids for holes!


Aww!!(tears) I used to do the same thing with my Dad. I loved to listen to the rhythm of his heart. And he was exactly the same way about the TV, too! Are we related? LOL

That's exactly what I see with Caylee in the nursing home video. She's listening to Grandpa.
 
I agree with the empathy part. I believe Caylee understood the plight of her grandfather and his inability to move much. It looked to me like she was feeling sorry for him and felt safe there and was trying to comfort him. she might have been told to stay there like that but her actions, relaxed state and looking up at him with affection, dont indicate a forced positioning.

Perhaps safe is a key word. With the constant control freaks of CA and KC pushing and pulling her, Grandpa probably seemed a safe, warm haven. For me, Empathy won out the day and shows she likely had more than the rest of the family.

Plus, Grampa is singing in a sing-songy off-key way the "you are my sunshine" song that Caylee obviously knew and liked. It looks to me that she was entirely comfortable, safe, enjoying being quietly held, maybe it's getting close to naptime and she's drowsy. This is not a child who's afraid of Grampa but posing in fear of getting yelled at if she doesn't hug and kiss him. When I was itty-bitty like Caylee, I remember being so comfy and happy in the presence of some people that even if I'd just met them I liked hugging. But others who were mean and nasty I didn't want to be around, and those I'd never have hugged and sat in their lap quietly and contentedly like Caylee does here. On this day, her probably last on earth, small comfort that it is, she was for this little while held and safe and loved and cared for.

Who would ever have thought that within 24 hours this happy vibrant child would be murdered? This video will someday be CA's most treasured thing, but I bet today it breaks her heart.
 
I dont know :( I honestly think far too much is being read into all this

what people are suggesting here is tantamount to Casey torturing Caylee

:eek: I just dont believe that

JaneInOz, I see it the same way. I think way to much is being read into the photos and videos. When my mom has a video camera in her hand she never speaks. She has tons of videos of the kids where she is just filming everything they are doing and she doesn't speak in any of them. It's funny because I'm the opposite, everyone in my family picks on me because I talk throughout the whole video either to the person I'm videoing or explaining everything step by step... lol. Everyone is different. When I see the videos and pictures of Caylee all I see is a normal little girl.

The same goes for the photo of Lee and Caylee (the one where she is screaming to get away). Everyone reads so much into that picture and I just don't think its that big of a deal. I can't tell you how many photos I have of my son doing the same thing at that age. Unless he saw you everyday he hated when people would pick him up, never mind trying to get a picture. Then they would get so upset because they thought he didn't like them when in reality he just needed time to warm up to them since he didn't see them everyday. Now he loves pictures and will jump right in front of a camera.
 
I wouldn't say that. I just think it shows clear signs of abuse/neglect. I don't doubt for a moment that when no one was around, KC wanted nothing to do with Caylee, when she wasn't being ignored she was most likely being yelled at. The disappointement is written all over her face.

I see what your saying, but then why would she even grab the video camera and film Caylee? It's not like she had to get the camera. If she was choosing to ignore her in the video why even bother taking the video?
 
I would really really hate for anyone to analyze all my photos and videos of my kids. I can't count the number of times when one of them were doing something cute and I grabbed the camera or video and of course they stopped doing what they were doing. I have pictures of my kids with forced smiles, laughing, tired, frustrated, crying, the look of I can't believe your making me stand here so you can take a picture, happy you name it I have it.

To me the fact that they took the time to video and take pictures of her show just how much they loved that little girl. I think because of what has happened people are looking at these pictures and trying to find some kind of answers, if Caylee was still with us I can't help but say people would look at the pics and videos and say awww how cute.
 
I would really really hate for anyone to analyze all my photos and videos of my kids. I can't count the number of times when one of them were doing something cute and I grabbed the camera or video and of course they stopped doing what they were doing. I have pictures of my kids with forced smiles, laughing, tired, frustrated, crying, the look of I can't believe your making me stand here so you can take a picture, happy you name it I have it.

To me the fact that they took the time to video and take pictures of her show just how much they loved that little girl. I think because of what has happened people are looking at these pictures and trying to find some kind of answers, if Caylee was still with us I can't help but say people would look at the pics and videos and say awww how cute.

ITA! :clap:
 
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