Emmeline's new do!

I finally gave in to Emmeline wanting her hair cut. Lydia cut it last night and it looks very nice. The short and sassy look suits her. She's been bouncing her hair around all evening. I've got some apprehension however. She's growing out of the little girl that she once was. Next week she graduates from the fifth grade. Then it's on to the sixth grade, middle school, more peer pressure cliques, and maybe boys. Oh,no!
I want to hold on to my little girl as long as possible. Unfortunately she wants to grow up as quick as possible.

Now I know what it feels like to live in Newfoundland

We just got through our worst storm of the past decade or so. David spent over two hours digging his way out to the car and then getting the car out. The snow plows were getting stuck in the snow, there was that much. As you can see from behind David there is a deep path that he had to shovel out. He had to shovel out from the door, the snow was in the way. According to the weather reports we got 48 cm which is about a foot and a half of snow. The winds were high and it drifted in quite a bit, making the snow deeper. Needless to say everyone is getting sick of the snow. I thought last year was bad, it seems as if this year is just as bad if not worse.
The deep south doesn't look so bad anymore.

Slumdog Millionaire is very rich

This year's Oscar nominee has not only won the heart of many but my heart as well.
Slumdog Millionaire captivates from the first minute. It is rich in culture, color, music and story. It is not a movie just about a Game show as my husband David feared. It is a story about struggle, adversity, survival and love.
The movie depicts the life and struggles of two Indian boys, Salim and Jamal. Their life story is revealed as Jamal, now an adult, finds himself on the most popular game show in India, "Who wants to be a millionaire". How can this young man from the slums of India know the answers to the many questions that can bring him wealth? The answers unfold through the story of his life and his brother's.
The cinematography is beautiful. It captures the truth, grit, and beauty of India.
The acting was outstanding, especially from the two boys. I felt like I watching them living their lives rather than watching a movie. The music is wonderful as has been touted by the critics. I love the indo/western mix of beats. Definitely a soundtrack to look for.
This is a movie I would recommend to anyone. You will laugh, cry, and yell for joy. The story engrosses the viewer in the lives of the characters, drawing them in to the drama. At the end you will be rooting for the heroes and cursing the villains. It is a movie about triumph in the face of adversity. It gets my vote for the Oscar.

The first Birthday of the year.

Much to my dismay Emmeline reaches 11 years of age. She started the birthday weekend with a party at her dad's. The party started off a little shakey. Her friend Chantelle couldn't make it so we substituted Miranda. Julia then Alyssa joined the group making four in total. We should have known from past experience that the mix would not be as good as it should. A trip to Dairy Queen should get the party started. Well not quite. Miranda didn't eat. Julia is complaining her stomach hurts, and maybe she wants to go home. Alyssa is her usual bubbly self proudly sporting her matching with Emmeline T shirt. (Do you think the others might feel a little left out?) After picking out the cake and heading back to her dad's, the girls decided to reverse roles. Miranda wasn't feeling well, and Julia felt better. Miranda went home, Julia stayed, then all was well with the threesome.
Emmeline spent the next day fairly quiet recovering from the overnight festivities.
Sunday for me was spent making cake with the guidance of David and Emmeline. They insisted that I use a recipe from the internet that said it was "store bought" icing. I told them I had an icing in mind that I thought was very good. Oh no it had to be what Emmeline wanted. Ok fine I said. Wouldn't you know no one liked the icing! So here we have a cake that has only a quarter of it missing. The rest will remain because of the icing. The cake part was good. I had to fight with them to not make me change that.
The gift was a great success. An MP3 player. (she lost her other one) This one has more features and she can plug it into the speakers she got for Christmas.
About the cake again. The icing may not have been tasty but it was good to work with for decorating. It looked lovely.