HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Last night, we had a blast. It was my friend's son's birthday. Alex is now 15. A group of neighbours met at my house for cake.

Emma always gets excited around a birthday cake. She really likes to blow on the candles. So I was expecting her to do that same little dance she usually does and try real hard to get the best spot in front of the cake.

To everyone's surprise, Emma started to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU all by herself. She went to everyone making them sing along while swaying left and right. I was so proud of her; she is just like her mother and grandmother (no voice whatsoever...)

She must have sang it 12 times to Alex (Koki she calls him). It was like he had his own little Marilyn Munroe...

Alex's mom, who went through breast cancer, says Emma is her best therapy!!!

During moments like these (and there are so many), I can't help but wonder how our lives would be if 5 years ago I would have opted for testings and abortion...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, KOKI!!!

SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME

Emma finished her very first school year 11 days ago!

So far we have been swimming 3 or 4 times a day. Sometimes for 2 straight hours...You think this is the life! Let's just say we both sleep well at night...

The poor child. First thing in the morning, she makes her arms swim and says MIMING, MIMING. I say It's too early to swim. She says PLEASE with the sign to make me feel even worst for saying no. She even goes sit on the toilet to pee because we always do that before we put her bathing suit on. She is very determined... I usually break down by 9:30.

In 11 days this child of mine has managed to dive forward and backward, she dunks her head under water and swims as if she was being chased by a shark, she makes bubbles, comes up for air and makes more bubbles (2-3-4 times in a row), she floats on her back pretending to sleep. My neighbour brought her goggles and told me Emma has her eyes open and smiles while under water. My God! I looked at her with the goggles and she has that Jack Nicholson look: she is actually grinning (you can see her teeth) and her eyes are wide open!!!

Emma is only 5 and I would love to see her swim or dive in special olympics. But we live in the country at least 1 hour from either Ottawa or Montreal. For now, she is the star of our little swimming hole!!!

CAREER OPTIONS

Today, Emma gave us a glimpse of what she would like to be when she grows up...

I was upstairs for 10 minutes. When I came back downstairs, Carl said look at what Emma did. I couldn't see anything. He said: SHE CUT HER HAIR!

There it was, the perfect hair cut. Since school finished last week, her teacher sent all of her stuff back home. Emma went through her school bag and found her scissors...She was very quiet in the living room. Carl thought she was watching T.V.

Emma did a really good job. She kind of went on a slenght all along her right side. It almost looks like a hairdresser layering job, almost. There is one distinction... Right at the top of her head, she has that very short piece that sticks up just like Dennis the Menace.

Carl wondered how far she would have gone before stopping. The Lord only knows. But I could picture her doing it. Grabbing her hair with one hand and CUTTING with the other. I guess her coordination with the scissors is improving...

For some reason, the whole episode made me very happy. I asked Emma: Did you cut your hair? She laughed and said : yeah, cut. She was actually giggling... The little rascal.
It my heart, it felt so good to live this moment. This little girl of mine is just like a million other little girls, experimenting with life!!!