I always swore I'd never cut Aaron's hair. I loved his curls! I loved it long! I was SO very proud when Carolin took this photo Halloween 2014.
When he started school September 2014 I cut it, but this (above) was already how long it had got at the end of October, Halloween.
I knew the day would come that he'd get a short back and sides but I did not think I'd ever be ready for it. But February I did it personally. You could say it was done in November last year but that was at a hairdressers and none of us liked it:
I lost his curls I lost the length but it wasn't funky. My cool boy looked .... hhhmmmm I don't know how to say it, but his coolness was no longer! I suppose it was good, as otherwise he'd go from looking like my little cutie, to an eight year old (given his height) which I'm not yet ready for. Especially as he is still only five years old.
Anyway, perhaps it was having a NEW baby in January that made me ready to lose my baby boy in February. But all of a sudden I DID give him the short back and sides the above was meant to be and just like I'd always feared it DID make him look older. But the trade off was that he looked dead cool:
I was SO confident with the job I did above that only a few weeks later, in March, when it got long again I cut it again. I'm even getting better at doing it. Saving myself lots of money too given that the haircut above was £12!!!
So this was his March 2016 haircut:
It's a lot more textured than if done with those electric cutters. I've got my technique down. What I do is, put the afro comb into it and cut up to the comb. I saw a barber do it on Daddy and it works. Now Daddy and son have the same hair. Short on the sides and back. Long on top! Even Grandma noticed they have the same hairstyle :-)
In order to achieve the soft deep bed of curls on top, it is VERY long. On a day a product hasn't been put on it, it goes a little straight and looks too long but you need that length to get the bushy tight curls which I am not at all ready to say goobye to. Curls are my boy's trademark.
We've loved the school holidays so far. The waking up late. The late nights. The chocolate. Don't forget the chocolate. Got the BEST EVER Easter Egg from Daddy this year. That picture doesn't actually do it justice. It's huge and tastes like a Ferrero Rocher (minus the gooey stuff). It's so rich I have only just finished it today. A small square at a time, pinched from the fridge satisfies you. It's amazing.
But our favourite thing has been spending time with cousins. We even got to see a private screening of Robinson Crusoe which hasn't even come out yet. Go us!
The kids sat at the front on leather bean bags and I was in the front row breastfeeding my lil lady, except I had to keep sitting her up and facing her round. At a tender 9 weeks she actually wanted to see the film and watched a large proportion of it. I was amazed. It was lovely to see Berice Baby there. She even got a pic of me and baby which is incredibly rare as I'm always behind the camera. I've just realised I should have returned the favour. Baby brain I did not even think of it.
London Underground and a big buggy was no problem whatsoever with my little people to help. Plus they all kept the lil lady entertained whenever she wasn't feeding or sleeping.
Back to the film though. They all loved it and apart from popping to the table for a drink or snack they didn't move, totally riveted. I asked them all afterwards, what did they think and they all talked at once such was their enthusiasm to share how much they loved the movie. In terms of ages we had 5, 8, and 12 years of age and me in my 40s. We ALL loved it.
The Robinson Crusoe film gets so many things right:
Length - when a film is GREAT you're gutted when it ends all too soon. This is a wonderful 90 minutes and the time does not drag!
Colours - oh it was like every single screen throughout the movie was a picture on Pinterest or Instagram, so rich were the colours. What I loved even more was the detail. On the cast you could see every hair/feather and given it was 3D the detail was quite literally in your face. I loved it. There was one scene where the screen was covered in water and rocks and I literally felt as if I was there!
Pace - there's a chase of bad guys after good guys at one point and it is superb. The kids all talked about it after we left the screening. It was better than anything I've ever seen in an adult action movie. I won't say more in case it's a spoiler but it's certainly one of the highlights of the film and I love the PACE of it and how it gets you on the edge of your seat!
Plot - Robinson Crusoe is a story that all parents will already know, but don't let that stop you going. None of the kids had heard of it, so they went in fully curious and I wasn't disappointed as it is a fully fresh take on the film.
3D - the movie is 3D which really adds to the great animation and the cinematography. Yes it means you have the hassle of wearing glasses but it is well worth it.
Character development - like any great film, this film goes a long way to fully developing the characters so that you go through the highs and lows with them. We all had different favourites as there's a character for everyone. Literally no two favourites the same. Aaron LOVED the chameleon Carmello. My nieces loved the parrot and the pretty bird. I think my favourite was the hedgehog! All the way through the film everyone is talking but actually the animals don't understand "human" but yet they do so much together including building an amazing habitation out of wood - I won't spoil it by saying more.
Heroes - should be Robinson Crusoe himself but the parrot (Tuesday) and pretty bird (can't remember her name) are good contestors too.
USP - this film is FULL of animals, and their quirky mannerisms! So if anyone in the family is an animal lover you will be enthralled and if you aren't a lover of animals already you will be by the time the film finishes.
Lovable - there's lots to love in this film. Robinson himself is a bit hapless and clumsy. Literally you get the message that he couldn't survive without his furry feathered Island neighbours and there's a message there, that life is better with friends. There's a great philosophy in this film that you can do things despite the odds and that cooperation works wonders, despite your differences and reservations.
Villains - two ferocious cats, also known as ratters from their days on the ship! Now cartoons and films nearly always have "bad guys" and sometimes they can be so scary they stop your children enjoying the film. That's not the case here. But you do find yourself loving to hate them. They are evil bad guys and then they even have kittens, as they are a couple, so there's EVEN more of them! Tttsssk! It's good for a moral message as they provide the character traits that you want your kids NOT to exhibit and this film backs that up. You don't want to be mean like THEM!
Last week
about 24 hours after the movie
we all made a note of our
immediate thoughts on the film:
8 year old Niece: I think it was amazing all of the
sets were realistic. You could hear real sounding gunshots. It was so
good I'm speechless really. Fav bit when they all round the
table and they poked the stick at RC and the cats came. Loved watching
RC teach the animals how to go upstairs.
5 year old son Aaron: Loved the parrot. Liked the character with long tongue who eats bugs (Carmello). Was totally gripped by film.
Mummy: I
loved the cinematography. The colours were breathtaking. I loved the
level of detail you could see every hair every feather. Loved the amount
of close up shots felt like you were there. The pace of it was perfect
especially with all the intense chases. The character depth and
development was superb. A film with many messages and many layers.
Perfect for all ages.
12 year old Niece:It
was fun. Animation was brilliant. Fav character was Kiki (pretty bird)
because she was always looking out for Tuesday. Fav part was being
chased by cats and sliding everywhere. Great action shots. Really
cool. Would pay to watch it definitely. Suitable for ages U I think.
From 4 to about 10 but older can enjoy too.
The official synopsis for the film:
On a tiny exotic island, Tuesday, an outgoing parrot, lives with his
quirky animal friends in paradise. However, Tuesday can’t stop dreaming
about discovering the world. After a violent storm, Tuesday and his
friends wake up to find a strange creature on the beach: Robinson
Crusoe. Tuesday immediately views Crusoe as his ticket off the island
to explore new lands. Likewise, Crusoe soon realizes that the key to
surviving on the island is through the help of Tuesday and the other
animals. It isn’t always easy at first, as the animals don’t speak
“human.” Slowly but surely, they all start living together in harmony,
until one day, when their comfortable life is overturned by two savage
cats, who wish to take control of the island. A battle ensues between
the cats and the group of friends but Crusoe and the animals soon
discover the true power of friendship up against all odds (even savage
cats).
This is the official trailer of the movie for the UK release in May 2016.
We loved seeing the movie and this is us all with Berice Baby's Hayden:
There's LOTS going on at the movie's Facebook page so check it out to get your lil ones excited before the movie:
We got complimentary entrance to a private screening for which we're very grateful. It does not influence this review as we truly adored the film! Thank you!
