Planning Julia's birthday party next weekend.  No therapy yesterday afternoon, so we went to a recommended bakery and ordered a cake and cupcakes -- finally an alternative to needing to choose a cake everyone will like.  So, chocolate cake with white icing purple roses and a blue dinosaur, and "Happy Birthday Julia" on top.  Can't wait to see it.  A dozen extra cupcakes.

Then, went to the party plus store for decorations.  We found dino napkins in mardi gras colors which opened up a whole bunch of interesting decorations.  And blue and purple, along with orange and green are the colors.  One of our friends doesn't like balloons.  When I told Julia about this, she decided to forego the balloons she wanted.  We found lots of decorations to hang from the ceiling to make up for the balloons.

We invited 25 people!  So far, I've gotten RSVP's from 17 who are coming.  Six kids.  The house will be full.

We'll eat -- pizza, antipasto, spinach salad and cake -- and play games -- pin the fossil on the dino, musical chairs, and dino egg races -- and open a few presents and talk and play.  I'm asking for help with hosting, kid games, and pictures.  I'd like to have a good time too.

I need to clean, shop, decorate, put music together, rearrange furniture, pick up cake, put antipasto and salad together (ordering pizza feels like a tremendous gift!).  I will be busy this week and I expect to enjoy it.

My girl will be 12 -- not 12 like anyone else is 12, but her very own Julia Dinosaur 12.

Waking up, Julia remembered that we bought two cupcakes at the bakery that we ordered her cake.  We didn't eat them because last night was an FUS potluck and we came home full (and with too many sweets -- funny how some monthly potluck choices revolve around one kind of food.  This month -- dessert!).  Julia is hungry.  She asked for an egg, her daily banana, pop tarts, waffles, and her cupcake.  Really, she usually does want to eat a very balanced diet.  LOL!

Query to any readers with kids -- Julia has wonderful thick Asian hair.  I've kept it chin length for a few years now so that she could do some care for it.  Now, she wants to fix it in the mornings which is a lovely step forward.  However, she cannot put it up in ponytails or braids or barrettes, etc., and I have not found a head band that can hold it back. (Last year, I let her go to school with just a head band and got a note home asking that her hair be pulled back.) The only thing I can think of is bangs.  I am not a bangs fan but I want her to be able to feel competent with her care.  Any other ideas out there?