This is my Julia. She will be ten years old this Friday, April the 3rd.
Jules is my monkey in the middle. And while she has a spirit all her own and the flair to go with it, she is a pretty typical middle child. Starved for attention. Not the older kid who gets to do everything first. Not the baby who gets her way all the time. Just stuck in the middle and rockin to her own groove.
On the day she was born 10 years ago, we had a bit of a near death experience. Today, I would go through it all again without hesitation - she was worth it.
She is generous and silly and beautiful and smart.
She is a Double Double Cheeseburger with ketchup only, fries, and a lemonade.
She is long sleeved shirts and layers.
She is bags and purses and backpacks.
She is art supplies! Loving the big pads of paper, pastels, paints and poster board.
She doesn't sleep in her bed. She sleeps on a heap of blankets on the floor. It's been this way for years (I have no idea why...) She was begun a campaign to have her bed removed from her room because "it's useless and takes up too much room".
Okaaaay.
She is video games and Disney Channel.
She is the owner of Sparkles the Turtle.
She is the unloader of the dishwasher. She brings in the trash cans after trash day. She folds and puts away her own laundry and helps Bella do hers.
She earns 7 dollars a week allowance.
She usually gives that away.
Sometimes she'll get herself something, but she's usually giving it to a sister or a friend. She has a very healthy non-attachment to money and material things. Generous to a fault.
(one day, remind me to tell you the story of the night she gave twenty six dollars to the harmonica playing hobo in front of Target...good times....)
She doesn't love school. She hates homework. Math is too easy for her, spelling eludes her, and social studies make her fall asleep.
She lives for summer vacation, when you will find her on her bike, shopping at the mall, down at the pool, or running the neighborhood with her best friend Julia. Who lives next door. And will also be 10 this month.
Friday night we are having a "girls only" night at Downtown Disney to celebrate her special day. Dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, shopping at the boutiques and candy stores, running amuck in the 10,000 sq ft arcade at the ESPN Zone, and then cocoa and pastries at the French Cafe.
It's going to be a great night. And she deserves all the attention. Because She is the Birthday Girl!
Happy Birthday, my sweet Julia!
This is a little diddy from one of her fav bands...
America's Suitehearts by Fall Out Boy
***photo taken by Tara Whitney
Julia is indeed a jewel...a gem. I can't wait for all of the kids to hang out later this month. Happy Birthday sweet, sweet Julia!
Auntie Maria, Uncle Ben, Kyle and Erika
Posted by: Maria | April 03, 2009 at 01:22 AM
Happy Birthday lil Julia!!!! I hope you had a GREAT day!!!!
Posted by: Toni | April 04, 2009 at 02:50 PM