Team Pop was formed during the family reunion of 2009, and its founding members including myself and three of my favorite cousins—Sandra (18), Natalie (15), and Jenna (13). We've always been close, in spite of our age differences, and we are practically inseparable at these bi-annual* shindigs. Our group's name was inspired by our official movie, Music and Lyrics, which we must always watch while dancing like fools and eating Bugles from Wal*mart. These are sacred and beloved traditions.

Of course, enjoying these things at one, lone family reunion would not make them true traditions, so Team Pop cleverly planned a get-together for August 2010. Sandra was going to be moving to Chicago as an adorable college freshman anyway, so we decided to assemble our awesome selves at my [parents'] house for a week of shopping and board games and sugar cookies and Twilight (hey, I make sacrifices for the team sometimes) and neon hair extensions and pedicures. We created a slightly more aggressive version of Chutes and Ladders to play while we listened to the music video for "Pop! Goes My Heart" on an endless loop. Greater times have never been had.

The plan was to end the story there and to wrap up with some high praise about my birthday bash and my dad's birthday bash and blah blah. But I realized some things about myself while the lovely girls of Team Pop were in town, and I need to get them out in the open before I forget.

• I like shopping way too much, and I'm really good at it.
• I've always been jealous of girls with Ugg boots, even though I find most Ugg boots to be really unflattering.
• My favorite colors have always been and will always be pink, purple, and turquoise.
• I get a kick out of giant sunglasses, giant rings, and most other giant accessories.
• I sing along with Miley Cyrus and Never Shout Never and Fall Out Boy at the top of my lungs in my car.
• I am a girly-girl.

Silly confessions, I know, but two months ago, I would have been ashamed to share those things. Sandra and Natalie and Jenna are all fabulously proud of who they are, as they should be, and while I've been that kind of girl before, I somehow let my personality get trampled over the past year or two. I was trying to fit into some sort of stereotype, and I was uncomfortable doing or liking anything unexpected. Well, poo on that. I still love burping and video games and baseball and big band jazz and talking about stabbing people, but I'm going to go ahead and interrupt this Mario Kart tournament to croon over my new scarf. Or maybe I won't! Either way, we'll both agree to be pleasantly surprised, right? Awesome.

I'm inviting you, the people of the internet, to celebrate my 25th birthday with me! The festivities will start at 12:30 p.m. at Giordano's for lunch. (There's usually a long wait, but we can get a reservation if we have a group of 10+.) Once our bellies are full, we'll move over to Grant Park for cupcakes, board/card games, and good times as we enjoy the fabulous sounds of Jazz Fest. This part is free, free, free. I'm providing the cupcakes, and there is no admission fee for Jazz Fest. I can't decide what I want to do next, so the evening will either wrap up with a group outing to the movies or everyone getting tipsy at the Signature Lounge atop the Hancock Center.

That said, speak up if you know you'll be there, so I can make lunch reservations and so I don't run out of cupcakes. Bring a board game to share if you feel so led, but please don't feel like you need to bring a gift. In fact, I might grumble at you if you bring one, since I'll have to lug that home on the train. (Paypal is a cool option, though, if you're really that generous. Ahem.)

Blah blah, the point is that I'm really looking forward to meeting you and hanging out with you and licking the frosting from your face. SEE YA SOON.

This is a follow-up to Wednesday's entry, so read that first:

1. I now work at the church where my school was held. The multi-purpose room still has carpet up the walls.
2. This year, I was asked to be a hand model for some Powerpoint slides that would be displayed during our Good Friday service.
3. I grew up saying "macs and cheese," but I guess the rest of the world says "mac" (singular) "and cheese."