Music that makes her dance

Little lady had her birthday party this weekend. Part cooking show (they made pizzas and decorated cupcakes), part playdate and part dance party - it was exactly the low-key affair we like.

Of course the dance party had a soundtrack. As is our custom we gave out CDs with some of her favorite songs from the previous year. Here were the songs we gave our guests:

1. First Train Home - Imogen Heap
2. M.A.G.I.C. - The Sound of Arrows
3. Fireflies - Owl City
4. Replay - Iyaz
5. Don't Stop Believin' - Glee
6. Waterfalls - TLC
7. Popular - Wicked
8. Thriller - Michael Jackson
9. Million Dollar Bill - Whitney Houston
10. Got to Be Real - Cheryl Lynn
11. This Heart Is a Stone - Acid House Kings

And this year, there are serious credits to give out for introducing my little lady to the songs. A long-lost, but blessedly found, high school buddy introduced her to no less than five of the eleven songs (numbers 1, 2, 5, 9 and 11) while my very own Ambassador got her hooked on TLC's Waterfalls. Then beloved sister-in-law got little lady and me to Wicked over the winter.

In each birthday CD I usually like to slip one song in that my kids don't know but makes me think of them. Kind of like that extra candle on a cake to grow on. This is an extra song to enjoy as their new year begins.

This year's extra song is Cheryl Lynn's classic Got to Be Real.

And it is her new favorite. She sings it, complete with deep from the belly "got to be real! got to be real!" flourish. Because that is what I hope my lovely lady always is.

Real.