Through the Years: The Cheer Era

You voted, I listened. A whopping 49 percent of ya wanna see my hideous cheer pics. And I am laughin now too. Ready...OK.

Ah, how I loved saying those words. How I loved pom poms and hair bows and matching socks and tights under my skirt with a paw print on them. Seriously, it is the details that count.
Yes, my entire high school life was define by this sport -- and don't even debate me on whether this is a sport or not cause if it isn't, I am gonna have to bump my therapist visits up to four times a week. And I just don't think he could handle that.
But here are a couple pics of us at our annual cheer camp in which I tried make-up and this began an instant love affair in which I have been tangled in its web ever since. And I still do spirit hands...take state....but don't tell anyone.It is also where I stole Laura's soap container....but we have already been over that. Again, more therapy needed. And I remember this pic...I am the one not quite stable yet and looking down...cause I was totally thinking...Uhm should your hand be there?

And just for the record, I can still do a killer toe touch...don't make me show you.

Through the Years: Circa 1976 - 1986

I almost went with Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time...but I finally decided on Kenny Rogers classic song Through the Years as the title of my series. As the pics progressively get worse, you will understand nobody wants to turn back time and see me again. Now this is the not so bad era. The junior high and high school era is MUCH MUCH worse with big teeth, bigger glasses, and the biggest hair you have ever seen. Gawd, I loved me some AquaNet.

But let's start here, shall we....three months old and I have doves on my dress. I was a Prince fan at heart even then. Next comes carrot top in a carrot dress. What was my mother thinking? And am I showing some cleavage?
Then the first appearance of my little-girl-in-a-swing necklace. Remember this please. And let me just say I love me some pig tails.
Lord have mercy. I would pay a hundred bucks to know what I was looking at here. Cause in all my life, I have NEVER looked away from a camera. And I remember this dress. It had a white dog in the left corner. Leave it up to me to remember my fashion at age three.Ah-ha...notice the necklace reappear years later--I have never kept anything that long in my life. But again, I was very fashion conscience at this age -- as you can tell by the shirt.
This was the beginning of my Pocahontas days. And my Martha sprouts too...she would have never approved of the plastic flower though. But please notice how well the hair bow matches the bow in my dress -- Go, Mom. Kindergarten, yes this dress was a buy one get one for a penny at the local dress store on the town square. I remember trying it on in the dressing room thinking how splendid it would look with white tights. I liked this one better than the one we got for a penny.
Please notice something here -- oh yeah...that is right. My ears are pierced. And let me juts say I pined for this day...and I cried and hollered like a little bitty baby when it happened.

Ah second grade and what significant happened this year? I was so signing All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth and boy did Santa deliver ... a size too big...
And in the wrong direction. Lord what is up with those teeth. And for third grade he also brought me glasses...that could have fit a village of nearsighted giants.
Oh look, in fourth grade the preschool necklace reappears. I must have cleaned out my ballerina musical jewelry box. Try not to be jealous.
Oh what era was this? What child of the 80's did not have a Dorothy Hamill haircut. I was a little late in the game in fifth grade, so I spruced it up with a little side parting action. I am so wild and crazy like that. And the chicken head shirt was so Weird Al Yankovic cause I was super cool like that. Eat your heart out Madonna. And I got me some initials on my glasses. In case they got lost..in a village of nearsighted giants...cause everyone who was anyone in Giantville wanted these.
Betcha can't wait for junior high, huh? Just so you know I am leaving sixth grade out cause it is way too painful. Seriously.

So which one is your fave...ya know, the one you are calling your cubical neighbor over to laugh at? Please tell them I am dooce.