This is Your Life

About two months ago my brother told me that he found a box for me in the back of the house if I wanted it.

I was very excited by this because I have very little from my childhood.   I could not wait to go through it.

Of course, my generation is obsessed with documenting our children, so they will probably hate us.

I know I can't wait to pull out the rap video with Connor's prom date.

sooooooo,

This is My Life

I was born 3 months early. 

I've always been in a rush!

(this picture isn't that old, is it?)

This is me as a baby, with my mom. 

This picture is dated a few months after my birthday. I spent some major time in the NICU.

(my goodness, are those glass medicine bottles on that cart!?!  I can't pass for 21 with this picture.)

My mom was pretty young. 

I have no idea how she kept from running away raising me.

As you can see.... 

ADORABLE.

I think I look a little bit like someone in my house....

Connor looks just like Darren.

Carlee look just like Me.

Connor and Carlee look just alike.

(I don't get it.)

 

This is my lovely handwriting in second grade.

Now they have to write like this the first term of kindergarten.

Can I draw an awesome Christmas tree or what!?!

This is the first time I realized- 

1.  that church van I rode took me to a Presbyterian Church

  2.  How stupid Mandy Mantz really sounds.

I was forced to take Mandy because there were three Amandas in my kindergarten class.  

There are three Amandas at my church.  

I hope they don't get any ideas about me going back to MANDY or I am finding a Presbyterian Church somewhere.

Besides... I love God (or You) and NObody loves you more.

This is a special award- IMPROVED behavior.

Not good behavior, improved.

ha. ha. ha.

They tried to encourage.

This reminds me of an award Connor received one time-

Took a Nap Today Award

Who gets a D in Health??

Ok, I might get that now. 

Never Mind.

I guess I can stop getting upset with Connor for all those Unsatisfactory(s) and Needs Improvement.

I love this last comment in my report card.

No... 

Good luck to you Mrs. Umberger, I have siblings. 

My memory of this teacher is me standing in front of the board with my nose in a circle and her dumping my desk out because it was so junked up.  

One time my I brought a novelty huge pencil from home, and I insisted on doing my math with it.   

Mrs. U. was correcting my problem while using that big ole' pencil and it wouldn't work.  She got so mad she took it and kept it in her desk.  

It is probably still there.

It is NEVER a good thing when your glasses are three times bigger than your bra size.

That is why I read this book all the time:

I seem to have some extras in case any of my fan base needs a few.

6th Grade Writing Test

This picture represents one of my most favorite memories.  

My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. D., ignited my love of writing.  

That year, a very unruly and wild girl who was in a "black bird" reading group and was suspended off the bus TWICE for fighting...

 discovered a love of writing!

That year I still remember I wrote:

1.  a Catherine the Great Play

2.  A poem for a retired teacher presented at an assembly.

3.  The recipient of the Agriculture Writing Award (don't even ask me how I won this, but I wrote a two page paper and got a trophy)

4.  One of two students in the whole grade to make a 4++ on the statewide writing test.

I think my mom thought I had gotten a tumor.

Teachers. Make. A. Difference.

I was later published in a county wide creative writing book.

Be prepared to be WOWED with my poem to my Best Friend: 

Mrs. Dickenson encouraged me to change the last line to "that doesn't have big feet"  to "that is so neat"!

I am still proud of myself, but that last line would have been better with my original idea.  :) 

Excessive Talking... Shocker

Throughout school, I was always hyperactive and talkative, and there were times that I was defiant.

In 7th grade, I protested the fact that the only children on the Battle of the Books team were from the Academically Gifted class.  

I insisted that I had read all 28 books and deserved a chance!  

I recruited the librarian to help me and we went to the principal.

The principal insisted on school wide tryouts.

Let me just say, there were not a ton of other middle school children dying to try out for this team.  

I was put on the team.  

(See glasses picture for Geek Status.)

I remember nearly being in suspended in high school because I wrote an article in The Bark about how disgusting it was that the football team was always getting new equipment they didn't need, while the girl and boys were sharing soccer uniforms.

I had a great journalism teacher, Mr. Boyles, who ran the story anyway.  
He paid a price, he was called in the principal's office, but he stood firm for me.

(The football team was really nice to me after the article printed. SARCASM)

Sometimes you have to be a pain in the butt.

He later passed away due to complications from his liver.

I wrote a eulogy for him that I delivered in front of the high school, and everyone stood up to cheer for him after I read it.  

This is my Senior year.

I guess the real success story here is that the glasses got a little smaller.

This has been My Life!

Thanks for the box Cody!