Erica threw out a challenge on her blog to post a picture of yourself in the "awkward stage." I can’t resist. They are too funny. Here I am. And this was at the VERGE of the stage. It gets worse. Much worse. But the parents, probably in denial and pretending that it couldn’t possibly be THEIR daughter, took very very few pictures of this stage. I don’t blame them. This one is important not only for the cuteness factor, but for the content.
No, that is not my sister sitting next to me. It is a dummy I made with the clothes I planned to wear to the first day of school. Actually, the dummy may be for the second day of school and my outfit may be the first. Either way, it was a tradition in my family to make a dummy that would look like yourself on the day before school started so you could step back and see how AWESOME you’re going to look. Man, that DOES, look awesome, doesn’t it? I was totally like the coolest kid in school because I knew how to dress, thanks to the dummy. You can see in the picture how cool I feel. Oh, to have that easy confidence back, even when it was so undeserved…
And not only that, I’m pictured with my imitation Cabbage Patch Kid. See, when CPKs were big, my mom and dad couldn’t see the point of buying the doll full price when they could get one that looks JUST LIKE IT, for half price. I got it and, jerk that I was, felt pretty disappointed that it didn’t have Xavier Roberts’ signature on the tooshie like a "real" one. So I made my mom sign it. And that felt much better.
I have a lot of good supplies gathering dust that I’d willingly trade for a good laugh over some pictures. So I’m copying Erica’s challenge. Show me your awkward pics. I’ll do a little drawing for the prize of a big box of stuff. Two chances if you actually scrap it. That way, if you participate, your chances of winning from one of us will increase. Let’s play!
26 Comments
YES!
Oh man, I’m ROFL at the fact that you dressed a dummy to check out your sweet outfit…we would have got along FAMOUSLY at that age :p
I just came across your blog and couldn’t help but comment how I think you look like Molly Ringwald (sp?) here…I know you don’t have red hair..maybe it’s the smile and the freckles…it’s actually pretty cute…I too had an imitation CPK, so I recently bought my daughter one (a real one w/the sig on the toosh), thinking she would love it..LOL..she barely plays with it…so much for living vicariously…..LOL!
Shannon- I’m way way excited to show you my “awkward stage” pictures. Maybe I’ll email them to you, or maybe I’ll just wait until I see you in a couple of days!!!
(Yeah!!!) I’m pretty sure I could easily win the contest!
Are you kidding? Who wouldn’t think you were adorable!
wahahahaha!!!
:) 
i love it!!!
i think it’s a cutie pie picture!
what a perfect post…
and who wouldn’t be confident in that outfit???
plus the fact that you have a footless CPK dummy modeling the day two outfit…
why didn’t i think of that one?
you’re totally killing me. what humor. the awkward stage . . . have to go dig something up . . .
That is too funny, Shannon!! We had “pumpkin patch” kids, I do believe… never thought of dressing the dummy, though - that is too clever!! ; )
um. do you think it’s a BAD thing that I KNOW I have an ample supply of “awkward” photos I could use? Hmmm…
Too funny, Shannon. I’m sure I have some awkward childhood photo around my house somewhere.
Oh and I had the fake Cabbage Patch kid, too. She looked just like yours, actually! LOL
BTW, loved your layouts in the garden today!
Hey Shannon!
Love your work and your blog!
I sent a photo to Erica, so I’ll send it to you, too! Love your photo! I, too, think it was too clever to dress that imitation cabbage patch doll like a dummy. LOL! Great photo! Just don’t laugh too hard at mine when you see it! 
Kristina
I thought I was the only kid in America who suffered with a CPK knock off. sigh. oh for a signature on the tushie. I did learn how to french braid on that doll so all was not lost.
of course, I have to come back to this post because I totally have to see this dummy!
wish i could see the photo. my mom made me a homeade cabbage patch boy!~ i loved him!!! named him Todd!!!!!!! LOL
tara
Sadly, I already scrapped my marching band picture… and gave it to Erica, but I’ll put it on my blog for some good laughs.
Hilary
Oh, and I’m sure we coudl’ve done a lot with that dummy issue in my psychology class in college.
Great pic! Love the dummy!! I was a lucky little girl…a well off shopping addicted friend bought me a real Cabbage Patch doll.
he he! love that picture, your cabbage patch girl rocks!! at least you had long hair, i was looking like a boy at that age, lol!
What? you were totally cute :-)… even sweeter that your mom says you were adorable! gotta love that!
that is hot!!!!! hahahaha oh my gosh that is hilarious. i do love however that you dress up a doll in your new school clothes that is a great tradition.
You’re killing me ….. ’nuff said.
I’m laughing so hard I fear I may pee my pants. But I’ll even things up and send you a photo that defines awkward. For some horrid reason my mom thought that my naturally wavy hair should be *permed* and cut into a short, circ 1984 “power business woman’s do.” I was about 10. Evil, evil woman LOL! Not to mention the awful clothing choice in the photo (for which I have no one to blame but my young ’80s self).
The dummy is exactly what I needed to make me cool. You are so awesome. I have my photo posted in my blog. As you will see…I totally needed that dummy!
Sis, you totally know that I would win this contest since we were practically twins at that age. If memory serves, my picture taken on that exact date has me in a blue/white tank top with a plastic pink necklace. I think my dummy had some army looking outfit on. YUCK!
im sensing that you were wearing some serious aquanet or rave hairspray that day. alas i had a real cabbage patch doll. tyler. he was a preemie, with a binkie. and the reason i am telling you this is so i can tell you this….my brother was in college and dated some unsuspecting girl for the soul purpose of obtaining the doll. she worked at k-mart and got to buy two dolls before they opened the doors for the stampede of frenzied moms. so her little sister got one and so did i. then he broke it off. ah, he really is a good big brother.
OMG you totally crack me up! OK, I give up - you win w/ that DOLL of yours! LOL! Too funny!
Robin
I’ve got tears running down my face!!!!!!!
You crack me up!
ya know..I meant to for Erica’s, and I WILL for yours! It’ll hurt, yes. I’ll be embarassed, yes. But You’ll laugh. I can guarentee it.