In 7th grade I became painfully aware of how "hairy" my legs were. On the bus there was this really mean kid (who, by the way, had Spock eyebrows) who always called me spider legs! I was devastated but every time I talked to my Mom about she said I was too young to shave my legs. Luckily for me at this time we lived with Grandma and my Aunt Linda who was a Senior in High School at the time and the epitome of rebellious pulled me aside one day and said "Look your Mom does not take a shower with you so if you want to shave your legs go ahead and do it!" Well that was all I needed I ran upstairs that minute jumped into the shower and began to literally HACK away the hair...unfortunately I must have grabbed an exceptionally dull razor because when I had finished I looked like I needed an ER. I did not even tell my Mom what I had done...but of course the bloody towel was a dead give away. I could tell she was mad but as the saying goes "It's easier to ask for forgiveness then permission!!!"

On becoming a woman

The first time I got my period I was sleeping over at a friends house. It was Mother's day weekend, I was 12. I woke up at my friends house went to the bathroom and was totally confused! I did not say anything to my friend and went home for Church and Mother's day activities. At the time we lived with my Grandmother...so that means my Mom and Dad, the 5 kids, my Aunt Helen (my grandmothers sister), my Grandparents (my Grandfather was sick with Huntington's Korea disease) my Uncle Johnny and my Aunt Linda...we all lived under the same roof! So imagine the chaos of a Sunday morning as everyone is fighting for bathroom time, a spot at the table to eat, and getting everyone out the door in time for Mass...can you say HECTIC! I try to pull my Mom aside privately and tell her what is going on...as if there is any privacy in a house FULL of people! I settle for a moment at the top of the stairs near the bathroom. I tell her what I suspect is occurring hoping beyond hope that she is going to hug me and take me into the bathroom and show me what the hell to do! Oddly enough my Mother stares and me and says "What do you want me to do? There is a box of pads under the sink". Devastated! I go into the bathroom and pull out what looks like a diaper and I think NO WAY! Then I get an idea...maybe I am wrong...maybe I am not menstruating!! Off I go with the family to church. When we return 2 hours later I go into the bathroom and sure enough things are happening. So I corner my mother again and say "Mom I am ruining my underwear can you PLEASE help me?" and she gapes at me and looks at me like I'm an idiot...she says "I can't buy you any new underwear so you'd better figure it out!". ACK!!!!
Well of course I did figure it out and then insisted on walking home everyday for lunch so I could use the facilities and not have to bring any of that "stuff" to school. In June my aunt flow did not appear and I was SOOOO relieved thinking it was all a mistake...it was back in July *sigh*.

Jupiter

When I was in abut 5th grade we were assigned to write up a paper about a planet and produce a model of the planet. I wrote up my paper on Jupiter and started bugging my mother about producing a Jupiter model. Being as we lived with her Mom at the time and she had her hands full with the 4 other children she put it off and put it off even though I kept nagging her. I told her I had it all planned out...we'd get one of those punching balloons..the really BIG ones and put paper machie all over it then I could paint it the colors of Jupiter. Well needless to say my big project did not occur until the NIGHT before the project was due and I was stressing out! e paper machied the balloon and it was taking forever to dry...but I knew I needed to paint it! So even though my mother kept telling me to wait and wait and wait I couldn't stand it any longer! I took out the paints and started in on the balloon. Well in the midst of my genius plan I had it in my head that I needed to POP the balloon...and when I did Jupiter looked like it had been hit by a meteor! I was devastated! I reluctantly continued to paint Jupiter..but I was mortified that my planet was moshed. The next day when it was my turn to present Jupiter the teacher was very kind and we all took turns guessing what catastrophe had occurred to the poor planet. Lesson learned all ways listen to your mother!