Sweating it Out!

Our oldest will be transitioning to high school, later this month. Where did the time go?

So, she plans to go out for volleyball at her school. Workouts begin this week. She will have a difficult time with the uniforms. Thankfully, she doesn't like to wear anything too short, tight or low-cut shirts! I'm hoping that doesn't change. I guess, if she makes the team, we will maybe try to get the shorts in a larger size? Maybe they will fit a little bigger or looser for her.

"Can I wear leggings under the shorts?" she asked as I drove to a local sporting goods store for knee pads. Almost crossing the line, into the opposite lane, I maturely answered, "What kind of sense would that make? How would that look?"

I delighted at her conscious effort not to show too much when dressing. Over the years we had conversations-easy conversations about it.

I'm fortunate and grateful that she is different from the younger me. She is more interested in reading, drawing and singing than shopping, dressing and hanging out.

When I was her age, not only did I love shopping for clothes and shoes, I lied to get more of them. Junior high was that time when your look became really important. My parents bought me plenty of clothes and shoes- and name brand. But it wasn't enough sometimes. Not sure how I came up with it but it worked.

"I have to speak in front of the whole school next week," I'd tell my mom. "I don't want to wear the same ole stuff I've been wearing, in front of everybody," I added. Somehow we'd end up at Belk or Dillards. That one worked a few times.

I was tall and skinny then too. I never wore things that were too short but I wanted to be noticed by boys in junior high. I got the brilliant idea, after being teased relentlessly by boys in the neighborhood, to make myself look a little more plump. I wore shorts under my pants or several pairs of thick tights. I guess those were our leggings back then. And when Margaret's exercises (from the Judy Blume book-earlier post) to increase busts didn't work, I just got padded bras in a bigger size. Had great posture when wearing those things.

Wearing layers of clothes under my pants was short-lived. Caused lots of itching and sweating in the warmer months. Seventh grade language arts class was the last straw. Mrs. McKenzie was very strict. I'd already been to the bathroom after lunch. I had on thick tights and shorts under my Vidal Sassoon jeans. I was itching and hot. Couldn't sit still. Only one sweating. I felt like my eyes were crossing and I was going to pass out. Didn't want anyone to see me but they could hear me. Well my desk. I was moving around so much my desk was knocking the desks on both sides of me. She'd pause in between conjugating verbs and glare at me. Sweat was a good verb she could've conjugated. After a few minutes I was getting delirious and the other students were now staring at me. She got the class started with an assignment, then came over and gave me a hall pass. I was a mess in that bathroom. Took the tights off and slammed them in the trash can. Needless to say I never did that again.