All Rowelled Up

SMELLS LIKE TWEEN SPIRIT

Tween? Tween? What on earth is a tween? This stage of life did not exist back in my days as a 5^th grader. I wasn’t exactly sure what this term even meant so I looked it up and found out that a Tween is a child between middle childhood and adolescence between the ages of 9-12. Back in my days you were simply a kid and then when you hit 13 you were a teenager. Simple as that!

My niece is a fifth grader this year and she just turned 11. I never can remember what age I was in school so I’m constantly counting back in my head, “okay, Senior year you were 17-18, Junior year you were 16-17 and so on.” So, for this blog I took my timeline to paper to see what year it was when I was in 5^th grade and it took me back to the years of 1991 and 1992. Good years! Amazing years! Years that still to this day, have an influence and cameos in my life now.

When I look at my niece or talk to her on the phone I still see her as a baby. She is not! She is a little bit divatastic sometimes. Definitely her own person and I love that about her. Looking back on my life as a 5^th grader it makes me realize that she has a lot going on in her brain. I thought I was so mature at 11 and wanted to keep up with the latest style and listen to the lastest music. (I thought I was pretty cool because I knew all the words to Sir Mix-A-Lot's Baby Got Back.) As I see her growing up, and one day when I have kids of my own, I hope I can still remember what it was like and what I was like in whatever age/grade they are dealing with.

On her birthday last week I decided that I wanted to blog about her 5^th grade compared to my 5^th grade. It’s pretty cool how we have a lot of things in common.

Let me take you back to 1991-92. I had to find a timeline on the internet to make sure I had my facts straight and I was amazed at how many influences were squeezed into my 5^th grade year. This time line brought back a lot of memories but I didn’t realize that it was all crammed together. If you want to a little history lesson of your own I found all my information on www.mrpopculture.com. I encourage you to take a peek.

And the winners are…..

Shows that influence

1991-1992

Full House, Saved by the Bell, Wonder Years, Family Matters, Beverly Hills 90210 (I remember when it was on Thursday nights and I remember crying when Brenda and Dylan broke up in his car while REM’s Losing my Religion was playing.), America’s Funniest Home Videos (always a topic to discuss on the bus ride on Monday.), Home Improvement (JTT 4EVER),Blossom,Step by Step, Roseanne, The Real World.

2010

Adventure Time, Total Drama World Tour, iCarly, Hannah Montana

Artists that influence

1991-92

Amy Grant (I will be attending her concert in BA on October 21^st), Roxette, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Paula Abdul (shes forever my girl), C&C Music Factory, Color Me Badd, En Vogue, New Kids on the Block(and they are still hot!!!!), Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Michal Jackson(moment of silence), Salt-N-Pepa, PM Dawn, MC Hammer, Nirvana, Wilson Phillips,Madonna, Nelson, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

2010

Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift,

Movies that influence

1991-92

Robin Hood-Prince of Thieves, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, City Slickers, Curly Sue, Beauty and the Beast, The Addams Family, My Girl, Wayne’s World(which my sister snuck out to see)

World Events that influence

Okay, well as you can tell above that I didn’t really see a lot of movies as a 5^th grader. I’m sure I was forced to watch whatever old time crap movie was on television that I didn’t really want to watch but if it were to come on T.V. now, I could probably quote it for you. Some I’m glad my parents introduced to me but some (any John Wayne movie) I will not be watching in the future. I played outside ALL THE TIME at this age. My neighborhood friends were the best! I will always remember them and hold them dear to my heart. They were a big party of my childhood. (!!tween years!!).

I don’t remember my parents watching the news a lot but the two events that I actually remember seeing on t.v. and hearing about was Magic Johnson saying he had HIV and stories of Jeffrey Dahmer killing people. I don’t think those topics are appropriate for an 11 year old and I remember being scared of Jeffrey Dahmer and I was glad he was in jail. Very odd topics for a 5^thgrader, but it makes me realize that my niece and nephew are not dumb to the things of this world. I’m sure they know so much more than we think they know. Sooner or later their little innocent brains are going to be filled with the reality of this world. Makes me a little sad and a little scared.

So there you have it folks! A little glimpse into my past and clues as to why I am the way I am today. I guess it was because Sir Mix-A-Lot loved big butts and he could not lie! :)

April

p.s. the girl above in the red shirt is me as a 5th grader, just in case you couldn't tell ;)