In case you’ve been wondering,I haven’t abandoned The Real Me Challenge. I have been planning and brainstorming the future posts to go in it, with plans to publish them after the Christmas holidays. Any I post before then will be a bit, well, lighter.

And here is the first installment of that, where I let you see rare and candid glimpses of my early childhood, where my quirkiness blossomed in full form and my insatiable love for the camera was obvious to all.

An unfortunate cowlick derails the perfect Mary Lou Rhetton/Dorothy Hamill haircut.

The hot pink Strawberry Shortcake swimsuit undermines my hefty attempts to look ferocious.

You’d be hard-pressed to get me this excited about riding on the log flume nowadays.

It was all fine and well when I asked to wear these get-ups on Halloween….quite another thing, however, when I asked to also wear them to school.

A very rare look into my after-school job as a cat seamstress and set designer.

I don’t exactly know whether I’m more embarrassed about playing with Barbies at the age of 10…or my HAIR.

No words.