That moment when you start a fresh page and sit there not knowing exactly how to start.

I’m JcCauliflower. I was the same over on OD and honestly it took me a while to start an account here because in the last couple years I’ve had a hard time finding time to write in any sense of routine. Let’s try and change that with a fresh site.

A brief introduction. I’m a 35 y/0 married mom to 3. My oldest, Hunter, just turned 14. He’s in 8th grade and these last 3 years of middle school have brought a whole new meaning to the word frustration. He’s a very smart kid, where things just come naturally to him, except organization and responsibility. We’ve been dealing with a lot of missing school work resulting in battles with his grades and it’s not that he struggles with the learning part, it’s because he doesn’t turn in his work. Half the time, the assignment is even finished and for some reason he can’t explain to us, it never makes it into the teachers hands. He’s played the clarinet since he was in the 4th grade and this year was invited to be a member of the All County band. Essentially, the best of the best from each school in our entire county come together to form one band. Their performance was AMAZING and I was so proud.

Ryan is my next child, he’s 11. A polar opposite of Hunter in every way imaginable. He’s in his first year of middle school this year. A different middle school than Hunter as he was invited to test for a magnet math and science school and made it in! Although this means I have to drive him and pick him up every day, I really think it’s been good for him. Besides keeping him challenged, I think it’s also given him the chance to be his own person and not just “Hunters brother”. He plays the saxophone and made the All county band last year for elementary school kids. He’s a very sweet loveable kid who still gives a round of kisses and hugs before bed each night.

Last but certainly not least is my daughter Hailey who is 6. Boy does she keep us on our toes! Her brothers can always be found in front of their video games, but Hailey is a social butterfly and would always choose playing outside with her friends or participating in some outside group instead. She was hospitalized just before she turned 4 fighting Guillain-Barré syndrome. Her immune system over reacted and attacked the lining of her own nerves instead of the cold virus it was supposed to be fighting. This paralyzed her and she spent a month on a breathing machine in the intensive care unit. She healed 100% from that only to break her elbow later that summer “trying to fly” by jumping off th coffee table and the following summer breaking the wrist in the same arm on the monkey bars. You can’t keep her still. She’s been a dancer since she was 3 and absolutely loves it. She has daddy wrapped around her finger and is mommy’s best friend.

I’ve been married for 14 years. My husband is a system technician for Comcast (most people complain about Comcast, don’t hold that against him). He works on the main power lines. I stayed home to raise my babies until Hailey started kindergarten. I’m currently working in her elementary school as a lunch assistant in the cafeteria and I’m also going back to working as a sales associate at Gymboree. It helps pay for my shopping addiction there.

We’re spending school snow day #7 of the year in the house today. I’m so antsy from being inside this winter, I was trying to think of someplace to go today that won’t cost me an arm and a leg, but decided it’s probably not that safe to be out driving with all the ice anyways. We’re getting ready for a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas we’re leaving for in 2 weeks. Our first cruise ever. That’ll help the winter depression mood. I guess I’ll spend today packing some. It’s been easy to pack in advance for this trip since I’m packing summer clothes we definitely aren’t using right now.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning some about me and my family! Do we have something in common? Let’s be friends! Even if we don’t, opposites attract! We can live vicariously through each other :)