I hadn’t heard of Junie B. Jones before, but this little girl gets my big girl reading like a champ!

I had a hard time getting Lulu to read. She wasn’t interested. She’d rather play outside. And while I appreciate that she doesn’t want to sit in front of a television all day like her big sister, and that she likes the great outdoors (or at least the great cul-de-sac outside), she needs to be a good reader.

Enter 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Cain. When I explained that Lulu didn’t share the same love of reading that I have, she recommended Junie B. Jones. And I fell in love instantly. Not that I’ve ever read a single book. But In Junie gets my 2nd grader excited to read, then I get excited to.

Well, Junie B. Jones turned 20 this month. I mean – she’s still in elementary school as far as Lulu is concerned, but Babara Parker wrote the first Junie B. Jones book 20 years ago. And I’d like to thank her.

I’d like to thank Lulu too – once she finds that missing Junie B. Jones library book that I have to cough of $15 for within the next few weeks, in order for her to receive her final 2nd grade report card.

Lulu and Coco 2012

Monique – mom, age 40. I’m a single mom. Always have been.

Lulu – big sister, age 8.

Coco – little sister, age 6.

I’m originally from Cleveland, OH and the girls were born there. We moved to Columbia, SC in November of 2007 and we’ve been here ever since. I’ve worked at the same place since we’ve been here. I’ve been in the insurance industry since 1997.

I’m a business analyst. Basically, I do requirements-gathering, spec-writing (translate English to pseudocode for the software developers and programmers), and test software updates. We provide and customize rating software. That means that we write the code that ensures your rates are accurate when you start a new policy, make changes to it, renew it or cancel it. When the guys do that, I test it to make sure it works. Really, I try to break it before the end user does .

I’m starting school in about a month to take 2 of 6 computer programming applications classes that I’ll be taking over the next year. School ends May 2013. I’ll receive a certificate.I’d like to be able to use my new programming skills along with my current BA skills to telecommute.

Once I’d like to hit the road. I know. It’s crazy. 1 single mom, 2 young(er) girls. On the road. Full-time. Alone.

But I look at it as an adventure! And, so far, the girls are on board with me.

There are lots of things holding us back – finances, practicality, nerves. Homeschooling and working full-time at the same time. The immensity of the life-change.

But I’ve got hundreds of reason in my head why this would be the beginning of an amazing, trying, exhausting, exciting, and fun-filled journey with my girls.

So, we’re going to give it a go.

What do you think? Crazy as heck? Fun?