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This is Taylor, aka Mac 'n Cheese, she is my middle child and only daughter. She is a VERY mature 12 year old who is going into the 7th grade where she will excitedly be a "Dazzler" (the school drill team). I was not prepared to have a daughter, and I am even less prepared to have a teenage daughter. She is full of energy and drama! :) My mom tells her she goes a mile an hour to nowhere. But, I can tell you this child is going SOMEWHERE! She is a very focused and determined child. She has always been hard headed (literally and figuratively), self reliant (except when it comes to dishes, laundry, etc.), witty and funny. I tell her constantly that she would be a good attorney as she likes to argue, or a good sales person because she won't take no for an answer. Do not tell this child that you will be home at 6:00 unless you plan to be pulling up at 5:59:00 otherwise your cell phone will ring at 6:01:00. Be very definitive with your answers because a "maybe" always means "yes".
We call her Mac 'n Cheese because she is the middle child and at times suffers from MCS (Middle Child Syndrom). This was a name she appointed to herself a year ago when she sat me down to discuss the allocation of attention in our home. As she saw it Cooper (1 yr old at the time) was the chicken fried steak and takes up the biggest portion of the plate. Which is completely accurate; he was, and still is, into EVERYTHING. Jake (17 at the time) was the mashed potatoes and took up a big portion of the plate. This was also true as Jake was in his last year of school and a lot of the attention he received was due to the early onset of a severe case of Senioritis that began in September. Brutal! And, then there are the green beans...which I love! Green beans and mac 'n cheese share the remainder of the plate. Geno, my husband, is the green beans. So, there you have it...Taylor is "Mac 'n Cheese".
Although she may not always think so, I love this child with all of my heart and soul. She is my "Mini Me". She has caused me to catch my breath numerous times in more way than one. I think she is beautiful inside and out. There are times when I look at her and see myself. I want to protect and guide her so that she won't feel the same hurts and disappointments that I have. Hint: This doesn't work. She is her own person and will let you know it in less than a minute. I do not have to worry about this child, she will be just fine.
