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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Thankful Thursday

It looks like I'm going to jump on the Thankful Thursday band wagon, since I have so much to be thankful for. I consider myself to be a very lucky girl :) Today I am thankful for...

  • My beautiful sister, who is celebrating her birthday today... I won't tell you how old she is, because I want to be able to share more Thankful Thursdays with you all ;)
  • My babysitter, who never says no to us when we call her. Thanks to her I will be able to celebrate my sister's birthday with her tomorrow night, and have some alone time with my hubby on Sunday to enjoy the big game.
  • My job. Even though I complain about it from time to time, I am very grateful to have an opportunity to help provide for my family. I work with great people, and you can't beat the hours!
  • My children! I can't remember what my life was like before them, and I can't imagine what my life would be like without them <3
  • Last, but certainly not least, my husband. He works so hard at everything he does. He takes care of our baby girl all day. He works late nights, long hours, and he does it all with a smile. He lifts me up daily with his kind and loving words. I am truly blessed to have him in my life. I couldn't imagine a better partner for myself, or a better father for my children.  
What are you thankful for on this beautiful Thursday?

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Three's a crowd?

I imagine my childhood was pretty similar to that of an only child. Although I have an amazing sister, she is almost thirteen years older than me. She was always off doing her own thing when I was a kid. She got married when I was ten, and started her own family shortly after that. When I was young, I wanted to be with her and her friends all the time. When I was a teenager, I did everything in my power to emulate her. When she had my nephew, I went back to wanting to be with her all the time. As I have grown, she has become my best friend. She taught me everything I know about fashion, hair and makeup; about being a good friend and mother. Even though our relationship may be slightly different from a typical sibling relationship, I cherish it all the same.

I share this with you because as a result of our age difference, I feel I lack first hand knowledge of what a typical sibling relationship is like while growing up. This leads me to my question of the day... Is three always a crowd?

My son (R) and youngest step-son (A) are 2 months apart in age, and my middle step-son (D) is 2 years older than them. They argue ALL THE TIME!!! The constant bickering makes me crazy, but my husband Jay says it's normal brother behavior.

Is it normal though, for one child to always feel left out?

Is this is a true sibling dynamic, or is this more a sibling/step-sibling issue? Sometimes I feel that my 2 step-sons gravitate towards each other, leaving R out; but at other times I feel that it is the two seven year-olds pairing off and leaving D all by himself. We try to explain to them that you can't force someone to play a game they don't want to, or go outside if they don't want to, but inevitably someones feelings get hurt. It is very rare that all 3 of them play nicely together for an extended period of time.

There is major bickering and crying at least once per weekend. I always step in, but maybe that isn't the best thing to do. I feel like I am constantly refereeing them when we should be spending quality time together. Is it worth me getting myself worked up over? Does this go on in every household with children on the weekends? I feel like I must be doing something wrong, but again Jay says, "all brothers act this way with each other - it's normal!"

I often wonder if being a step-mother makes me worry more than most. I want their time together at my house to be pleasant and happy, I don't want to screw them up more than the divorce itself!

Is it possible that my husband is actually right about something? I really hope so, this way I can let myself off the hook for once.

Friday, January 25, 2013

So... I'm new here

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dee . I'm a thirty-something, full-time working mom and step-mom of 5. I was blessed to finally meet my soul mate, Jay, in 2007 and we were married in 2010. I have a 7 year old son, R, from my first marriage. Jay has 3 boys from his first marriage; B is 13, D is 9 and A is 7. In November 2011 we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, M. She has truly completed our family. It has been a learning experience for me going from a single-mom to a step-mom. I went from having 1 child to 4, overnight. I was used to my little man, and then all of the sudden I had 3 little men and a teenager! What a trip! Add Princess M to the picture, and it has really become an adventure. We have his, mine and ours, and the drama that comes along with this mix certainly keeps us on our toes!

I've been intrigued by blogging for quite some time. I have some friends who blog for the purpose of keeping up with out of town family, I have other friends who have travel blogs. I wasn't sure I would have the time, or if anything I have to say would have relevance with so many blogs out there today.

The more I think about it, the more I see it as an opportunity to help myself in an area in which I struggle - and that is balancing the many roles I play in my life. I am a wife, a mother, a step-mother, a full-time employee, a daughter, a sister, and a friend - just to name a few. As my children grow, and my family expands, I am finding it increasingly difficult to navigate all of the twists and turns that come with married life, motherhood and having a blended family.

I think blogging will be great outlet for me to hash things out for myself, to think out loud if you will. I am also counting on it getting me some great advice! I hope that there a few people out there who are taking a similar  journey who can relate to my crazy, zany situation with my kids and our loony ex's, and will want to share the ride. I'm looking forward to trying something different and getting to know new people. I hope you'll come back and see me again :)