Sometimes the day feels so hard; it seems like they’ll never grow up. Will they always resent us, say no to us, be disrespectful, not care? The future feels so far off when we are in the trenches of training, teaching, molding, mentoring… And we get lost in the today. Read more…
It seemed so far away. Eight years ago, when our first “ours baby” was born, I remember thinking that some day WAY in the future, when she turned eight years old, my stepkids — her older brother and sister — would be out of the house. Someday way in the Read more…
Early on, I convinced myself my stepkids would end up spoiled from all the gifts they were receiving. They had double the parents, so that meant there were *four* generous sets of grandparents to indulge them with gifts, plus lots of extra aunts and uncles on all sides! On a Read more…
We sat around a circle of chairs and couches in our living room. I bounced a wiggly baby on my lap as tears threatened to sting my eyes and my heartbeat grew more intense. I got the courage to speak up, but almost as soon as the words began Read more…
There were so many nights that I stayed up late cleaning well after everyone was in bed, just so we didn’t have to start out each new day in a house full of dirty dishes, crumbs and toys strewn across the floor. “There is a season for everything…” As stepmoms Read more…
Three words I never thought I’d say to my husband about my stepson after a FaceTime call with him: “He’s so sweet.” Seriously. What?! “Sweet” and my stepson would never have been two words I would have put together in one sentence. Never. Not even when he was nine years Read more…
“So, is life easier without me at home anymore?” These were the words my stepson asked my husband this weekend, his first weekend back home to visit from his freshman year in college. If you’ve read anything I’ve written about my stepson, you’ll know that things weren’t easy with him. Read more…
Two years ago, our family hosted a foreign exchange student from Germany. Back when I was a college student, my studies had led me to study music in Germany for three years. After that experience, I knew someday I would want to host a German student in my home. So Read more…
I had always possessed a maternal desire and had hoped for a big family. But when the day came to announce my first pregnancy, I wasn’t prepared to have to hide my joy like I was doing something wrong. Like many stepmoms, I loved my new stepkids, but I longed for a Read more…
“Get some rest and enjoy being alone for the afternoon.” Those were the words my husband suggested to me on that Sunday afternoon. It was transition day and my husband’s ex-wife had just pulled into the driveway to drop off my stepkids for a week. “I’ll bring the kids with Read more…