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Do any of you have a child that is considered “special?” I mean, we all think our kids are special..of course. I am talking in the sense of “special” like special needs.. AKA not “typically developing” or whatever other medical jargon you can think of throwing at it! I was just having a reminiscent conversation with my daughter’s dance teacher last night. She was asking me about our daughter Gracie. Gracie has Williams Syndrome. I will spare you the lengthy, detailed description of how we found out about her diagnosis and everything that we went through to get her situated and ready to attack this thing called life. It would take hours to explain.. I will tell you how it has impacted our family, community, and myself. When she was born we knew something wasn’t right.. I think as a mother, you kinda just know. I can even remember my brother telling me that he knew something wasn’t right, but he didn’t want to upset me by saying that!! Upset me? A postpartum mother with a newborn, a 12 month old, 3-year-old, and 4-year-old. Sheesh…why would the (sleepless, sore nippled, haven’t bathed in a month) mother get upset about you telling her that something “just isn’t right” with her new baby. Okay, now that I am writing it… good call Wes. You are so SMART! Anyway, we knew something was up. Let’s skip to when we found out that Gracie did have Williams Syndrome. I cried and cried because I had a real fear of the unknown. Williams syndrome was unknown to me. Disabilities were unknown to me. (I wasn’t a nurse yet at this point in time) I was scared for Gracie and…full disclosure…I was scared for the person who was mean to her or made fun of her, because the wrath of her mother would explode on them like the green snot in Ghost Busters!! That’s real, right there. Re-read that last sentence, because that is how I felt at the time. I hated, hated, hated that I couldn’t protect her from what was to come in her life. People, medical issues, school, just to name a few. Fast forward to present day. I sit back watching this amazing little girl take the world by storm. She has a contagious, infectious personality that can make anyone smile on a bad day. Her father and I can be in the middle of a heated debate and God decides it’s time to wake her up from a sound sleep to crawl into our bed… She comes in and does something goofy as she always does and immediately, no matter what is being debated, it is settled. Because we are both instantly made aware, in that moment, of what we have together and that Gracie is our proof that we can overcome any obstacle. Did you know that the divorce rate for parents of children with special needs is high? I understand why…It is stressful, it is hard, it is tiring, there are “extra hurdles” in the race of life with our kiddos. That many hurdles gets exhausting. Marriages fail because of it. It’s unfortunate but true. Back on topic, I can take Gracie anywhere around this town we live in and I feel like I am with a celebrity. EVERYONE knows Gracie. EVERYONE tells Gracie hello. Heck Gracie knows more people than her dad and I do.. let me connect all this to my main point.. The discussion I was having with my daughter’s dance teacher focused on how I was once scared and now I can’t imagine life any different. Our community has rallied behind our daughter. But it hasn’t just been to support Gracie. Gracie has provided support and lessons to others just because of who she is. She provides a small glimpse into what God wants us to remember everyday.. That is LOVE. Gracie has love for everyone. She wants everyone to know they are “her friend” and she shows her siblings, her teachers, her doctors, her nurses, her classmates, and everyone else that she encounters in life that “special” is acceptable and not scary at all. We have nothing to fear. We only need to learn to accept and LOVE like my girl is able to. Thank God for sending her to a mother who needed her as much as she needed me.

Do you have a healthy outlet? I didn’t use to, but I do now. As I get older and I learn about myself more and more, I realize how important it is for me (and my personality in particular) to have a good healthy stress relieving outlet. When we were first married my husband used to get frustrated with me because I cleaned ALL OF THE TIME. Like, I walked around behind my children picking up every little crumb, toy, and item they may have dropped. My OCD had been in full effect since childhood. Cleaning was stress relief for me. My husband didn’t like it…get this…not because he didn’t want to live in a clean house, but because I LOOKED ANGRY WHILE DOING IT. Hahahaha! He always said, “you look so mad when you are cleaning.” It made him uncomfortable. I used to get frustrated with him for getting frustrated with me. What man says that? I mean come on, just let me clean! It took me a while to learn that cleaning was my coping mechanism. When I couldn’t control a situation or I couldn’t “FIX” a situation, I cleaned. I am a “FIXER” that is my personality. Not in the sense of like Olivia Pope type “fixer” (If you don’t know who that is google it! Good show!) Anyway, I have always had the “fixer” personality. It is why I am a great manager of such a large family and what makes me an exceptional RN. As I have aged, I am starting to experience pains in my body that I am not used to. I have always worked out and exercised, and I suppose now that is catching up with my joints. Oh and all the years of eating like crap because I had an amazing metabolism that went kaput on me. When my thyroid gave up, it all went to hell quickly. STUPID THYROID! I guess since I look at myself everyday, I didn’t even realize what was slowly happening to me. I have a great friend that knew me well enough to know I would be interested in a “clean eating education” that she was hosting. I went and it all made sense. I researched it and it was true. I saw a functional medicine doc that confirmed everything for me. I did more research and more research and more research… all continuing to confirm the benefits of clean eating on our bodies. Being the preventionist that I am, I went in full force. I lost 30 lbs total and have successfully maintained my weight for over a year. Clean eating became my hobby, as well as, changing up my workout routine. In the community that I live in the tribe has a great community health program that provides all kinds of free workout classes that incentivize the entire community to participate and become healthier. I can’t really find an excuse not to participate in a free program, where all I have to do is show up and do what I am told. So, I went. I made friends, I made goals, I met goals, and I have successfully replaced my need for “Angry” cleaning with a need to exert energy and challenge my body. I don’t have any certain body image that I am going for. I just want to feel good in my skin! Remember I am a nurse. I have seen all kinds of bodies. NONE of us are the same. There is no such thing as a perfect body. I can’t compare myself to something that doesn’t exist. It’s like trying to become the “mythical unicorn.” I have accepted that it isn’t gonna happen! On the flip side, my husband is happy because I clean like a normal person, at normal intervals, without an angry face! Sheesh, the compromises we make in marriage! No really, I did have an angry face while cleaning. I just never had anyone watching me do it until I got married. Thanks for pointing that out honey.. shout out to you for keeping my face wrinkles in check! To sum up this random post.. Do you have an outlet? Not an angry outlet, but a real outlet? An outlet that makes you feel good. One that reminds you of who you are as an individual? Not as a spouse, child, employee, or parent but who you are? If you don’t, I highly recommend that you find something that serves as your outlet. In today’s business, we need something to ground us! Have a great day! 

At what point in life did you learn to see situations for what they are and not what you are imagining them to be? Did you ever learn? I know for me it took well into my twenties to see things objectively and not emotionally. I’m still perfecting this fine art.. I haven’t always made the best decisions..(if you’ve read some of my other blogs you are well aware of this known fact!) I used to be ashamed of my mistakes, but now I’m rather proud of them. Not that I made bad choices, but proud that I learned from them. They’ve brought me to this fabulous life I live. However, I have gotten much better at being objective and less reactionary. My husband is a master at being objective. He is the strong, silent type. You know..the exact opposite of me!! He’s the guy that people never know if he likes them or not at first meeting. He has to be around you multiple times before he shows any emotion toward you. I, on the other hand, can meet a stranger on the street and have a conversation about the wonders of the world without an uncomfortable moment occuring. So like I said, we are exact opposites!! He looks at opposition in life with no dramatic reaction…most of the time. (He will get dramatic quickly if it involves our children in any way.) He’s a passionate dad, that’s for sure. But most of the time, he’s the calm, cool, collected type. Looking back on our marraige I see all the times that I’m flipping a wig over things that are so trivial. I remember him talking me down, reminding me that life is bigger than whatever is bothering me. Credit to him for teaching me something I didn’t learn or pick up as a child. Through his example, I’ve found peace with myself. Now back to the main point of all this…when did you learn that concept? Did your parents teach you? A friend? A teacher? It’s amazing to feel all the emotions of the world, but sometimes all of those emotions are the same thing that keep us from learning what we are meant to learn. For example, healthy vs. unhealthy relationships. Relationships are the most emotionally charged situations we will ever be involved in throughout our lives. However, they can be healthy and unhealthy. Do you have a friend that has gone from one bad relationship to the next and just can’t ever figure out why things keep ending up badly? Is it you that has that problem? Do you ever stop to think objectively about what causes the demise of those relationships or what characteristics you are looking for in a partner? Do you ever stop to think about yourself and how you view life and those relationships? Let me be the first to say that I got extremely lucky with my husband. I never stopped to really analyze my decisions and choices. I totally lucked out with the life and partner that I have. I do, however, want my children, my friends, and my family to be better than I was…better than I am. They may not be so lucky. I want them to learn about themselves, what they want in life, what they want in a partner, and be strong enough to go get it! Don’t we all want to see that for our loved ones? To sum this up…the thought for today is: are you learning from your mistakes, not just in relationships but all your mistakes? Are you praying? Are you reflecting? Are you building up strength to make the right choices for yourself? Something to chew on…have a great weekend everyone! 

So, this past week my stubborn grandmother fell on her face while taking an evening stroll. She missed judged her steps and the pavement of the uneven small town road absorbed all of her body weight via her face. You know it hurts to catch all of you body weight with your face! She broker her 87 year old nose and had to get her face stitched up, all while successfully breaking 7 of her remaining teeth. Nothing worse happened. No broken limbs, hips, etc. I’m really not sure how that happened, but thankfully it did. She is stubborn and refuses to stay any longer than 3 days in the hospital. She goes home and falls again, this time wrapping herself backwards around her toilet somehow. She told me that was her most graceful fall! So, she’s back in the hospital and again not wanting to stay any longer than necessary. Needless to say, we travel to see her and encourage her to spend time in the hospital gaining her strength back so as not to go home and fall again and injure herself any further. Before I go deeper into this story I will give you some background on my grandmother. She was born in 1928. She has lived through most every significant historical event known to our generation. She was a single mother when it was absolutely unacceptable to society. She gained a college degree from Oklahoma A&M (Oklahoma State University) when women didn’t go to college. She remarried and had another son. (3 sons total) two of which are doctors! She took care of her husband (my father’s adoptive father) until he passed from complications of type 1 diabetes. She took care of her father until he passed away at 99 years old. Through raising boys, caring for her husband, and caring for her father she obtained a Masters degree. She has never been one to accept any role placed on her. She’s always created her own roles in life! Now back to our hospital visit. We are in her hospital room with her paid caregiver that usually is at her home with her throughout the day. Her caregiver and her together remind me of the “Ya-ya sisterhood.” Telling me stories of fender benders, missing wigs, etc. It’s a long story…. Anyway, I’m cracking up listening to them tell me how onery they are as older women. It was hilarious and while watching them laugh at themselves, I’m thankful that my grandma has Mary to help her. You see, my grandmother has lived in the home her deceased husband built her for 56 years. She wants to die there like her husband and her father did. I understand this…I’m compassionate for her wants and needs and I hope that we as a family can help her to live out her days the way she wants and die the way she wants. As we continue to visit my grandmother’s lawn guy comes to the hospital to check on her. She immediately starts talking lawn care with him, as if she isn’t even sick. He seems shocked that she is still able to be so bossy while all banged up. If I posted the picture of her banged up face on here…you all would be shocked too! Her eyes were so swollen she couldn’t hardly see! Then she starts to go around the room introducing the lawn care guy to all of us. She points to my husband and tells of his Native American descent. Then actually proceeds to tell the lawn care guy that I walked on to the tribal grounds and snatched my husband right up. My husband immediately starts laughing. I am dying laughing. My sister is laughing incessantly. Only my grandma could come up with this crap. I mean really! Who says that? I guess we’ll blame it on the fact that she’s old and delirious. Although the way she said it and how serious she was when she said it, did make it quite funny for the rest of us. It was a good laugh. She gave her grandchildren and great-grandchildren a good story to tell. Definitely one we will never forget! I love my grandma. I know she’s lived a long life. I’ve been fortunate enough to have her for this long. My kids have been fortunate enough to know her as a real individual and not just someone in my stories. Cherish the elders in your family, they bring so much more to the table than we could ever imagine! Listen to their history. Listen when they talk about what the world used to be. Listen when you hear it from their point of view. Take notes and gain wisdom! 

I hate, hate, hate the stigma attached to the image of “step-mother.” It’s so ugly and hateful. Right, I mean when you hear the word step-mother you think of Cinderella and you immediately feel defensive for Cinderella. I want to be defensive for Cinderella, that’s for sure! Anyway, I hate it. Did I say I hate it? The word just seems ugly in today’s society. I would rather be called “Rubber gloves.” This was a name my step-son gave me long ago, it faded with time. But hey…points for creativity! I came in to my step-son’s life when he was 11 months old. He was the cutest freaking chunky monkey of a toddler! He would actually let me hold him and rock him. My son started walking and has never sat still long enough to rock since. As my step-son ages into full blown teenage years I see his struggles. Common struggles. Normal struggles. Struggles that I have watched my other two older children go through. However, for him it is different. He feels it differently. He processes it differently. When I watch his face, I feel those familiar feelings that I felt when going back and forth between my parents homes. Sometimes, I woke up mad and to this day I couldn’t really tell you why. Now, as a reflective adult, I realize that I was confused and didn’t know how to maturely, objectively process my feelings. Anyway, I see these moments in him. He is smart, handsome as all get out, and athletic. He has a great mother and step-father. Throughout these years, we have all grown up together learning how to conquer this whole co-parenting thing. We have had our struggles, we have had to forgive each other, and we have had to decide that our kiddo is the most important thing. I tell my step-son every so often something that I would never openly tell my other children. Although, my oldest child will read this blog and then my secret is out.. I tell him that becoming his step-mom was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and it has been the most life changing. He smiles when I say this now. Although, the first time I said it to him he cocked his head and looked at me funny. He said, why was it hard? I said, I am a control freak and I had no control!! It has humbled me and made me grow in uncomfortable ways that I wasn’t ready to accept. Then he laughed… It was the most honest answer and he knew it. I have learned that even though this family is my “first family” it is a “blended first family.” So what does that mean? It means that we are still blended. I am married to my husband and my step-son’s mother and his step-father. I was so naive to to think that it was just between my husband and I. Does the final decision of the things that happen in our home come down to my husband and I, the answer is yes. However, his mom is his mom. Let me say that again..His mother is his mother. So that means that my husband informs her, talks to her, and gets her opinion on things concerning my step-son. Do we talk about these things…yes we do. Do we consider her opinion and thoughts..ABSOLUTELY! Did it take myself, my husband, and my step-son’s mother a while to figure this concept out. You better believe it!! Are we perfect at it?? Nope..sure aren’t. We are human, so there’s that. However, I have a step-son that knows that he is loved. His confidence has grown because he feels secure. He doesn’t have to wonder what drama will ensue between adults. He knows that he is loved! He feels the exact opposite of how I felt as a step-child. People, you better believe every day that my goal for his life as a step-child is to be one million times better than mine! I may not get it all right the first time and I do make plenty of mistakes. However, he knows I would physically assault a full grown gorilla in order to protect him. Folks, to me, when they know you have their back even if they know nothing else…well, that’s a win in my book! This is cheers to a few more years of teenage confusion and killing this co-parenting thing!

PS..If you struggle in your co-parent situation. Make a decision to show your children how Christians treat each other and then actually stick to it. You can’t control the other parent, but you can control yourself~

 

At what point in our lives do we decide to be positive people? This is a valid question. It’s so much easier to be negative. It’s easier to complain, be frustrated, and get your groupies on board with you. Isn’t that so much easier than consciously working to be positive? I say this because this has always been a struggle for me. As a child, I grew up in a home of constant fighting. My parents know they were not great together, so this is no big shock to them or anyone who really knows our family. When my dad came home from war, he had severe PTSD. Although, as a child I just thought he was really angry all the time. I had no clue what he had endured. The fighting escalated and a divorce ensued shortly after. My mother never really dated anyone after the divorce. My father dated women, all of whom I had a deep disdain for. Looking back on it now, I wonder if it would have been different for my relationship with them if I knew how to be positive. As an 11-year-old girl, raised in a negative environment, I didn’t know how to be positive with people in my family. I had no problem being positive with people outside my family. Weird, isn’t it? Anyway, there was one girlfriend that was physically and emotionally abusive. I won’t go deep into this, let’s just say the experience heightened my negativity, my defensiveness, and my anger. I was a whopping 85 pounds of angry little girl!! After a few years of dating, my dad met someone he really loved. Then came the wife, who was normal in the beginning, but dang about two days after he put a ring on that finger the crazy came out in full force. I won’t get into all the details of this either other than this…. if you marry someone with kids, you are insane to expect them to never speak to their kids. I mean come on, what planet did you come from? So the crap hits the fan one night as my little sister takes some pushing and is getting yelled at. For those of you that don’t know me, this may scare you. I apologize in advance… Remember when I told you about that previous girlfriend who was abusive? All the PTSD from that came rushing back on this evening. I am once again placed in a position watching my baby sister get pushed around and yelled at by someone who just entered the situation. Except this time is different, I am older, I am bigger, and I have 9 more years of anger built up. Needless to say, it was on like donkey kong! I refused to stand by and be the victim or allow my sister to be the victim anymore. And that became that! Let’s fast forward, I have a child, I get married. I am now a mother and step-mother. I am looking at these boys thinking..”I never want you to feel how I felt.” It was almost unbearable at times to think about how vulnerable these kids are without me to protect them. When I had my son, I can remember laying in the hospital bed, post delivery, and telling my mom that I wish I could put him back in. She looked at me baffled…. but I was so scared that I couldn’t protect him. I NEVER wanted him to feel how I had felt. In my stomach, no one could hurt him because they would have to go through me. In my twenties, it took me a long time to learn how to separate this negative, defensive mindset that had always been my key to survival. It was my husband who helped me changed. He has always been this incredible friend to me. He always saw the real me, even when I couldn’t find her. He knew I had a good heart. He knew I was an advocate for people. He never made me feel bad for being a female with a voice. He empowered me to be better. He encouraged me to forgive. Forgive both of my parents, whom I had spent a long time being mad at, and forgive the women who caused me pain. He showed me what a POSITIVE spirit looks like!! I was hooked from that point on to gain this secret to life that my husband had already mastered. I pursued my relationship with God. I wrote stuff all over my mirror to remind me of where my head needs to be. I have been doing these things for years. And while I am still far from perfect, and I struggle with going back to those comfortable negative thoughts that are so easy, I continue to fight the fight necessary to keep my positivity. It has taken me 33 years and 10 months to learn, that I am in control of nothing. I can’t protect everyone, I can’t save everyone, and I can’t fix everything that I feel needs to be fixed. Through all of this maturing, my relationship with my husband, and my relationship with God I am finally to a place where I can really let go. I can debate something with someone and enjoy that we have a difference in opinion without getting angry. I can learn their perspective on life. I can love them because God created them. I can also ask for forgiveness when I have my human moments and I know God forgives me. That forgiveness is priceless to me. Walking around knowing that it’s okay to mess up, it’s okay to get frustrated with someone, and it’s okay to be emotional because I am forgiven and everyday I am trying to be better than the day before. ( I always try to say my apologies if I hurt someone’s feelings. If I ever hurt your feelings and didn’t apologize, I was unaware. I am sorry!) There is freedom in that feeling. There is freedom in positivity. Life will never stop throwing curve balls at me, us, our family and I am okay with that. That’s strange to say so I will dive further in and tell you why. My husband and I attended church one Sunday. Just like any other Sunday. Except this particular Sunday was about something that we both needed to hear that week. (As it usually is..) Pastor Craig said this, “If you live life without challenge and full of blessings that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are blessed. It could mean that the devil doesn’t see you as a threat to him.” Instantly my husband and I looked at each other. We didn’t have to talk to one another to know. We had endured blending a family when we had no clue what we were doing. We had 4 children all under the age of 4 at one time and lived to tell about it. (One of which was a brand new baby with significant health needs.) Our marriage had endured the diagnosis of our new baby. We endured one car and not enough money to pay the bills at times. We endured every struggle that every young couple faces and then some. We have since endured taking in a 16-year-old. We endured my father going to federal prison, getting released, and coming to live with us (Good night, now that I am writing about it…sheesh!) We have endured another health issue with our oldest son. The common denominator here is WE ENDURED. I often think back to that sermon. Then immediately, a smile forms on the corners of my mouth. If forms because I know that the devil will try anything to come against those who threaten him. He really wants to bring those threats down quickly. We are talking “steal, kill, and destroy” here people….this ain’t no joke. My goodness, my family members, my family as a whole, must be a HELL of a threat. (No pun intended) What’s so crazy is this: Yes, I am tired ALL OF THE TIME. Yes, we are a big crazy family that is going ALL OF THE TIME. Yes, we hit challenges that test us ALL OF THE TIME. However, I have done ALL OF THESE THINGS in a negative world and a positive world and I will attest that the POSITIVE WORLD is a much better place to face life. So with this brief testimony that I have given you today, I will leave you with this…YOU CAN ENDURE. YOU CAN LIVE LIKE GOD INTENDED FOR YOU TO LIVE. It will NOT be EASY, he didn’t promise us an easy button. But you can smile knowing that it will all work out.. just have FAITH and BE POSITIVE!

So this week we seem to be enduring more teenage challenges. You know when your kids start doing things and you’re thinking, “who the heck are you and where did you come from?” I think as parents we all have those moments where we wonder what alien we are speaking with today, because it can’t be our child…I mean am I right or am I right? I remember a time when these sweet babies, who were always happy, just wanted to play with me. That was the biggest concern of the day, for them anyway. Nowadays, it’s hormones, weird facial expressions, smells (lots and lots of awful smells), and the comment that makes my ears burn and head hurt “Why can’t we do this?” Many of you may be thinking…why would that comment be a big deal? So let me set the stage for you.. When you work one job full-time and two-part time jobs, along with obtaining a Master’s degree, and case managing a family of seven that comment is the worst ever! My mind is constantly racing with how to make everything work…and then miraculously my teenager thinks that they have a better way. A way that, perhaps, I didn’t already think of. A way that somehow will take into consideration all the different things that it takes to make our family run. I know that I have intelligent children, however, they have no clue all the different line items I have running through the spreadsheet in my head. Therefore, they are only taking into consideration what they currently want to/or feel like doing. All this being said, the inpatient Amanda from ten years ago would have given a short, blunt answer that spewed negativity and frustration. The current Amanda takes a moment to explain to ALL of the children, yes that’s right even those who had nothing to do with it, a learning lesson that entails why certain decisions are made. I explain that I have the well-being of our small country in mind. All the citizens of our country have different needs and different schedules (that are color coded in the calendar in my phone). I am not thinking about the well-being of one citizen, I am thinking about the well-being of all citizens.  This answer has seemed to suffice thus far, but I know I am going to have to get more creative with my answer in the future. Despite my best efforts, they still keep asking this same question…all the time…every day. So, what is a mom to do? If you know me at all, you know my flair for the dramatic. I like to make impressions on my children, and to be honest, I think as parents we should get to have a little fun with this whole raising of adults gig. You may not agree, but dangit I’m gonna have some fun with it! I talk with my hands, my face gets all red, veins start popping out of my temples (that’s an inherited trait) and I get loud and passionate. Passionate, like I am addressing an entire nation on a crucial political topic. My children are always smiling during these times! They know me well enough to know that through all these antics I love them and I want them to learn how to be functional members of society (plus my speeches bring smiles to anyone!) The other thing they learn in these moments is that I am not going to ignore behaviors, not even the small things, because I care about who they are, who they become, and how they form their opinions. I tell my husband all the time “We can’t save them from life, but we can feel good about knowing that we tried our best and we talked them through.” We are forming the minds of critical thinkers. One day these little critical thinkers will not unconsciously float through life making the same mistakes over and over without addressing these issues within their own minds. They will not go from bad relationship to bad relationship and wonder why it just never works out. No, these critical thinkers will do just that. They will think critically, they will address their own faults, and they will live conscious lives. They will be well aware of how they feel and how they make other people feel. And finally, they will always remember their mothers passionate speeches! Long after I die, these children of mine will remember my flailing hands, red face, and booming voice. They will remember that I cared. They will remember that I loved them..more than anything in the world. Today I will end with this….show your children that you care. Be passionate with them.. Shoot them straight.. Don’t sugar coat it, because life doesn’t sugar coat anything.. Each child’s personality will absorb it differently.. And each child will apply it differently and at different times in their lives.. Regardless of all these variables, each one will know these things for sure: You cared, you tried, and you loved!

So today, I will have to start with an introduction. You may not really know anything about me or maybe you do (or you think you do). It’s interesting to me because I think people really do believe that they know someone, but really we are the only ones who know how deep we really go. Anyway, that was a tangent to discuss a different day. I am a mother of 5 children. My son, my two daughters, my older daughter (whom I was lucky enough to acquire) and my step-son. I will tell you a little bit about them in order to create a reference point for you. My son, who has primary immunodeficiency, is a strappingly handsome, recently turned 14 year old, young man. He is not one to take on responsibilty. He is looking to have fun every day when he gets up. He is a homebody and is all about his family. He wants as many siblings as possible. (He is weird, who wants to share like that?) My step-son may not be my blood, but we share the same mind. He is my critical thinker (about everything). He will never be the one to make an emotional purchase, his brain doesn’t work that way! My oldest daughter lived a rough life before our family. I won’t get in to details, it’s not my place. However, I will tell you this about her, she is living proof that humans are resilient when they want to be. My middle daughter is the mother when I am away. She is the perfect mix of her father’s care free spirit and my tenacity and OCD. She gets crap done PEOPLE!! (mover and a shaker..she is) My youngest daughter has Williams Syndrome. Some of you are like, what the heck is that? Look it up. I will spare you my lengthy scientific explanation today. All you really need to know is that she is the baby of the family and her siblings protect her viciously (as do her mother and father)! Throughout my time on this blog you will learn more about the depth of my personality and each one of my kiddos as well. Hopefully, it shows you insight in to the human spirit and all that we are capable of. More to come>>