Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say
The car is full of teenagers and I am the only adult driving the rowdy bunch home from school. We are a new blended family of 14 children. Luckily, we only had 9 sweet darling children living with us, 8 boys and one girl. All of our lives have made dramatic changes. I am now the stepmom instead of the fun neighborhood mom. The mom who had parties, taught 4-h and was saddling horses for the neighborhood kids to ride gentle nags. This mom had rules and she meant what she said and said what she meant. I gave a straightforward warning, “You all need to be quiet, quit fighting, it isn’t safe for me driving or I am going to stop the car and leave you all on the side of the road.” Then new stepchildren thought this was a game. My big boys new different and warned their new siblings their new mom didn’t lie, “you better stop, she doesn’t lie!” The two nearly 200 pounds football player boys started rocking the back of the car and used their loud, low boisterous voices, the stunning, darling girl in the family squealed with daring, high pitched, shrill at her new stepmom who was now getting all the attention from her dad. I couldn’t take it any longer, I pulled over, took the keys and my phone, and started jogging home. I called my new groom and let him know what I had done. The challenge to tame these wild children was accepted.
Feeding this crew was a challenge. I know how to cook and on a budget. I made granola with 18 cups of oatmeal for good reasons. On one occasion cereal was on sale for $1 a box so I bought 20 boxes and 9 gallons of milk. When I got home my husband had bought 6 gallons of milk. We splurged and had cereal for dinner. Four days later, I decided to have some cereal. My favorite cereal much to my dismay was gone. I settled for second best. NO MILK? We had 2 refrigerators and no milk anywhere and in 4 days. We bought a small fridge for our room and a dead bult for our bedroom door. Thirteen years later and we have found that having a fridge in your master bathroom is handy, even as empty nesters, the milk disappears, much to our delight, there are piles of grandchildren.
This year out of the blue the stunning daughter is now a wonderful mother and wife, decided that I needed an extra special birthday week. My husband took me to dinner and while we were gone, she rallied the troops, and I came home to a room full of presents and decorations. The instructions were to go live on Facebook every morning and open a big present full of little presents. Each stepchild participated and it was a delight. The bossy youngest stepdaughter didn’t invite my birth children, because she is still a 10 in personality and she didn’t want to offend anyone. Yes, she told all 9 siblings and her father, to look at her list of presents she knew I would love and venmo her the money. She then enthusiastically involved her older sister, who lives locally, to wrap presents and get in on the hunt to find the perfect gifts.
To be honest, I felt a little embarrassed because of all the attention. I feel bad for all the mothers who deserve to be loved and spoiled as I am. But when it was all said and done, I cried astonishing tears of joy. Their thoughtfulness and goodness brought in special gifts that were miraculous. I expressed my uncomfortableness. Little stunning beauty said, “You have done so much for us and it is time for us to give back.” I have always loved these kids, my birth children and my stepchildren. I tell them how much I love them. They know I do, because I say what I mean and mean what I say. I do not lie.
Side note-
Miracles happen. My sweet mother-in-law gave me Vintage stoneware dishes for our wedding nearly 13 years ago. As a tradition, we use these on Sundays, and I teach the children how to properly set a table. I have picked up pieces at thrift stores throughout the years. Then a miracle happened. Rachel Haxby found an entire set. As our family grows so do the blessings.
https://www.facebook.com/193308644/videos/10103699527530904/
