Ice Show

The Owens Center Ice Show this year starred Delaney the Ice Show Princess! Isn't she darling in her costume? Tonight Jeff & I attended Laney's program. (Hey, Scott...you missed quite the treat. Next year I'm getting you and Susie tickets so you can remember those tender days of young parenthood...enjoying recital after recital!)
Delaney skated to "Jail House Rock." We got to present our princess with a dozen red roses to commemorate her achievement. She graduated to Level 6 in her ice skating program and she finally gets to learn how to jump! For those of you who missed the ice show spectacular, here's a clip of Laney's routine for your viewing pleasure:

Violin performance

My head is spinning with the kids' gazillion activities this week. With school recitals and end of the year performances, May is a CRAZY MONTH! Tonight Delaney had a violin performance. She's only in the fourth grade, but she plays in the 6th grade orchestra, which is a pretty great accomplishment for her. She played a few songs called "Fiddles on Fire," "Pluck and Stomp," and "Fancy Fiddles." For those of you who weren't able to make it, I tried to record a brief portion of her performance:

What's in a Name?

Last night Jeff told the kids they had to call his brothers and their wives "Aunt" and "Uncle." Delaney was flabbergasted. "Why do we need to start calling them Aunt and Uncle now? We never did before!" she protested. Jeff acknowledged he should've made them call his family members by their titles out of respect...and now that we've got two baby nieces in the family who are talking up a storm, we want them to call us "Aunt Cat" and "Uncle Jeff." Jeff encouraged the kids to set a good example for their baby cousins...Laney's still not buying it, but those are the rules!
On the morning show we discussed how this generation of children are getting relaxed about showing respect...A lot of kids call adults by their first names without the title of Ms. and Mr. and I was always surprised when Max and Delaney referred to their aunts and uncles on a first-name basis. A lot of our listeners were, too! So, that's a habit no longer! Hopefully...

The Best Stay-Cation

Jeff whisked me away this weekend to the Windy City. It was FABULOUS! We ate dinner at my favorite restaurant, Cafe Ba Ba Reeba (if you love tapas, this is the place to be)...and we saw the most visually stunning play I've ever seen--The Rose and the Rime. It was playing at the House Theater in Chicago...It was like spending the night in a snow globe, with joyous characters portraying the myth that anything powerful enough to fulfill your dreams is powerful enough to destroy them.

Speaking of dreams, check out my McDreamy Husband to the right...I'm kicking myself for not bringing my camera along our walk to Navy Pier. If you get a chance to go to Chicago this summer, you've got to check out Crystal Gardens. The six-story glass atrium features palm trees, fountains, and tropical plants galore. Not to mention the incredible Chicago skyline to take in. And the tulips are in full bloom along the Magnificent Mile. It's gorgeous.
But most of all, it was the thrill of my life to spend quality time with the most attentive husband in the world. It's still a struggle for me to be thousands of miles away from my family...But my every day has a touch of magic because he showers me with such love and joy. And on special getaways like this one, I'm more reminded of that than ever.

What Mother's Day Means to Me

A few years ago I met a couple of kids who'd change my life forever. I love them dearly, but if I knew back then what I know now, I would've curled up in a fetal position and called a therapist pronto! Being a step-mom is a journey laced with lots of tears, sweat, and questions. In a culture that often vilifies step-moms (in fairy tales and folklore), it can be difficult to happily embrace your newfound responsibility once you marry someone with children. I've met a lot of step-moms over the years and no matter what our backgrounds, our concerns are the same: What is my role, how do I bridge the divide between my step-kids' two families, and how can I maintain sanity when I'm saddled with all the frustrations and financial stress of being a parent without the rewards and respect conferred to birth parents?
(I've searched high and low for books on this to help but to no avail)...

I'm still sorting through some of the answers to those questions...But I'm happy to say that I've finally made peace with my role in my step-kids' lives. I love them and I know they love me. Most importantly, I'm in love with their Daddy and the best thing I can do is to love their father well and create a nurturing and stable home environment amid the brokenness of their parents' divorce.
Mother's Day can be incredibly awkward for step-moms...But I'm going to take ownership of the day for myself and celebrate all that I've achieved as a "Bonus Mom" to my "bonus kids." I'm grateful to have a husband who honors my sacrifices...and if you're a step-mom, I just want to encourage you to celebrate the incredible investments you're making in your step-kids' lives even if you do all the work and get grief instead of glory!