I even have pics to post!!
I knew you'd be excited!! I wonder if this is how P-Dub started???? Hmmm, must trudge forward.
First, that was the most difficult and blessed 10 days of my life. Spending more time with the girls actually helped our relationship. Who would've guessed??? NOT ME, that is for sure!! The kids and I really started to bond after I set my foot down and we had our first "family meeting". These meetings I really hated as a kid, but aways felt better afterward. Which is exactly what I told "my girls". (Notice, how they are not my step-daughters anymore??? They're "my girls"???? I've jumped in and claimed them and things have gotten so much better. Both inside my head and heart, and outside!! :-))
Most of what I know about relationships comes from my mother and the psychology background she has. As she has always stated, the only thing you can control in life is your own reaction and feelings to a situation. I knew I could not control how the girls acted, felt, or were raised in the past. I knew I could change my outlook. First, they didn't choose this. Second, they would be respectful of me and my household, even if that meant taking away Christmas presents. (Which I did threaten, seriously threaten to do. And was fully prepared to follow through on if forced to. The later of that statement, I think, is the most important! Which hurt me, more than it hurt her, I'm sure of it. I'm finally understanding all those parenting cliches that we all think are stupid until we ourselves are parents) And things were much better. There was more interaction, less head down and disengaging from reality. More all being in the same room, less everyone to their own corner. Granted everyone was in the same room all doing separate activities, but hey, I've decided to conquer one thing at a time here. To quote my favorite line of all time, "I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and THEN I move on." Bonus points to all those who can name what that comes from. HINT: 70's TV show! And who I think I 'm talking to is unknown, but as I said, ONE thing at a time!!
So things went really smoothly, shockingly, shockingly smoothly. I only had one breakdown (post family meeting that is) and that was more about leaving a part of the girls here in the house. If you walked into my house right now, well first you would know what a slob I am. And second, you wouldn't even know two girls ages 9 and 17 spent 10 whole days here. That hurt me. And that statement in and of itself SHOCKED me to death!! So, we spent the whole ride home and half the night discussing how to make things better. AND I really think it will work.
I will discuss those in a later post (maybe even today!). However, I'm leaving you with a picture of my nightstand reading. You think I'm a little obsessed with my new role???
Notice, the one at the bottom. Auntie Clause, my favorite kids Christmas book. Told me more about myself than anything. I like being Auntie, Mom or anything close like step-mom, kinda stresses me out. I figure admission is the first step!!
Hope your Christmas, was just as enlightening as mine, with a little less whack in forehead with a 2x4!
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