Sophia and Eva, my girls, made me homemade waffles for breakfast. Cheryl, my step daughter, was at a sleepover. When she got home I took the three girls out for tea. (Mark did not want to go, understandably. He stayed home and watched the Giant’s game with Paul.)  We went to a lovely new tea room that just opened up in Santa Cruz. Very Zen. Soft music, various teas that were served with various temperatures of water. (Apparently it makes a difference.) After the server gave us the lecture on no WiFi, cell phones, iPads, laptops or any electronic devices,  as if on cue, my cell phone rang. I was about to ignore it when I saw the caller was Sam, my oldest step son calling me from the Navy!!! I leaped across the restaurant to run outside so I could talk. I was so touched I almost wept with joy, but I didn’t dare for fear that he would think I was a weirdo and swear off calling me ever again. His call was especially poignant for me since he and I haven’t always seen eye to eye over the years and have butted heads on a number of occasions. That he had the thoughtfulness to call me meant the world to me.

When we got home, there was a bouquet of roses and a lovely note waiting for me from Paul who had made us dinner. Cheryl gave me a beautiful hand made card thanking me for my generosity and telling me that I’m a great step mom. I beamed.

Yesterday was indeed the best (Step) Mother’s Day ever.

How Hard Can it Be?

“How hard can it be?” This question was actually  a confidence boosting reassurance from my mother whenever I felt overwhelmed or challenged by a seemingly unattainable goal or daunting task. This was my mother’s way of saying that things aren’t always as hard as they seem and that I should be giving myself a lot more credit for my abilities. She also advised me to always wear sunscreen and to never leave the house without lipstick.

(This is my favorite story about my mother. I’m off to have tea with my girls. Enjoy!)

The Underwear Story

I took my daughters to buy bras at Victoria Secret yesterday. They begged me. Believe me, I didn’t want to go. I don’t approve of the whole push up bra/thong scene, particularly for young girls. They insisted they have the best “I’ll-die-if -I-don’t-have-them-bras” so I relented on the condition that they select from my preapproved choices. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they did indeed have a reasonable and tasteful assortment of styles and we had a really fun time shopping. Several hundred dollars later (I picked up a few too.) we headed over to Starbucks for a some lattes and some mother/daughter girl talk at which time I told them what has become known in my family as “The Underwear Story”. Read more…

Paul was delayed in picking us up from the airport due to traffic. Since we had time to kill, I gave Sophia some money to buy a magazine thinking she would come back with a copy of People that I would surreptitiously read over her shoulder because I just love to hear all about those Kardashians (sarcasm). Instead, I was surprised to see her return with a copy of the Economist. As if reading my thoughts she explained, “I know, the Economist. It cost $7 bucks, but I just couldn’t bear to read one more thing about Khloe Kardashian’s baby weight. By the way, do you get the New York Times?”

Our college girl is home.

Before I married Paul I used to have a business decorating glassware– bottles and wine glasses, with pressed flowers. I mentioned to Paul that I would like to get back into again, not as a business, but more but as a creative outlet. I could sell them on Etsy, where I’m currently selling my original pressed seaweed art. It is obvious that I love to press things as keepsakes in order the capture the sometimes fleeting nature of the natural world.

]]> http://www.shwanda.com/2012/04/a-trio-of-deer/feed/ 0 http://www.shwanda.com/2012/04/a-trio-of-deer/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/carolshwanda/~3/dWEbQuCWEhI/ http://www.shwanda.com/2012/04/seaweedart-prints-now-on-sale/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:44:11 +0000 Carol http://www.shwanda.com/?p=4999 I’m so excited because I just launched the next phase of my SeaweedArt business with my SeaweedArt prints. Ocean conservation and my love of the sea are two of my greatest passions, and to be able to express this love through my art is so gratifying and rewarding to me. I just finished reading a book on this very topic (which I will review in a separate blog post) that states the need to immerse oneself in creative activities because it keeps your mind engaged and is the source of true happiness and contentment. So true. If I could not express my inner creativity, I could never be happy.

Please visit SeaweedArt and let me know what you think. Ten percent of the profits from the sale of my SeaweedArt note cards and prints will be donated to ocean conservation.

Although I love being a mom and step mom in a blended family, it is no longer my main focus. Our kids have adjusted and the hardest part is over. Paul and I will be married six years this month and we cannot believe how quickly the time has whizzed by. We’ve weathered a lot, believe me, and both of us are in agreement that if we knew then what we know now, chances are we probably would not have embarked on this journey of blending five kids, four cats, three dogs, two fish and a bird. Ignorance is bliss. Good thing. Do either of us have regrets? Hell no.

Now that our two oldest kids, Sam and Sophia, have moved out to (Sam to the Navy and Sophia to college) and the youngest three are not far behind them, Paul and I are focusing on ourselves and each other. It has been an interesting transition and one met with complete exhilaration and joy. Hallelujah. The kids are grown and moving out. Let’s go have fun! Alone.