Blended Families

Everyone who knows me, knows that I came from a blended family. Overly blended probably.

My mother had 2 kids with my birth father. Myself and my sister Jessica. My dad had 1 kid with his ex-wife who had 4 kids when she married my dad. When my mom and dad got together she brought with her myself and my sister. My dad brought with him his daughter and his step-kids. So when their relationship started they had a combined 7 kids. You would think that number would be enough... right??? Well 2 of my dads step kids were grown and out of the house.. So we had 5 kids in house... Well my parents had 4 kids together.. So the math would total... Yup 11 kids. So that's what I would call a blended family. Its like his,hers,ours, and some tag-a-longs. lol.
You may ask.. why in the world they would want to add that many kids to an already hectic number.. Well the short answer is my mom is stubborn (yes that is where i get it. lol ). My mother wanted to give my dad a boy..
Their first kid together (Gina) was supposed to be a boy.... Nope she was a girl. Mom had some minor complications with this pregnancy(starting off with somehow not knowing she was pregnant for 4 months. lol). They told her to be careful..
Their next kid (Ashley) again was supposed to be a boy.. Nope Girl.... She has some issues and they told my mother she needs to consider stopping at that one... But like I said my mother is stubborn.. She wanted to give my dad a boy and she was going to....
Their next kid together (Ce-Ce) was again supposed to be...... you guessed it a boy.. Nope another girl.. Now she had some major complications with this one and they told her DO NOT TRY AGAIN.. They warned her she may die with the next one...
If your keeping count that's 3 kids... so... yep she tried again.... This pregnancy was complicated from the start and was supposed to be an girl (Seriously who was reading these ultrasounds....) But THANKFULLY on August 4th 1989.. My baby brother was born.. Both my mom and my brother almost died... But they both survived. Once they got my mom stabilized they told my dad, my brothers chances were almost nil.
We constantly joke the ONLY reason Jimmy was a boy was because God knew if that baby had not been a boy.. My mom would have tried again. lol

I think being from a blended family was actually an asset for me. I have a better take on certain things. I understand how the dynamics work. And since I have so many siblings and so many experiences with different relations I can kind of understand a bit more.

When I met my husband he had 3 kids and I had one. So we have a blended family, unlike my parents we do not feel the need to add to our passel. Partly because We do not have the time or energy to add to the number and partially because when our kids are out of the house in 8 years.. We can enjoy the quiet till the grand kids come. lol

I know people who have their significant others kids in addition to their own and they definatley keep the differences acknowledged. I understand why they think that way. But I expect them to understand why I think how I do.
I have kinda taken on my dads take on step-kids.I do not even call them my "step kids" unless its for reference purposes. I can count on my hand how many times I have hear my dad call me "Gretchen's kid". I am the same way, I do not treat Clays kids any different than I treat Joey. And I do not stand for anyone else to either. My kids are my kids whether I gave birth to them or not. If anyone tries to treat them different than Joey.. They have to deal with me.