taken the time to chat with me for our readers. Let’s just jump in. Tell us about your family.
Mary Ellen: I met my husband in 1992 when
I was 27 and he was 29. He had a boy (7) and
a girl (3) from a prior marriage. After marrying
in 1994, we had a boy and a girl together.
We now have a son (my bonus son - 31),
daughter (my bonus daughter – 26), son (our
son together – 21) and daughter (our daughter together – 18).
titles
B
LENDED is a new feature aboutblended families. No longer is
the family just mom, dad and
2.5 kids. Rather it’s mom, stepmom, dad and stepdad and
maybe a few baby mamas. Our childrens
are being raided by two sets of parents and
even more sets of grandpaperents. That’s
not necessarily a bad thing if everyone
comes together for the sake of the kids. But
sometimes it can be a nightmare. BLENDED
is a way to peep inside the blended families
in and around Renton, Washington. Our first
feature is Mary Ellen. I’ve known ME (as I affectionately call her) and her family for about
5 years. She agreed to sit and down and chat
with me about her family.
RW: Thanks for doing this ME. I know
you’re super busy so it’s an honor you’ve
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RENTON WOMAN MAGAZINE
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RW: What do your step-- I mean “bonus” children call you? And has that title changed over
the years?
Mary Ellen: When the children were little, I
let them decide what they were comfortable
calling me. I never assumed having me join
the family was easy for them. Typically, they
just referred to me as Mary Ellen. Sometimes,
they would call me their step-mom. Over the
years, as our relationship blossomed, they
still call me Mary Ellen, but I catch them referring to me as “my parents” and “bonus mom.”
I don’t hear “step” as much these days, but
when I do, I’m just fine with it.
The Ex/the mother
RW: What does your relationship with the
children’s mother look like?
Mary Ellen: When I met my husband, I had
a rule to never date anyone with children. I
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