Yesterday while I was eating dinner with my husband’s four year old son, "D," he asked me why we couldn’t move our house closer to his mommy’s.

Every other weekend, one night a week, summer vacation, alternating holidays... does this sound familiar? Welcome to the language of custody arrangements.

No matter how long you’ve been a step-parent or have been a part of your stepchild’s life, there will inevitably be times when you you are reminded that you are not a biological parent. And even though there was probably a legitimate and logical reason that this little reminder came up, it can hurt nonetheless.

During the weeks that my husband's son "D" stays at our house, he's my virtual shadow. I get him ready in the morning, pick him up from school, sit him on the counter while I cook dinner, and bring him along whenever I run errands.

Several weeks ago, I wrote post in which I discussed my nervousness about how well my husband's son "D" would acclimate, once we had our

With the holiday season firmly upon us, it’s time to start thinking about how to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas. And there's definitely a lot to think about: Whose house will you travel to? Will your family come to you? Who will make dinner? Who will be invited?

Last week I went on a short business trip, so I had to be away from D (my husband’s son) for two nights. This isn’t normally a problem because we have custody every other week so we are regularly away from him for seven nights at a time, but it’s different when it’s our week with him.

By making our marriage a priority, and spending time together as a couple, we also make our family stronger.

This last week, my husband and I went on a much-needed vacation. It was just the two of us for a few days of golfing, relaxing, eating great meals and reconnecting. The last few months have been crazy for us and this weekend away couldn’t have come at a better time.

This Saturday was my step-son's fourth birthday and we threw "D" a party with a Lightning McQueen theme, because "Cars" is "his favorite movie. His mom and her boyfriend, his grandparents, and his aunt and her fiance all came to the party, and our little man had a great time.

Meeting my husband Matt's son "D" for the first time was one of my most anxiety-ridden days. For any of you step-parents out there, you can totally understand why I was so anxious to meet the most important person in Matt's life.