Stop and Smell the Cookies

When my son was little, together we looked forward to Christmas for what seemed like months. There were lists made, letters written to Santa, programs at school to attend and little handprint crafts to make. I soaked in every moment I could of these magical days. It always felt like Christmas, and I could barely wait until the next holiday season.

Now that he and his step-sisters are older, my husband and I find ourselves having to manufacture Christmas spirit and squeeze in holiday traditions between countless basketball games, recitals and our work responsibilities. As a blended family, the strain of navigating complex schedules means that, in some ways, Dec. 25 becomes another day on the calendar for parenting exchanges we wish we didn't have to make. So how do you get the Christmas spirit, when you don’t even have time to get a peppermint latte?

Jessica Janssen WolfordDecember 5, 2021Momaha, Christmas, Blended Family, Omaha World Herald

I Love You Notes

"I love it when you help me walk the dog." "Your laugh is the best!" "I appreciate it when you help me fold laundry." "I love being your stepmom!" "I love watching you play basketball."

These are just a few of the notes that are found on the outside of each of our kids' bedroom doors during the month of February.

Jessica Janssen WolfordFebruary 12, 2020Momah, Momaha.com, OWH, Omaha World Herald, Love, Stepmom, Step Family, Blended Family

Second Isn't So Bad

Let me just get this out of the way: being the second wife and stepmom is hard and not a lot of fun at times. I started to write about how being second is really great and happy, but that’s just not true. It’s a lot harder in some ways than being the first.

Being the second wife and second mom is incredibly difficult, but it’s also joyful. To read more about my experience as “the second” visit the original article posted on Her View From Home.

Jessica Janssen WolfordDecember 6, 2019HVFH, Her View From Home, Second, Second Wife, Stepmom, Blended Family, Marriage

Holidays with a blended family requires planning, coordination and extra compromise with everyone

Thanksgiving and Christmas are supposed to be warm, joyful, magical, spirited and sparkly. They’re all about family. But can it really be that way in a new version of a family? Those first couple of years after divorce, I wondered, “Can it be Christmas if you’re not with all the people you love on December 25"?

Jessica Janssen WolfordNovember 21, 2019OWH, Omaha World Herald, Momaha, Blended Family, Stepmom, Holidays, Christmas

The do's and dont's of moving a blended family together under one roof

One day before my husband said "I do," we moved the final boxes into our new home.

When we should have been celebrating the our upcoming nuptials, we instead found ourselves overwhelmed and arguing about the chaotic state of the house, while also scrambling to pack for our honeymoon. Together, we learned a lot throughout the entire experience. To learn more about what I wish we would have and would not have done, visit the full article on Momaha.com

Jessica Janssen WolfordOctober 2, 2019Momaha, Omaha World Herald, Blended Family, Moving

Want to spend quality time with your kids and get them to talk? Spend time in the kitchen together

By age 2, he knew his role in making banana bread was to smash down the bananas into puree using a potato masher. At age 3, I declared him "ready to go to college" because he successfully mixed up pancake batter by himself. It would be a few more years before he would graduate to actually frying or flipping them on his own, but he knew all the basics.

As an avid home cook — and a fan of cooking shows — I knew cooking was a favorite activity I wanted to share with my son. These everyday memories are some of my very favorite moments with my little buddy, and to this day, he asks to help whenever I'm in the kitchen.

When his step-sisters came into the picture, our new shared kitchen again became the place of learning — not only about cooking, but about one another. It's amazing how a child will open up about their life while helping do an everyday task. Chatting about the day, the kids — sometimes together and sometimes one on one — will chop strawberries, wash produce, make guacamole and practice measuring ingredients for cornbread.

Becoming a stepparent has forever changed what I thought I knew about parenting

In June 2018, I went from being the mom of an only child to the parent of three kids — my son and my husband’s two daughters.

I knew early into the relationship with my husband that not only was he the right one, but that his girls were the right ones, too. I had a deep love for all of them. What I didn’t have a clue about was how hard all of this would be for me to adapt to. While we have been incredibly fortunate — the kids have all bonded beautifully — there’s no “What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Whole New Family.”

Jessica Janssen WolfordJuly 27, 2019Stepmom, Blended Family, MomahaComment

Squeeze the Oranges You Have

Perhaps you’re familiar with this. It’s when my guard is down just enough to believe that we could—and should definitely, without question—have another baby.

Jessica Janssen WolfordJune 29, 2019Stepmom, Blended Family

My New Last Name

For months I stood on my soapbox saying, "My name is my name. If I want to be known as Jessica Lacey Flamingo-Hedgehog, then that is my choice." We all had lots of laughs about the idea of business cards that read "Flamingo-Hedgehog." That name is still unanimously approved by my husband and kids to this day.

I have agonized over this last name situation almost as much as I agonized over choosing my son's name.

Jessica Janssen WolfordJune 27, 2019Momaha, Omaha World Herald, Blended Family, Name, Last Name