Photo by  RAZmom88

We want to thank RAZmom88 for sharing her wild and wonderful life with us each week. This is her last installment. It's been a fun ride!

Spring is here! Which means spring sports around here. Andrea has soccer and Zack has track, and all the practices that go along with it.

Remember all the good things about your kids ...  not just all the drama that seems to fill teen lives. Enjoy being their mom, have fun with it. In the end, the only people that can honestly tell you whether or not you are a good parent are your kids. They are the only ones you have to please. Do your best, put them first, love them uncondiitionally, and always be there.

Photo by  RAZmom88

It's hard enough raising one teen -- but three?! Welcome to RAZmom88's wild and wonderful life this week.

Flying the Coup

Ryan, 19, is on spring break this week, and guess where he is spending it ? Home! He has no money after a winter of car repairs. I cannot believe it is already spring break, it feels to me like Christmas break just ended.

Andrea, 18, and Zack, 15, spent the past weekend at  camp with our youth group. They had a lot of fun and came home with a dozen funny stories. We are truly blessed to be members of such a nice church with the best youth group and youth pastor in our area.

Photo by RAZmom88

It's hard enough raising one teen -- but three?! Welcome to RAZmom88's wild and wonderful life this week.

15 Random Things About My Family

1. I am left handed and so are all three of my teens.

2. Andrea, 18, and Zack, 15, were both born on Saturday mornings on the 16th of the month.

3. My children attend public school but do not ride the bus. I drive them every morning and pick them up every afternoon. They cannot walk or ride bikes to school, as it is 10 miles to school.

4. All three the teens love vegetables, and none of them are picky eaters. Zack does not like Brussels sprouts, but that is the only thing he won't eat.

5. All five of us have blue eyes, even though Ryan's biological mom and Andrea's biological dad have brown eyes.

Photo by  RAZmom88

It's hard enough raising one teen -- but three?! Welcome to RAZmom88's wild and wonderful life this week.

Valentine's Day

Ryan, 19, took Brittany, his girlfriend of three years, to stay overnight in some fancy dancy motel. This went over like a ton of bricks with her parents, who just happen to be good friends of my husband and I. So a "meeting" has been planned for all of us next weekend while our children are home from college.

Photo by  RAZmom88

It's hard enough raising one teen -- but three?! Welcome to RAZmom88's wild and wonderful life this week.

Kids at the Casino

What a wonderful time we had this past weekend! On Saturday, my 18 year old Andrea, my mom, and I went to see the movie "Dear John." The movie was good and we had a great time. The tears just added to our "fun."

That night, Ryan, my 18 year old son, and Andrea went with a group of friends to a casino. It was their first time and they really enjoyed it. The eight kids got one motel room for the night, so you can imagine how much sleep everyone got. Ryan had to work Sunday,  but Andrea slept all day.

Photo by RAZmom88

It's hard enough raising one teen -- but three?! Welcome to RAZmom88's wild and wonderful life this week.

A Dreaded Call

It started like any other school morning. Wednesday. 5:45 a.m. I drove Andrea, 18, to school. I returned home and woke Zack, my 15 year old, who then showered and dressed. I used the lint roller on the cat hair stuck to Zack and his backpack. Zack doesn't like whe his back then becomes covered in hair for all to see at school.

While he was eating his Fruit Loops, I asked him if he had a ride to school or if I needed to drive him. He said he didn't know, but just then, his friend pulled up in his SUV. We talked and joked for a minute before they left at 7 a.m. 

Seven minutes later, the phone rang.

It's hard enough raising one teen -- but three?! Welcome to RAZmom88's wild and wonderful life.

We Don't Say the Word "Step" in My Family

Or "half" or "biological." Even though I have two teenagers the same age who are not twins and people sometimes wonder how that could be.

Ryan is my legal stepson and Andrea is my daughter from my first marriage. When my husband, Bryan, and I married, Ryan was 3 and Andrea was 2 and a half. Zack, now 15, is the child we had together.

Neither Ryan nor Andrea remembers a time when we were not a family. They do know their biological parents, and have a relationship with them. Andrea once told her stepdad that he was her real father because he was the one who took care of her every day.

Photo by akme10607

It's hard enough raising one teen -- but three?! Welcome to RAZmom88's wild and wonderful life. Each Thursday she shares the week's drama or joy.

Chores Are My Job, Not My Kids'

My husband is very particular about our home and keeping it clean and organized.

When both he and I worked full time, everyone -- my three children included -- were expected to pitch in. We never had a list of duties for each person, but everyone was expected to keep the house clean. After dinner, everyone takes care of their plate and helps out. This is still true now.