He’s going above and beyond. Gwen Stefani is very impressed with the bond Blake Shelton has with her sons — Kingston, 13, Zuma, 10, and Apollo, 5. She shares the kids with her ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale, but Blake has really stepped up when it comes to being another male figure in their lives. “He’s extremely close to them,” a source told Us Weekly on June 4. Gwen, 49, is apparently quite taken with the 42-year-old singer’s “Southern charm” as well as how he’s bonded with her boys.

Blake is apparently just as into Gwen, who is “like one of the guys,” according to another source. “She stays away from the Hollywood scene and is a total homebody,” the second insider told the outlet. “Take away her celebrity status and she shares the same traditional Midwestern values as Blake.”

The musical couple splits their time between Gwen’s Los Angeles home and Blake’s ranch in Oklahoma, and he very much enjoys spending time outdoors with the kids. “Blake loves getting dirty with the boys. They’re always playing basketball or running around,” a source told Us. “They love it there because it’s just the five of them out on the land, hunting or hiking.” We can see how that would be pretty awesome to three rambunctious boys.

As for Gavin, 53, and his relationship with the kids, he told Us Weekly in May that when it comes to coparenting with Gwen, “You know, we both manage to feed them and get them to school on time, more or less!” He said of his sons, “They are doing really good. They’re really happy, and that’s it. We’re doing the best we can.” He also appeared to wish the singers all the best with their relationship, and said of his ex, “I just always want her to be happy.” It seems like she and her boys are indeed very happy, especially with Blake in their lives.

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