Good McLean Fun

You know how they tell you time goes by faster when your older? It's totally true. I turned 33 last week. Days melt into weeks, weeks into months, and suddenly I have a 9 year old, I'm in the PTA, and I found a shiny thing on my head the other day that I'm told is called a gray hair. Days into weeks, weeks into months, and suddenly I'm 30freaking3. I know you guys read this looking for just a quick glimpse into what's going on with us, but it's so hard to condense everything into a snapshot. I need to write more often. I need to do a recap of my sister Julie's wedding weekend, but jumping back into my blog after MONTHS of being away, I feel ill-equiped. Tonight I just have so much on my brain-- I think I'll start small. I'll start with just a recap of today. 5am: Levi (19months) wakes up (crib still in our bedroom) and I bring him into bed to nurse and perhaps buy myself some more time in bed. *he only nurses morning and before bed... I am a...

Summer is here! Five children home and accounted for! Did I mention having twins is challenging? Did I mention having twins on the autism spectrum is even more challenging? Did I tell you we finally got brave and removed their crib rails? So they can roam about the room freely? Dumping drawers of toys and jumping on each other and removing mattresses and slamming doors? :) Did I mention potty training ASD twins is really super fun? AND REALLY GROSS?? Well just in case I didnt....it is. IT IS! I will try to sum up our summer so far but I will tell you right now, this post will not read smoothly. My mind is as jumbled up as our calendar. We finished up a great school year, Luke is changing from adorable to handsome before my eyes. He's smart and funny, albeit easily distracted and many times unfocused.   We really wanted to get the kids involved in some activities this summer, and because my Jamberry biz has been such a blessing, it's given us enough money each month to c...

So many things.   Where to begin?  First me. :) I’m keeping my schedule busy, because that’s what Parkers do. I joined 3 different bible studies and after I drop the kiddos off at school, Levi and I head off to a different study on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. I am loving singing in church choir and on the praise team, which rehearses Wednesday nights and now Saturday mornings getting ready for Easter.   I’m signed up to teach the preschool music for VBS this summer, I serve on my sorority alumnae chapter’s exec board (although admittedly do next to nothing in my ‘office’), and I’ve recently told the PTA at the kids’ school that I can serve on the board if needed.   I’ll attend next Monday’s meeting to check it out.   J FUN! I don’t know why. I just see a vacancy in my calendar and I want to fill it! I just enjoy being busy, I don’t like empty calendars. Ryan is the exact opposite, he does not want to see a busy schedule. So we compromise. I don’t...

It would come as no surprise to me if every single person reading this has more knowledge about using essential oils than I do at this moment. But for the sake of those less informed than I am, I will tell you what I know. I know my family never used any oils for anything other than on baked potatoes and frying steaks up until 3 months ago. When we received our Starter Kit from Young Living, I admit to casually looking through the contents and pretty colorful glass bottles, then putting them back in their box and tucking it out of sight. But within just a week I had cause to crack it open. My mom was visiting, and she was complaining of leg pain, which she usually gets from being on her feet too much during the day after having been in a terrible car accident years ago. I looked through my manual and found that something in my kit called PanAway might do something. So I jokingly applied some to her legs. But within moments she claimed relief from the pain, she was giggling with ...