Good McLean Fun

Times they are a changin. I'm 29 for only about another month, and then I'll be that other age. Sometimes I think about that other age and really have no qualms with it.  All of my friends have hit that number or are right behind me. I don't want to be associated with those who don't know who Urkel is anyway-- those who never knew the thrill of playing Oregon Trail on the only computer in the classroom .   Sorry, you have lost all your cattle in the river and will soon die of dysentery. T hose kids who don't know what a Popple or Wuzzle is. How sad for them. But on the other hand I am having a really hard time letting go of some things, and I don't enjoy being shocked into being old.  For example. I heard on the radio a new coffee place was opening, and the young adult scene was welcome to come hang out specifically on a certain night and time. How fun! I keep listening for the details. "...so come on out all you young adults, ages 18-23, Friday nights...

The first two T o be honest, it was not as hard as I expected.  I nursed my other two until 11 months, and experience was a big factor in helping me to know that I could succeed. I was nervous while pregnant, not sure how it would work. I had 3 different twin breastfeeding pillows, not sure which would help the most. I read every blog, pamphlet, and book I got my hands on.  I thought I wouldn't get any sleep, or I'd be too busy nursing to care for my 3 and 5 year old. But once the babies came, it was really much easier than I anticipated and came very naturally to the 3 of us. W e had a great delivery, both born vaginally at 37 weeks 1 day via induction (I was BEYOND ready. I couldn't move, breathe, sit, stand, bend, hurry, sleep--you get the idea), 8 minutes apart. I had my epidural (thank you God) and didn't feel much. When baby A (Jackson) came out (6lbs 9oz), we were all pretty flustered with excitement,  but soon got focused on Baby B (Lincoln), who upon Ja...

Now that the school year has started we've got a pretty sweet schedule going, and the twins take a consistent nap every morning for about 1-2 hours while Juliette and Luke are at school. During that time I make some yummy ice coffee and settle into the horribly uncomfortable wooden computer chair no one in their sane mind would ever purchase, we probably found on the side of the road years ago. I check my facebook page and get caught up on the happenings of my peeps, I send some emails usually focused around my church responsibilities, do some calendar checking/planning, etc. Sometimes there's nothing very engaging so I get up and do more productive things, like picking up rocks and pins and hairballs and marbles all over the house that will find their way into my babies' hands, then mouths. But today I was engaged. I fell headfirst into reading mommy blogs. I became connected with another mom pregnant with twins a few months earlier in her pregnancy than I was, living in...

I really want to write about the chaos that lead up to my little sister #4's wedding night and the postwedding nonsense, but it only happened 2 days ago so I feel it's a little t0o fresh to write about just yet. If I never get the good vibration that it's acceptable to blog on the subject, just know that YOU HAVE NO IDEA what efforts were put into the wedding before and after. You have no clue how hard Samantha tried to keep everyone's best interests (financial and emotional) in mind as she planned. You don't know the names of everyone that prepared the shrimp you ate, the cake laborers, the water bottle labelers, the name card printers, the flower arrangers, the research assistants, the clean up crew, the breakdown crew (one in the same), the painters, the gluers, the hot sauce team, the salad mixers--let me just stop. But a gorgeous wedding with such beautiful details doesn't just happen, and without Samantha's vision and research, and a whole lot of fami...

Why do I enjoy crafting, planning, and putting together these kids' parties?? Let's work this out: I am not very innovative. I am good at borrowing ideas from the internet. I am semi creative, but not crafty.  I like to organize the people around me, but don't really organize my own life very well. I wonder if living here at the crazy bin has given me the excuse that I can't be organized because of my circumstances, when in reality I just can't be organized because I'm not wired that way. I like to be in charge. I suppose I like the sound of my voice. If I were you, I would listen to me. I would follow me.  I would want to be on my team.  So how can I get the validation that my soul desires if I can't act out these urges for control and power as a stay-at-home mother?  Ah ha! I will invite 2 dozen children to be my "guests" at a party and force organized fun upon them all... I just ordered 2.5 lbs of green apple licorice sticks from www.candydire...

Stop. This blog is not funny, or an easy quick read. This is merely a documentation of the traveling and events of May 30-June 3 2012 from my perspective. For other much funnier anecdotes and differing perspectives of this trip, see Janell Shirk, Brandi Goldstein, or Sylvia Gonzalez. I know each would have lovely things to say. Furthermore, you may notice this blog entry is written in both past and present tense. I am aware. I could not make up my mind. Please disregard. When I finally stopped procrastinating and decided I needed to really focus on packing for the big trip to Maryland, it was the day before our flight. I can only efficiently pack when there aren't any babies on my hips, so when they finally went down for a nap that morning I quickly ran to the fridge to get a small snack before the heavy duty packing commenced, and as I opened the fridge door, 11 eggs came crashing down on me. Some fool didn't push the tray back all the way that morning. So I spent...

Be forewarned: www.themediocremom.blogspot.com  is different than my www.mediocremomblog.blogspot.com .  The former has a teenager, her last post was in 2011, and she admits to hating her son and frequently having to suppress the urge to slap his snarky face. She's pretty funny though, so if you have teenagers and you're wanting to feel better about your parenting skills and patience levels, you should read an entry of hers. But more about me.  This morning I find myself enjoying some quiet time while the almost 8 month old babies are taking a nap at the same time, and Juliette re-acquaints herself with cable television (just reconnected yesterday after having quit Comcast, then gone running back to them with tail between legs because Abuela is a miserable being without Dancing with the Stars). I started regularly drinking coffee last week after having realized that I actually do enjoy the taste, I just didn't enjoy that hell-hot temperature most people like to put...