"Oh yes, I'm so very Mary Tyler Moore!" (name that movie!)

Oh my, it's been a while! I'm ready to start blogging like I mean it, now that I'm in full summer mode. I just got back from a work-related trip to Minneapolis (home of Mary Tyler Moore), and I'm pretty happy to be a Californian. No offense to the fine folks of Minnesota, but I'll take my sunny skies and 2 hours from everything life over gray skies and mugginess any day! Bottom line: If I can't be at the beach, Yosemite, the mountains, or San Fransisco within 2 hours of my location, I don't want to live there.

But I can now say I've been there, and I even get to add a new ballpark to my list.

The Metrodome

Metro, meaning "metropolitan, or of a large city." Dome, meaning "the weather stinks so bad here, we have to take this stuff indoors." I kid. It's not a bad ballpark. I kid again. Baseball in a dome is just wrong, wrong, wrong. They are getting their new stadium next year, which will be uncovered. Good luck!

The highlight of the ballgame was seeing a cute set of 4 year-old twin girls in their Twins regalia on the light rail. I told them that I had 4 year-old twin girls. They were unimpressed, and a bit grumpy-looking. Maybe they don't like baseball in a dome, either. Bottom Line: 4 year-old twins from Merced, California are way, way cuter.

We also got to experience The Mall of America. Holy commercialism, Batman! That place is HUGE. I think I may have wanted to buy something, but I was a bit overstimulated and overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of stores, shops, Cinnabons, and amusement parks to even begin to figure out what it was that I wanted. So I did what any true consumer would do: I bought a chocolate-covered Twinkie and called it a night. Bottom line: A mere bite of a chocolate covered Twinkie will sit like a rock in your stomach all night long, and make it very hard to sleep.

I did, however, get to have a grand adventure with these two ladies for three whole days. Bottom line: They rock socks!

I know, I know...but LOOKIT!

I'm so very sorry I've been a lazy blogger. The school year is wrapping up, and I've just been wiped out most days. Today I got a bit impulsive and bought myself an extremely early birthday gift (staff development stipends are nice)! Plus, I've been drooling over Patricia's and Kelly's for far too long! I promise to blog and tweet a lot more with this little guy close at hand. Now I just have to wait for the UPS man...

Aftermath

aftermath, originally uploaded by sjoprice24.

Two and a half straight days of Disney will do that to you.

More Disney Photos

You know you love a giveaway!

Alright, fellow photog friends! Check out this neat giveaway! Amy recommends bookmarking this site, and she has EXCELLENT taste in websites!

Skates

Grammy Terri came over yesterday with LOTS of birthday gifts. The girls got some cute new clothes, swimsuits, pool shoes, snacks, and some rollerskates! We immediately suited up and went outside to try them. The girls did very well, with some assistance. Charlotte preferred to walk in her skates, but Rachel actually skated. That's the opposite of what I thought would happen. Charlotte is usually our daredevil!

Zoo Visit With the Butlers

Disneyland: Part 2 of a 200 Part Series

Just a few more photos. A drop in the bucket, really.

Some Disneyland Pictures

We decided to take the girls to Disneyland for their birthdays, and we've just blown back into town. Whew! It was a ton of fun, but also very exhausting! Since we were already taking advantage of another deal, the girls didn't get free admission on their birthday. However, you can still choose to get a ticket for another day (within a year), a fastpass for the day, or a gift card in the amount of admission. We went for the gift card so that the girls could pick out some birthday goodies. They got birthday buttons with their names on them, and every employee wished them a Happy Birthday. Plus, they got some special recognition on certain rides. The pilot for the Nemo submarine had everyone wish a Happy Birthday to "Radical Rachel" and "Sharkbait Charlotte." They were a bit overwhelmed by the crowds and all there is to see, but soon overcame it. They were also very adventurous! They are right at 40" tall, which meant that they could ride most of the rides in both parks. They rode the smaller rides, of course, but also rode rides like the Matterhorn (where the "Eddie" lives), and Big Thunder Mountain. They got to meet Tinkerbell and Silvermist which, to them, was HUGE! They've also become quite the Tiki Room afficionados. I think it's safe to say that it was a birthday to remember. More pictures coming soon!

March for Babies

It's that time of year again. The March of Dimes March for Babies is upon us. As most of you know, Charlotte and Rachel were born prematurely (as many twins are), and received excellent care in the NICU at Doctor's Medical Center in Modesto. The March of Dimes helps to make this excellent care possible, especially for those born much earlier than we were. We'd be so grateful for any donation you're able to give, as we continue to pay it forward! Every little bit helps. Just click on the widget in my sidebar for more information.

A Cavalcade of Cute

I have such crafty friends. Two of my friends are taking their craftiness to new heights by opening their own Etsy shops. Please do visit and browse.

Jen's Etsy shop is currently filled with these wonderful word art pieces. You can also get a custom piece made.


Donavan and Lacey have been hard at work on darling dresses and handmade bags. Summer dresses are a must for us, so of course we love these.

Family Visit

My parents whisked the girls away for a nice visit with their great aunts and uncles. Apparently, we spend most of our time hanging out with our Aunt Gail! I've been assured that the girls were on their best behavior at Uncle Bill's house. That's always a good thing for a parent to hear. Now can everyone come to my house for an extended stay, since they seem to be on their best behavior for YOU?

In 365 news, I'm throwing in the towel. It's just been too hard keeping up with the daily photo. However, keep checking Flickr for more photos, as I will continue to take them--just not on a day-to-day basis.

This is hard, people!

This whole 365 business is hard work--especially when life gets very busy. I'm trying my darndest to keep up with it. All is well with the Rawlings family. I will try to include some more updates on our goings-on more often.

Snow.

Can it, Butler!

Project 365 is now up to date, thanks to Sabrina's relentless badgering.

First Trip to the Dentist's Office

The girls had their first trip to the dentist today. Well, their first trip to the hygenist. Dr. Boothe wasn't in yet, so they didn't get to meet him. They got to meet Jessica, our hygenist. She is outstanding with kids, and had so much fun showing them all of the things she was going to use. "Mr. Thirsty" was definitely a favorite. Both girls did very, very well and Mom and Dad even got kudos for taking good care of their teeth. The girls each got a lizard toy from the treasure chest, followed by bracelets from Jessica. I think she wanted them to have something 'girly' to go with their lizard.

I like to delegate...

I'm still letting all of the photos do the work. Head on over to 365, why don't you?

Day 32

Day 32, originally uploaded by sjoprice24.

We got some nice weather today, so we decided to have a play in the strip park behind our house. The smart people who lived there before us put in a gate so that we can just pop back there anytime we feel like it! I just wish it was a nicer park. It's been tagged quite a bit and is rather old. The girls don't seem to care.