New number, new haircut, new stuff...

I turned 34 today. Since I took a self-portrait in the mirror for 33, I thought I might as well do the same this year. This is my new haircut. It's sassy. I had been letting my hair get pretty long (for me), and going short again is quite liberating. I even got some special hair paste from my mom, which I keep referring to as my 'pomade.' Last night, I kept telling Adrian, "I'm a Dapper Dan man!"







Adrian got me a new lens for my camera, which I LOVE. It's such a great lens, for an awesome price (as lenses go).





Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

I got some FitFlops from my folks:

They're supposed to make your legs very toned and fit, just by walking around! I'm not sure if they're doing that, but I know they're super-comfortable and I feel like they make me stand up straighter. My mom also took me for a kids-free shopping trip to Gilroy. Thanks Mom!

Another great gift I got was an online subscription to Body and Soul from Jen! How very sweet (and green) of her! To anyone who is considering this, I really like it. The reader that you use to read the magazine makes it very easy to zoom and move pages around. I really should start switching over to digital. I'm a bit of a magazine junkie, and my recycle bin knows it. You can get digital subscriptions at Barnes and Noble.

Thank to everyone who has sent cards and birthday wishes!

Ya Like Nectarines?

We have about a ton of them. Back when I was pregnant with the girls, Adrian ordered what was advertised in our Gurney's catalog as a Baby Girl Nectarine tree to plant in the corner of our yard. He thought it would be good luck for our baby girls. Little by little, it grew. But it had to mature a bit before bearing edible fruit. Well, that time has come! There is nothing better than fresh summer fruit off the tree, when it's still warmed by the sun. Unless you count watching your baby girls eat the nectarines from the tree planted in their honor.

Latest obsession: puzzles

I'm trying, Amy!

I've been inspired by Amy. I've always said that I'm going to try and live a greener life, but I've always been more talk than action. So I'm taking baby steps.

I've joined the Gorgeously Green website so that I can participate in the forum discussions and get ideas from others who have read the book.

Quite a while ago, we switched most of the bulbs in our house to CFLs, and we've become more mindful of the items in our house that draw unnecessary power. My husband loves to wander about with his Kill-a-Watt.

About a month or so ago, I purchased Ecos laundry detergent at Costco and Clorox Green Works cleaners. I really like both of them, but I'd also like to try Mrs. Meyer's products, or try and make some of my own cleaners. I'm also finding that Citrus Magic is a great, safer alternative to traditional air fresheners. It lasts forever and makes our house smell nice and fresh (and with preschoolers, fresh isn't always happening on its own!).

I really want to switch the girls over to products like California Baby, but I'm going to use up all of our old shampoos and lotions first. I already use a sulfate-free shampoo, but I need to scrutinize the ingredients list to see if it passes muster.

I'm going to try and get books from the library more often vs. buying them. I already try to buy second-hand when I can. I really don't need a shiny new book!

I've begun recording Sara Snow on FitTv (she used to be on Discovery Health). She has great ideas for living green. My favorite idea this week was a swap party. Rather than going on and buying new things all the time, everyone gets together and brings a batch of things they aren't currently using to see if anyone else needs it or would like to use it, then you donate whatever is left over.

And this is a very good hand-sanitizer. A must for little girls who are determined to see every public bathroom they can.


So, what are your baby steps?

Toys in Peril! (Not for the faint of heart)

The girls used to love to play with their 'little guys' on the windowsills. But they've moved on to bigger and better things. Their new favorite thing has become standing on their chairs and playing on the dresser behind the couch. A few posts back, I mentioned how my fake Pier 1 flower arrangement has fallen prey to the curious hands of the girls. Well, this is pretty much how it got that way.

It didn't take the girls long to discover that they could trap, suspend, and entangle their guys pretty easily in this arrangement. Thus began The Perilous Adventures of PaPa, Grammy, Grammy Terri, and Mommy.

Grammy, Grammy Terri, and Papa--in happier times.

Mommy--dangling.

Grammy--ooooh. Not good.

Sorry Papa, it was bound to happen.

Don't worry guys. I'm sure those hands will rescue us soon.

Bougainvillea--a plant in my yard that I DIDN'T kill!

Come every Spring, I hop in my ginormous possessed mini-van (HAL 9000), and head to Lowe's. I merrily load up my cart with blooms of all sorts and bags of soil. I then con my mother into coming over and helping me arrange the blooms in an artful fashion in my assorted pots and containers. This is after we've dumped out the carcases of the plants who came before. You see, I have a bit of ADD when it comes to, well...everything. Gardening included. I start off with good intentions, but then find myself far too busy surfing the internet, watching bad TV, or reading cookbooks I rarely use. As a result, the plants often go the way of their ancestors. WELL. I am here to tell you that not only is this bougainvillea thriving, but it has survived a harsh winter and various snail attacks! The harsh winter it managed on its own merits. I didn't cover it or do anything special. However, I dutifully busted out with the snail bait when the situation called for it--thus saving the day! So now my friend here, along with his counterpart on the other side of the patio, is thoroughly enjoying his summer! The other plants on the patio--different story.

Little known fact--little girls with chocolate faces love Bougainvillea too.

And they love to blow bubbles.

With sleepy eyes.

And snarly hair in the back.

This is your brain on twins...

This evening, as my girls drifted off to dreamland, I snuggled up on the couch with my laptop only to find this article waiting for me at MSNBC. So, just a heads-up. We may be losin' it soon. You probably won't even notice the difference.

Happy Fourth!

I hope everyone had a Happy Fourth of July. We kept it nice and quiet here with Grammy and Papa, and it was so nice! Here are a couple of videos of the girls watching fireworks. Sorry they're a bit dark!



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books




Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

The Weekend Nest

Lately, Adrian has been building the girls a 'nest' in which they can laze about and watch their weekend morning shows. This is a lighter version of the nest. You should see it in it's full glory. After they've eaten their cereal and watched some shows, they begin their pretend play. They have a blast!

Cool in the Pool

We've been spending our evenings at the pool lately, and it's so nice! The girls spend some time in the kiddie pool, and we're gradually venturing into the big pool for lessons. Here they are with Dad in the kiddie pool.

Graceful, like her mother...

Rachel skinned the same knee twice in one day last week. I've done that. A few times. She seems to have inherited my knack for falling down and/or scraping things. That's not to say that Charlotte hasn't had her share of bumps and bruises, but she definitely seems to have inherited her dad's coordination (ooooh...I can do a somersault on rollerblades...oooh. Whatever.). Here's hoping she makes it through her 3rd year with front teeth intact (Mommy didn't).

Chicka Chicka Playroom

Today Grammy came over and painted us a coconut tree, a la Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The girls just love it! Thank you Grammy. We're off to go swimming!

I Love the World

Did everyone have a good weekend? We did. The girls got to see their first real movie, my folks came home from their trip, we finally got our stimulus check, and we got started on some new home projects:

Adrian took the girls to see their Grammy Terri while I worked on the paint in the living room. While I was painting, I had the When We Left Earth marathon on in the backround (so good), and this kept coming on:

Boom di yada, boom di yada...

Yes, she's known her ABCs for quite some time. No, I don't know what happened to "L."

We were taking some photos in the backyard the other day, and Charlotte insisted on singing her ABCs for the camera. I want to get every little word they utter on video, because I have to admit that I'm a sucker for their little inarticulate voices at this stage. I know I'm going to miss them when they start saying things like, "MooOOOOOoooom!"

Friday: Enjoy the fact that this guy is now off on Fridays

He took us to see Kung Fu Panda. Skidoosh.

Thursday: Go to the Zoo With Kara Mae

Wednesday: Get Some Reading in During the Nap

I look so serious because I'm trying to beat Megan. Summer means new Plum. Whee! Also, Patti has a blog now. Check it out.

**Do note that 3 year-olds will destroy any attempts at a fake Pier One flower arrangement.**

Tuesday: Have Brunch at Patti's

Yummy! Thanks Patti!

Monday: Learn to Use a Slip n' Slide

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Still addicted to Starfall...

Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers out there. We kept a low profile today. We got in a nice visit with my parents yesterday before they took off for Northern California. Today, we were content to hang out and play.

I think I may have given my parents the exact same look that Rachel is giving me--several times. In fact, it's possible that I still give people that look. Maybe.

And that's one (and a half)...

Right after my potty training post, we had a breakthrough. Both girls started telling us consistently when they needed to go. Even better--Charlotte has started taking herself to the potty. We'll hear the toilet flush and she'll come dancing out, announcing what she's done. Rachel, on the other hand, is very good at Number 1. But, as her dad puts it (in his best Dr. Evil voice), she still works for Number 2. I know that's a common hurdle, so I'm hoping that she'll overcome her fear soon and start doing both in the potty. I'm so glad that this isn't going to take all summer. We've even done shopping trips with no accidents. Yay us! It has been so nice not having to go through so many Pull-ups. Right now, it's just naps and nighttime. With prices going up on everything, it will be nice to have that expense gone.

Soooo much to do...

Now that I'm done with work for a bit, THE LIST has begun. There is much to do this summer, not the least of which is to spend lots of time with my two little bunnies. So this means many trips to the zoo, the park, Gilroy Gardens, bouncy places, and Black Rascal pool. However, I also need to spend some quality time with this house. When work gets hectic and stressful, the house is the first thing to go. I have many projects I'd like to get done, but I'm not going to sweat it if they don't. I'd also like to work in some summer reading, scrapping, a trip to Yosemite, and the occasional margarita! Summer is about FUN!

In other news, our server started to crap out on us, so Adrian just finished rebuilding it. This was just another reminder that I really need to back up my files! I almost lost a ton of early photos of the girls. So add that to the list as well. Also, I was browsing the files and found this little gem:

Here's the gang at Wayne and Sabrina's wedding. Tomorrow is their anniversary. Isn't that nice?

Here's why you should probably think twice before inviting us to your wedding.

Oh, and Megan and Seann have gotten us hooked on this:

We're both such SciFi nerds, that I'm not sure how we never really got into it before. But it's so fun to get into a show a few years on. I love being able to watch episodes here and there on DVD.

I promise pictures of the girls next time.

Ewwww! Pink Eye! {but not the really gross kind, just the kinda gross kind}

So I have pink eye, which I'm sort of surprised I've never had before. Given my profession, I was pretty sure I'd have had lice, ringworm, and pinkeye by now. I don't have the kind of pinkeye that's contagious (viral), I have the bacterial variety. I'm sure it was brought on by my poor contact lens care, which is to say that I don't really care for them so much as wear them to death. So, not wanting to follow in the fabled footsteps of Columbo and Sandy Duncan, I reported hastily to good ol' Dr. Lee and left with antibiotic drops. So it's 4 drops per day for a good week. Since I'm not an eye wuss anymore (hi Jen!), this is no biggie. However, a couple of minutes after dispensing the drops, I can taste the antibiotics in the back of my throat. Ew! I'm just thankful this will all be cleared up before I have to present staff development next week (ack!).


In other news, we're in full-on potty training mode around these parts. We're done with the whole "they'll let us know when they're ready" thing. We've gone cold turkey with Dora undies, M&M rewards, and the steam vacuum at the ready. Ugh. I can't even imagine a day when I won't have to change a Pull-Up, wipe a bottom, or cheer for a bodily function. It happens, right? Because right now it just feels like these two are going to go to their Prom in Pull-Ups.





Also, add this gal to the People Who Make Sally Laugh Out-Loud list:

And add this to the Sally Has Read This a BILLION Times list:




But it's alright. I'm a mom. ...with pink eye. EWWWW!

Can I have...

...a wall in my house like this one, please?

Fun in the rain...

The girls stayed over at Grammy and Papa's yesterday so that Adrian and I could gallivant around for our anniversary (thanks Grammy and Papa). The girls got to play in the wacky wet weather we had this weekend. Giants umbrellas are a must. Pants, as always, are optional.

This just in...

Studies show that 50% of Rawlings twins are unfamiliar with the concept of the candid photo.

More Mother's Day Pictures.

We took the girls to Gilroy Gardens yesterday. It's a wonderful little amusement park for the younger set. The atmosphere is wonderful, and they have plenty of nice rides for little ones.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope you had as much fun as we did!

Back when we had hair...

...and PaPa had way too much fun with his leaf-blower.

A Moment's Peace

...well, sort of. Adrian went outside to do some work, but what you can't see are the two hyper little girls racing each other on the grass in front of him. Back and forth, and back and forth...