Friends.

What a nice night. Tonight is the guys' night to play cards/games, so we decided to have a girls' dinner at our house. Sabrina and Donavan brought the kids for a night of food, talk, and lots of playing. We had a nice surprise before dinner- our friends Steve and Carol were up from San Diego, so we got to visit with them for a bit. Their sweet Aiden turned a year old yesterday. It was nice to have the old group back together for a bit before the men went off to play. I finally got to meet Parker, Donavan's brand new baby. I just wanted to hold him all night long!

Parker--the newest member of our Peanuts Gang.
Get used to it kid, they're going to be all over you for a long time.

Carol and Aiden--Mr. Mellow.

Donavan and Maddie. She loves it when I do "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." Maddie, not Donavan.

This character made a beeline for the playroom as soon as she got here. She knows how it's done.


Hey look! One of mine! They were trying to coax Maddie over for a picture.

Thanks for the company dear friends!

Is this where I'm supposed to say, "Bad Blogger!"?

I've been informed by more than one person that the blog needs some TLC. My own mother summed it up beautifully: "The blog is looking pretty sad." Thanks Mom. Ever the dutiful blogger (and daughter), I whipped out my trusty camera this afternoon. That would be my trusty camera...with a dead battery. But don't fret! My mom must have seen this coming, as she took some pictures of the girls just the other day.

They're getting entirely too big. People tell you that they grow too fast, and you think, "Yeah, yeah...I know." But seriously...they grow way too fast!

We're growing out the pageboy cuts and the bangs. We've also got a bit more growing to do to fit into these shirts! I don't know why I say "we," as if we're a collective. Is that a mom thing? Also of note: they've transitioned into cheesy smiles for photos.

Yosemite...kind of.

We took off for the hills today! It was great fun. First, we rode the historic Sugar Pine Railroad. It's a real steam engine that takes you through the old logging route as you sit in open-air cars and gaze up at the trees. The girls really enjoyed seeing the steam engine and hearing the whistle blow. It has to work pretty hard to get the train up the grade, so you can literally hear the "I think I can" sound of the engine chugging.

Then we headed into Yosemite (just barely) to do a bit of the Big Trees at Mariposa Grove. We made it as far as the Grizzly Giant, but the girls had about had it. It's a lot of walking for 3 year-old legs. Along the way, we spotted several deer and chipmunks. They're so used to the tourists that they just stand there and graze right next to the trail.


I really need to get myself a point and shoot for trips like these. I really can't manage my mom responsibilities and worry about aperture and shutter speed. And when you're going from light to shade to light again...ugh.

You're not supposed to take any cones out of Yosemite, but this was on the train. So it wasn't in Yosemite. So don't go calling the feds.

Sleepover

"Adventure sleepin'" at Grammy and Papa's.


And of course, at Papa's house, there's always the possibility of a free hat.

Another trip in the "way back" machine.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

The other day, we were recalling the days where we had to manually feed these two. I don't miss it, but I do miss the old man banana faces. You can hear Adrian laughing and Rachel yammering away. And yes, that is the Simpsons in the background. Hey! We have a refined TV palette!

In my opinion...okay, in someone ELSE'S opinion.

I saw this OpEd piece on Yahoo! the other day, and I have to agree.

Dt. Bookman is going to come after us...

We have a missing library book! I swear that I dropped it in the library's overnight bin, but they're telling me it's still checked out. Not good. I don't want the library police coming after me. A thing like that will stay on your record!

Just wondering...

What the guy three treadmills down would look like with his Bluetooth shoved up one nostril. Honestly Friends, you are not. that. important. Hang up and exercise.

The Southpaw's Turn

Rachel is our resident lefty. Little known fact: identical twins don't always share handedness. Charlotte is a true-blue righty, and Rachel will do some tasks with her right, but prefers to write with her left.

"Let's see here..."

"A little of this."

"Some of these..."

That's a mighty fine M.

Rawlings Scrawlings

I know what you're thinking. I come up with clever titles? I know. Actually, it was going to be Rawlings "Drawlings" in honor of the 2, 000,000 second-graders I've had that say "drawling" instead of "drawing." Okay, maybe I haven't taught 2,000,000, but it feels like I have.

Now to the matter at hand--I've been very proud of the fact that the girls know all of their letters, as well as letter sounds. They can count to 20, identify shapes and colors, and make some rhyming pairs. Rachel is even beginning to blend CVC words. However, they've been pretty reluctant writers. Many times I've offered to sit down and form letters with them, and they just haven't been interested. I didn't want to force the issue, as I didn't want them to think of it as work or something they were forced to do. However, Adrian came up with something that they DO like to do. Using our trusty IKEA whiteboard, he's been having them follow his pen (which is actually all dried up). They think of it as a fun game.

Still not used to this lens, but don't you love how Adrian's hand and Charlotte's shoulder are in such nice focus? Bet you didn't know she had a freckle there, did you? Now you do. You're welcome.

Blending a word that they've written. Look, there's my laundry basket. I'm the consummate housekeeper. ....Yes I am!

Stay tuned for Rachel's turn....

Bubbles, Bubbles, Everywhere...

Grammy Terri came by this evening and gifted us with these, and the girls had a ball.

Oh, someone spies their Daddy.

He needs bubbles!

Fight, Daddy, fight! Don't let the bubbles win!

I love movies.

And I always have to checkout any Top 10 or Top 20, 50, 100 lists about movies. Currently, Yahoo has "The Top 10 Buddy Movies," which just happens to include 3 of my favorite movies. Ever. Actually, it has quite a few that I really like, but these have to be my favorites:

I've been known to like a Western or two, but Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is so much more. It has some of the sharpest, funniest dialogue (thank you William Goldman of Princess Bride fame), and it's just FUN! I can't wipe the grin on my face the entire time I'm watching it. And Paul Newman and Robert Redford in their prime. Yes, please! By the way, this photo is depicting the best scene, with the best line in the movie.

Some Like it Hot

Another comedic gem with classic dialogue. In fact, the last line in this movie is rated as one of the best last lines EVER. Jack Lemmon was one of our best actors and definitely one of the funniest. I'm not normally a Marilyn Monroe fan, but she's perfect as Sugar Cane. It's part musical, part mobster movie, part romance...all good!

Two words--"Vegas, baby!"

Swingers

Salads {or How I Haven't Quite Got the Hang of My New Lens Yet}

I decided to take pictures of the yummy salads that I made tonight. We here at Rawlings Manor are still making a concerted effort not only to waste less, but to live better! We've been hitting the gym in the evenings, and we're trying to eat more healthfully. Personally, I have begun to follow The South Beach Diet. It's not in an effort to lose weight (although I could probably stand to lose about 5 lbs, according to my clothes), but rather an effort to cut down tremendously on my intake of processed foods and sugar. I know every individual is very different, but I just don't think my body handles sugar very well. I just feel so much better when I avoid it. My skin clears up, my moods are very even, my head is clearer, and I have more energy--and this is only after a few days on the diet! I've always been a huge "grazer," because my reliance on processed food has left me hungry most of the time. I'm not hungry when I eat this way. I'm satisfied. There was a time when I really didn't get near most vegetables, and now I eat them all the time. Plus, it's just such a wonderful feeling knowing that you're putting good fuel into your body! The girls are big salad-eaters, as well. They'll eat raw spinach! ...and then they'll have cookies. But hey--raw spinach! It's a Superfood, you guys!

And yes, I'm still getting the hang of this lens. I'm not sure my goal was to have ONLY the bleu cheese in focus.

My salad.

One of the girls' salads. They get extra fruit.
The sliced chicken is left over from last night's Chicken Parmesan w/out breadcrumbs...so good!

Charlotte was done w/ the photo session. She wanted dinner to start.

Full Social Calendars

Last week, I had to go back to work for 4 days. The girls already had many events on their social calendar. For instance, last Tuesday...


Breakfast at Paul's with Torhild:

Lunch with Charlie for his birthday:

Busy, busy girls.

It just makes me happy, okay?

I just love this little song by Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town. It comes on in between shows on Noggin, and I always have to stop and dance around with the girls. We were even singing it as we put our jammies on tonight.

Cootie Meeting

Last Friday of every month.

Supervising

Every job needs a supervisor.

...and sipping every last bit, as well.

The girls also got yummy smoothies on the very same day. They live well, these two.

Nibbling up every last bit of vacation...

We went to lunch at La Hacienda II with Aunt Judy last week--something the girls do regularly while I'm at work. Charlotte is a chips and salsa kind of girl.

Artists at Work

After a bit of a dry spell, the girls have become more interested in painting and drawing once again. I think we may have Becca to thank for that. A few days back, we spent some quality time with our watercolors in the kitchen.

Rachel, hard at work on her latest abstract. Okay, they're all abstract, but whatever.

Getting more intense.

As we move in closer, we note the stern concentration as the artist...

Oh. Apparently too close. Sorry.

These paintings pretty much are the girls, in a nutshell. Top--Rachel uses every color imaginable, everywhere. Bottom--Charlotte is a very deliberate, precise little minimalist.