Tag: twins

97 hours without Twitter?

This morning I was checking in on Twitter and realized I’ve posted 19,998 Tweets since I joined Twitter in October 2007.

I posed the question… does this make me an oversharer?

19,999th tweet
19,999th tweet

To which my brother-in-law posed the response… go on a tweet holiday and use the 20,000 to announce the birth! Unless you’ve already passed it by now!

Twitter challenge
Twitter challenge

Sounds like a reasonable enough challenge… 97 hours or so without Twitter (well at least without posting to my main Twitter account @jdblundell :-))

So we’ll see if I can do it.

Granted my biggest worry is the various online accounts that automatically post to Twitter for me (probably one of the reasons I’ve reached 19,999 tweets). I think I’ve disabled all the connections, but we’ll see.

Thankfully, Twitter’s started using OAauth, so hopefully I’ve disconnected all these services (check https://twitter.com/settings/connections) to see what sites/applications have rights to your Twitter account).

So there you have it… no Twitter for 97 hours… but I’m betting that may lead to more blog posts, video updates and posts to Facebook.

And for those of you who don’t have Twitter… you can still get the big announcement via a SMS text message.

Simply send a text with the following message to 40404:

follow jdblundell

You’ll likely get a response asking for a username. Simply pick a random username, send it as a reply to the same account and you’ll get the big announcement as a text message on your phone.

And in case you didn’t know…

I also tweet from @sbpodcast @welivesimply @orangenoise @stpetersbrew @blundybabies @travisranch

Yeah, I’m probably an oversharer.

Five questions with Joe Rawlinson

Joe Rawlison
Joe Rawlison

What does an average day look like for you?

I’m usually up at or around 6am to exercise and/or get ready for the day. The kids wake up shortly thereafter (or before on bad days) and I help them get breakfast and dressed while my wife gets ready for the day.

On weekdays I’m off to work at a tech company where I spend lots of time in meetings, conversations, and in front of the computer. I return home for dinner with the family and then we begin the night routine. I give all four kids baths, help them get in their pajamas, read stories and scriptures, say prayers, sing songs, and say good night (hopefully by 7:30). My wife and I then usually spend about an hour cleaning up the kitchen or house in preparation for the next day.

Once things are settled, I’ll get to work on my projects. These include my Pepe’s Chile site (pepeschile.com), my Dad’s Guide to Twins blog (dadsguidetotwins.com) or our private family blog service (familysays.com).

What’s been the best day of your life?

The best day of my life was my wedding day. Marrying my wife was the best decision I’ve ever made.

What’s been your greatest achievement in life thus far?

My greatest achievements are my kids. They are happy, healthy, and already I see them making good choices at an early age. Surely the types of people my kids become will be the visible manifestation of my abilities and efforts as a father.

What made the biggest difference in helping you achieve that goal?

My wife. She is my outstanding companion in the home and helps keep our family on track and moving forward.

If you could solve one problem in the world – what would it be?

That kids could have stronger families with a solid home foundation. A lot of the world’s problems would be prevented if we all learned moral discipline and responsibility in the home.

Joe Rawlinson is the father of four children: two boys and identical twin girls. By day he is a Senior e-Commerce Product Manager, by night an entrepreneur, and a family man all of the time.

50 things I look forward to teaching my boys

  1. God is love
  2. Learning to love God and love others is the best thing you can do in this life
  3. Everyone is beautiful
  4. How to treat their mother with respect and love
  5. Life is all about relationships — not the stuff we collect along the way
  6. Learn to forgive — even when others refuse to apologize or forgive you
  7. There’s nothing you can’t tell your mother and I
  8. Your parents will love you no matter what
  9. Family comes first
  10. How to be a gentleman
  11. U2 is the greatest band in the world
  12. You can’t go wrong with The Beatles, Beach Boys, Lenny Kravitz or Johnny Cash
  13. How to build a campfire
  14. How to put a tent together
  15. How to enjoy the freezing waters of Sulphur, Oklahoma
  16. How to blow a bubble
  17. How to blow a bubble with bubble gum
  18. How to throw a football
  19. How to throw a baseball
  20. How to dribble a soccer ball
  21. How to catch a football
  22. How to catch a baseball
  23. How to throw a frisbee
  24. How to catch a frisbee
  25. How to play disc golf
  26. The difference between a goal, a touchdown and a home run
  27. How to fish
  28. How to clean a fish (I may need to learn this myself first)
  29. How to grill the perfect steak
  30. How to grill the perfect burger
  31. How to play the guitar
  32. How to tie their shoes
  33. How to change the oil in a car
  34. How to change a tire
  35. How to drive a car — but only after you turn 21
  36. How to (properly) shoot fireworks
  37. How to ride a bike
  38. How to ride a bike without training wheels
  39. How to pop a wheelie
  40. How to draw
  41. How to cut with scissors
  42. How to imagine
  43. How to shave
  44. How to avoid shaving as much as possible
  45. How to “skin the cat”
  46. How to enjoy good art
  47. How to eat sushi
  48. How to pack for vacation using only carry-on luggage
  49. No one knows everything — not even your parents
  50. Be leery of those who claim they do

Daddy quiz

Conked Out
Conked out | Photo by surfergirl

I found a quiz for new dads over at babycentre… apparently I know quite a bit about raising a baby… I doubt that… but we’ll find out for sure in 6 more weeks.

I got 12 of the 15 or so questions correct (although I’m not sure I like all their answers, and what in the world is a “nappy”?! Silly UK site. ;-)) Continue reading Daddy quiz

Fearfully and wonderfully made

My boys…

I-Diddy sonogram
I-Diddy sonogram - 29 weeks and 6 days

God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too — your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful — I can’t take it all in!

H-Diddy 4D sonogram
H-Diddy 4D sonogram - 29 weeks and 6 days

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; you know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

I’ll never understand the depths of what God knows — but knowing he knows me, my Life and my boys is an amazing comfort.