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Poor Sam's sick today
January 30, 2006 by Adam in Sam
Poor Sam's sick today. Jamie called and let me know that when she picked him up from school, he was feeling not so great. Now he's parked on the couch, watching television and letting Tylenol do its thing.
Since I was sick on Saturday, I suspect it's the same thing I had. I was the only parent watching the kids, so Emma is likely next on the list. Poor girl.
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Anna finally gave notice at her job in Willia...
January 30, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Anna finally gave notice at her job in Williamstown and she'll begin in San Francisco on Monday, Feb 27th- I know- so soon! We're trying to cram in all our east coast visiting in the next month. I'll still be holding down the fort here, but I'm seriously thinking about moving into a smaller apartment until Mid-July/August. We'll see. Big excited hugs to all!
Here is a picture from the learning circle I'm co-facilitating- exhausting, but hopefully very productive for the participants.
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I don't normally throw out random links, but ...
January 30, 2006 by Adam in Adam
 I don't normally throw out random links, but this one gave me a chuckle. It's images from old food advertisements where the kids end up looking demonic in their steely grins.
I'm just coming off of a weekend watching the kids. Parts were rough, parts were great, and now I'm returning to work for a bit of rest. Work's been fairly good these last couple weeks. I've been doing interesting work and slowly gearing up for a couple major projects. One of the big ones involves creating standards for how our team writes applications, which is going to be exciting. It's been awhile since I've had to learn a fairly different way of doing things.
I'm looking forward to Spring, which seems to be tiptoeing its way slowly back. I've been trying hard not to look too closely at our front garden, which is a mess of dead and decaying plants.
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The weekend is close to over, with Jamie retu...
January 30, 2006 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is close to over, with Jamie returning around noon, a bit early after missing the kids. Fortunately my illness left as suddenly as it came and I felt pretty normal after this morning.
The kids both slept really well and they got pink pancakes by request of Emma. We puttered around until eleven or so, heading out to a place called Minds in Motion to visit with Jenny and her kids. It had some neat things, and a few things that were a bit odd. There were an awful lot of games that you had to pay for after paying to get in. Destin went a little crazy and ended up getting hundreds of tickets. Sam was in awe of his cousin hitting the jackpot. Emma had a good time until she went into a huge play structure and saw "shark teeth". I had to climb in to extract her.
By the time we got home, Jamie had returned. It was actually a bit ackward having to coordinate everything with another person. Mostly we played with the kids. Now Emma's sitting on my lap and Sam's watching me type. Time to get started with the evening ritual.
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Well, Jamie made it up to Portland safe and sound
January 28, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jamie made it up to Portland safe and sound. The kids tired me out swimming last night, and they all went to bed quite easily. Emma crawled into bed with me at around four in the morning, but otherwise slept great until seven o'clock or so.
Unfortunately I started getting sick last night, with a headache so bad that it woke me up around one. I popped some Advil, but still felt miserable in the morning. A couple more Advil later and two strong cups of chai tea later, I felt somewhat human.
The kids and I puttered around before going to the library for music and books. I had another double shot cafe mocha, which made my headache vanish and gave me super-daddy powers. Emma started getting pretty cranky at the end.
We've now returned home where the kids are watching Barbie Princess and the Pauper. Lunch is cooking. I think we're going to take it easy for the rest of the day.
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I just called mom, who updated me on grandpa
January 28, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
I just called mom, who updated me on grandpa. He is indeed eating more and regaining some strength, but the tumor on his lung is cancerous, and the oncologist in Florida has not expressed a positive prognosis. The hope in the hearts of Meg and mom is to get him up to Philadelphia when he is strong enough to travel. She and Bob (bless him) will be staying a little longer than expected in Florida, and Betsy will arrive on Friday and stay with grandpa for a week. Mom sends all of her love, and I sent all of ours.
Missing you all-
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I got Prince of Persia: Two Thrones earlier t...
January 27, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I got Prince of Persia: Two Thrones earlier this week. I've only managed to play a few times, but it's pretty much exactly what I remember from the first game. There's a lot of running and jumping, with frustrating results if you barely miss what you were aiming for.
There's a surprising amount of "puzzleness" to it, looking around and deciding where it makes sense to go next. There's a fun sense of flow when I start getting into the rhythm of the thing.
On the down side, it's still a console port. I can't save everywhere. Once I start playing, I'm basically invested to continue playing until I get to the next save spot. It's a bit annoying.
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Ah, Adam and I chatting away like school girls
January 27, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Ah, Adam and I chatting away like school girls. It isn't just the two of us- after a day of feeling very down that Anna and I would have to live apart for five months, I've been excited and jittery about the move for a couple of days. Perhaps it's that I spent what felt like a half an hour scraping ice off the car this morning. Additionally, I think I like sweaters as things that make you cozy, not things that keep you from dying of hypothermia in your own home.
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Ah, Mocha Friday already
January 27, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Ah, Mocha Friday already. I'm actually still at home, waiting for a few more minutes before I jump into the shower. For whatever reason, I woke up early today, which gave me a chance to watch Wednesday's Lost. Not as good as some of the previous ones, but it's up there with Veronica Mars and Battlestar Galactica. All other shows pale in comparison.
I scurried home yesterday as I was supposed to leave early and Jamie had to call and remind me. Tuesday and Thursday are the new gym days for Jamie where she has a class at four o'clock. She returned sore and exhausted, so I think she still managed to get a full workout in.
The kids were in excellent spirits. I was all ready for unruly children, but they were cheerful and happy. The entire time before Jamie returned was spent doing physical activity, from obstacles courses to sit-ups to a little pillow punching. When dinner rolled around, they were quite hungry.
Sam also regained his lost computer privileges from earlier in the week. After dinner we played a bit more Zelda, sailing the seas and exploring various islands. Though very cartoony, it's an excellent game and fun to play. After his time was up, Sam ran downstairs and began to build Lego pirate ships.
Jamie's leaving for her mom's house this weekend. I think she's leaving tomorrow and returning Sunday sometime, though she's been fairly vague on her exact plans. I'm trying to make sure the kids are suitably entertained for the two days. We've got swimming, a library trip, movie night with pizza, and some play time with Jenny and her kids. I should probably call Dave and see if he wants to visit too. Keep 'em busy, I say.
I'm very excited to hear about Sadie's news. Last weekend we chatted like school girls and I was sworn to Internet secrecy. It sounds like the necessary people have been told and she can now announce her upcoming move. Flights to San Francisco aren't quite as cheap as I had hoped, but I'd still like to visit after she gets settled.
Well, the shower and the mocha call to me. Time to get ready for work.
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Emma was watching the Miss America pagent wit...
January 26, 2006 by Adam in Emma
Emma was watching the Miss America pagent with Jamie last night as our darling little girl refused to sleep at her normal time. Jamie was telling me later how the pagent contestants seemed like little clones, perfectly tanned with thin, muscular bodies. Emma on the other hand was amazed at the spectacle. "They're so beautiful! I want to do that when I grow up."
Where have we gone wrong?
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If I hear anything more from mom about grandp...
January 25, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
If I hear anything more from mom about grandpa's health, I will make sure to let you know. For now, he's in the hospital and will be going into rehabilitation for a few weeks. He's hurt his back a bit, which is why we're now aware of the large thing on his lung. Bob and mom say that he's eating well and in good spirits.
Anna is still away in Salt Lake City, but will return on Sunday, when I pick up my co-facilitator for a learning circle workshop. It's what I did in Tennessee in November! Learning circles are well described here: http://www.e4ce.org/LearningCircles/Introduction.htm.
I am looking for jobs in San Francisco, possibly too hastily, as I still have six months here. After working for the big gorilla in town for two years, I'm eyeing more community-initiated development stuff. I also had this awesome meeting with two guys from the local Carpenter's Union this morning, and am feeling pretty good about organizing.
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Sam and I had a funny discussion while playin...
January 25, 2006 by Adam in Sam
 Sam and I had a funny discussion while playing with PlayDough last night. He and Emma were squishing away, with Sam making PlayDough zombies. I asked him if it would be a good idea if he had superpowers or not. "Sure!" was his first response. "What if you're in a bad mood?" I asked. "Oh, yeah." he replied.
He then went on to demonstrate with pencils and PlayDough what might happen. "I want a cookie! Bzzt!" he exclaimed, and then explained that the pencil he was poking into another PlayDough creature was lasers from the eyes. "I said I want a cookie! Bzzt!" It went on like that for a bit, with lightning blasts and the like.
Ah, morality plays with PlayDough. Who would have thought?
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Jamie got some news about my grandfather, tho...
January 25, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Jamie got some news about my grandfather, though I feel like I'm playing phone tag and not quite getting all the details. Evidently he fell, is a bit malnourished, and has a spot on his lungs. The plan at this point is to keep him at the hospital for awhile and then discharge him to a rehab center of some sort. My mom still plans on returning this weekend.
On the home front, life has been relatively uneventful. Sam was in a good mood and very helpful, quite the contrast from his wild night the day before. Emma on the other hand was napless and pretty wonky. As long as she was distracted she did fairly well. Ah, the joys of parenting.
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Sam had a bit of a melt down last night
January 24, 2006 by Adam in Sam
Sam had a bit of a melt down last night. I was watching both kids as Jamie got her hair cut. He was quite pleasant and cheerful for dinner, and then I told him to put away the dishes and I'd give him a cookie. Well, soon enough he was screaming and I sent him to his room. It escalated from there, with Sam pulling the bannister out from the wall and causing general havok.
It took a long while before he calmed down, and even then was more unruly than usual. He lost a fair number of privileges before the night was over. Jamie had several long talks with him. I put him to work fixing the banister with me.
It was fairly strange, as normally he's a pretty good kid. I suppose learning how to control your body is one of those key skills when growing up.
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I weaseled some alone time from Jamie on Satu...
January 23, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I weaseled some alone time from Jamie on Saturday and finished up Resident Evil 4. The ending was a bit routine, the typical "kill the bad guy and escape" sort of thing. I think I've done it countless times. Still, the game in general is masterful, with great art direction, suspense, and endless interesting things to do. The story itself is pretty good, with enough background to keep it together. On occasion it got a little silly, but typically not too bad. All-in-all, it was fun to play.
Sam and I have really been getting into the Zelda: Wind Walker game. The puzzles are interesting, if occasionally too challenging for Sam. He has a hard time with the difficult combats, but otherwise holds onto that controller with a death grip. The art is cartoonish and funny, solidly aimed at the pre-teen age group, though I find it entertaining as well.
It's also nice inspiration for my own little game, as it too has islands and sailings and such.
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I'm hoping that yesterday's phone tag finally...
January 23, 2006 by Adam in Family
I'm hoping that yesterday's phone tag finally worked out, though I haven't heard from my mom yet today. We'll see how things go.
Yesterday was mostly spent hanging out with kids, though I had a surprisingly fun time doing so. We went to the park where they got cold and muddy, especially Emma. We stripped off her shoes, socks, and pants, and then went to Humble Bagel to munch away. The afternoon was spent playing, painting, doing Sam's homework, running about the play room, and watching some movies.
I got a chance to talk with Sadie, which was very exciting. It was fun discussing her potentially secret plans. I even chatted with Jenny, hoping to get together next weekend when Jamie's out of town.
As for today, I have tea to drink and an application to write, not to mention far too many meetings. Busy, busy.
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Grandpa Bill was fine when I spoke with him a...
January 23, 2006 by Betsy in Betsy
Grandpa Bill was fine when I spoke with him around 5 p.m. He was confused about when your mom was due to arrive and admitted that he hadn't been feeling well and was concerned about staying by himself. He would like to have someone come and check on him and help him with minor day to day items. He does not want to go stay with Meg or go into a nursing home. He seemed perfectly lucid.
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It seems we may have a bit of a family crisis
January 22, 2006 by Adam in Family
It seems we may have a bit of a family crisis. Meg called reporting that Grandpa Bill was being confused and now she's trying to get in touch with my mom. I know you're traveling today, mom, but if you happen to read this in an airport or something, please call Meg. If you don't have her number, feel free to call us.
Hopefully all is well, but Meg sounded somewhat concerned.
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Happy Birthday Isabell! Wow, how did we get ...
January 22, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
Happy Birthday Isabell! Wow, how did we get to 5 years old alread? We had a nice birthday dinner last night with Mom and Bob at Kells Irish Pub (Isa's favorite) last night, and Isa was quite happy to hear from the waiter that having Kells as a favorite made her very "cosmopolitan."
Today we are having a party with Isa's friends from school, after which we have to run home to watch the Seahawks playoff game. Ahhh...priorities.
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It was quite the day yesterday
January 22, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It was quite the day yesterday. In the morning, I played with the kids non-stop until Sam's friend Ben Anderson arrived. He's an older kid from his school and they had a good time at their play date. Somehow during the morning the kids got Jamie and I creating pirate necklaces. Emma got a bracelet and fairy wings along the way too.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. I took Emma to the grocery store where she sweet talked the cashiers out of stickers. Jamie took the kids for awhile, giving me a couple hours to myself. The evening was spent playing with PlayDough, watercolors, and pretending to be superheroes in the basement. Sam tought Emma how to hold her fingers like Spiderman when he wanted to shoot a web.
As for today, I don't think we have anything too exciting happening. Jamie might go for a walk with Angie. Perhaps the kids and I will go off to a park if it's not too wet. We'll see how it goes.
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Anna got the thing, and we're both very very ...
January 21, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Anna got the thing, and we're both very very happy. So I will absolutely see more of you all! Hurrah! And no one will get confused about whether I live in Mississippi or Michigan after July.
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Hi, guys, Bob and I are leaving for Florida S...
January 21, 2006 by Sue in Wielesek
Hi, guys, Bob and I are leaving for Florida Sunday morning
and will be back next Saturday night. Dad is okay physically, but flustered with dealing with details of his accident. Sorry not to communicate better. Oooo, Lorhing and
Yayoe, that sounds fun! Love to all, Mom PS Adam has our flight info and Grandpa's cell. om
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Mmm
January 20, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Mmm . . . Mocha Friday. It is pouring down rain this morning, so it was bags on the feet for the ride in. My friend Jim and I walked to the corner of Starbucks through the sheets of water. It's crazy how wet it's been this last month.
Dave and Kirsten came over last night, mostly to play with the kids. They loved it, of course, and bid them a sad farewell when the left.
Otherwise it's been fairly quiet the last couple days. Sam and I continue to have fun playing the new Zelda game. He explained that it was "basically educational" since he has to do a lot of reading in it. I'm not sure Jamie buys it, though.
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A miracle has occured! Lohring and I are trav...
January 20, 2006 by Yayoe in Yayoe
A miracle has occured! Lohring and I are traveling to Japan and China from April 15-May 6th! We bought our tickets yesterday so now were committed! This is an auspicious time to travel because he has the time off from work. He's pretending to be retired for the next 6 months and will resume his job search July 1. We're booked on a 22 day AAA tour that should take us to the major cities in Japan and China plus a 4 day cruise on the Yangtze river and other scenic gorges. Amazing huh.This is truly a miracle! This will also commemorate our 19th year of marriage! So enough for now!
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Anna is headed out of town today and will be ...
January 19, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Anna is headed out of town today and will be in Salt Lake City all week. She's had to repeatedly tell the engineering firm that she works for that she doesn't ski, and still she might have to ski. It's a hard life, I know.
I'm finishing up a grant at work. I'm actually not bad at applying for grants, which I never thought would be the case. Being a grown-up/competent is way better than anyone ever told me.
I finished the Subtle Knife and am scrambling, with limited success, to find the third and last in the His Dark Materials trilogy. I'm shaking from withdrawal at this very moment. But that could be the frigid weather.
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The week is slowly moving along
January 19, 2006 by Adam in Family
The week is slowly moving along. Work is its usual chaotic self, with lots of miscellaneous requests popping in. It seems like I haven't had a moment to breathe since I walked in the door.
Jamie's started evening workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in contrast to the ones that would happen in the middle of the day. That means I have a short lunch and leave a little early. I think Jamie likes being able to go to a step aerobics class, though I sometimes miss the kids during the day.
Jamie is also try to find a way to go up to Portland by herself in a couple weeks. I'm trying to line up things for the kids and I to do, so if anyone has interesting suggestions, let me know.
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Writing from school this morning, Isa and Rob...
January 18, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
Writing from school this morning, Isa and Robbie dropped me off on their way up the hill. It's only the second week of classes, and I'm already sleep deprived, which might just require a side trip to Starbucks here shortly (to study of course).
Isa is having a birthday party with the kids from her class this weekend. Thank goodness we're renting out a room at the community center, as the idea of 16 children and their parents stuffed into our place seems a bit of an overload.
Robbie and I have found that the most effective way to deal with the winter blues is to simply rearrange our furniture. I blame this part of my genetic code on Yayoe. On Monday, even with the homework piled high, we undertook a major reorganization of the living room. While the new setup is nice, it has left my office in terrible disaray, and there is little time for me to take care of it. For now I work at night among stacks of various documents, fearing to push anything to far out of sight for it just might be that vital tax form or million dollar check!
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I swam to work this morning
January 17, 2006 by Adam in Family
I swam to work this morning. It's amazing how wet it's been this last month. I even tied plastic bags to my feet, which seemed to help with the soggy shoe problem at the expense of my usual stylish appearance.
I took Monday off from work, though it wasn't precisely a carefree vacation. I watched the kids for a bit in the morning and Sam was a little wild. I drove Emma around and spent a couple hours in the car as well. Fortunately my whining got me a couple hours here and there without kids.
At the end of the night, we all talked about our favorite parts of the day. Emma talked about a book being read to her. Jamie enjoyed her new food processor and making soup. Sam declaired that it was his time with me, playing his new Zelda game together. Finally all eyes went to me and I had to admit that the Zelda game was my highpoint as well.
After the kids went to bed, Jamie and I watched half of the 40 Year-old Virgin, which is raunchy, hysterical, and sweet. It was hard stifling the laughter so that we wouldn't wake up the kids.
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Oh, and my phone died, so if I don't return a...
January 17, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Oh, and my phone died, so if I don't return any of your calls, it's not because I don't love you. Another situationally appropriate gem from 5ives.com:
Five ways I tend to feel after speaking with Sprint’s Customer Service:
1. Like I was just traded to another inmate for 2 packs of menthol cigarettes
2. Like I’ve been slapped repeatedly with a half-frozen sturgeon
3. Like I’ve accidentally just agreed to finish the homework of every kid in my middle school
4. Like somewhere in a big Sprint building, there’s a fat man with a monocle and a top hat smoking a cigar while dancing a jig and holding a fat bag of five-dollar bills with my bewildered face on it
5. Very, very unclean
Oh, and I'm reading Phillip Pullman's The Subtle Knife, which I'll send off to the west coast once I'm done with it. Not to give anything away, but I'm getting the feeling that the protagonists are actually trying to kill god. Whoa.
Anna and I are thinking very seriously about the thing I mentioned over the winter holiday. So we may see more of all of you! Soon!
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Anna and I have just returned from a lovely 2...
January 17, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Anna and I have just returned from a lovely 2nd Annual Community MLK Day dinner. Our friend Mark and I had a fascinating discussion about ASL Deaf Culture vs. cochlear implants- his sister has a cochlear implant, and if you recall, the title of my IHS senior paper was something like "cochlear implants or throwing your Deaf baby out a window: You think you know which one is worse? Think Again." Or something like that. Anyway, a fitting chat for the occasion. Hope you all heard my equally enlightening radio show program this morning: "Freedom Songs or Pirates throwing you out a window: You think you know which one is worse?" Just kidding. I love freedom songs. But there was some Sweet Honey in the Rock and a song about grog.
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It seems an interesting note to our family hi...
January 16, 2006 by Betsy in Betsy
It seems an interesting note to our family history that my sibling is off doing Grandmotherly things while I am still struggling with motherly things. A vast chronological gap in the family time trail. Although Sue, I must admit that when you offered to take care of everything for Dad and his car I was greatly relieved as I seem to be struggling to just keep my head above water this past year. But I still send miles and miles of love to you all accross the skies.
Bets and the boys
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It was a rather exciting day yesterday
January 16, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It was a rather exciting day yesterday. We did a family hike at Hendrick's park first thing in the morning. It was a little chilly and we headed back to the car in a half hour or so. After that it was off to Humble Bagel for some tasty treats. I played with the kids until Jamie left for Mama Mia with Angie. She wouldn't return until after dinner, which was a bit longer than I expected.
My mom showed up around two and played with Sam for much of the afternoon. They had a good time, working on making arrow heads from obsidian and going off to the museum of natural history.
Emma and I made cookies and I spent a frustrating couple hours trying to get her to nap. Unfortunately it meant that she's was in a bad mood for the rest of the afternoon. Dinner time was the worst, with Sam overfilling the basement sink and flooding the floor, and Emma grumping about.
Hopefully today I can get some R&R time, which I so very much deserve.
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Well, Sam finally earned that final star by e...
January 15, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Well, Sam finally earned that final star by emptying the dish washer and excitedly opened up the Zelda: Wind Walker game that he's been saving up points for. We mentally prepared by having a cookie and milk while reading the directions, and then popped it in the Gamecube.
So far, it's been pretty fun to play. The graphics are very cartoony, but well done. The most worrisome part was the amount of reading in the game. Sam has done phenomenally well so far, reading many of the passages himself. There were a couple times when I'd read for him, but he certainly pulled his own weight.
So far, Sam's cut some grass, controlled a seagull, had his sister kidnapped, and joined a group of pirates. Not bad for an hour worth of playing.
I also managed to sneak in some Resident Evil 4 time yesterday afternoon. I think I'm nearly done with the game, which is indeed near perfection for the genre. As someone who dabbles in game creation, I'm envious of how well they've blended the varied environments, encouraged alternating gameplay, maintained suspense, and kept the difficulty level so that it is challenging but not frustrating.
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Towards the end of the afternoon yesterday, J...
January 15, 2006 by Adam in Family
Towards the end of the afternoon yesterday, Jamie was feeling much better. It made for a much more relaxing evening as I finally got a break from the kids for awhile. By that time, I'd taken Sam to his play date at John's, Emma to the library for nearly two hours, hung out in the car as Emma slept, as well as the usual feeding, changing, and playing.
Sam gets to spend some alone time with Grandma Sue today, working on their arrow making skills, I believe. Emma really wants to play with them too, but I think she'll be stuck with me for most of the visit. Jamie's off to see Mama Mia with Angie this afternoon. As a quick aside, Angie is pregnant and very excited. Since she's told half the world already, I might as well tell the rest.
As for me, I might take tomorrow off. Some down time might be nice.
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Jamie went out with Victoria last night and t...
January 14, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Jamie went out with Victoria last night and the kids and I did our typical Friday swimming session. Afterwards we made cookies, with me in "directive dad" mode in order to keep things moving along. I eventually got them to bed around nine o'clock, after a somewhat difficult bedtime. Jamie arrived home around ten, we chatted briefly, and went to bed.
It looks like Jamie's not feeling well this morning. She handed Emma to me and reported that she's been throwing up. Looks like the start to a fun weekend.
Update: Emma and I went out to Metropol for coffee and lemon poppy seed scones. It was lots of fun, though upon our return it looks like Jamie and Sam are still sleeping away. It's nearly nine in the morning.
Now she's playing with Sam's Legos and singing Jingle Bells. I think Christmas had a lasting impact on her personality. She's always talking about Christmas lights and what sort of presents she'll get at the next Christmas.
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The rain here has finally beaten us down, and...
January 14, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
The rain here has finally beaten us down, and we've decided to escape over the weekend. After scanning the weather reports for the next few days, and realizing that we'd have to drive more then 9 hours to find sun (not even warm - just no rain), we decided to venture towards Bend where there was a not so spendy hotel with an indoor heated pool! We head out tomorrow morning, carefully scheduled so we safely get there before the Seattle Seahawks game starts, and will only be gone for the night. Funny how something like a heated pool seams like the lap of luxury!
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Something special from 5ives
January 13, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Something special from 5ives.com:
Five things I’d ask every Supreme Court nominee if I sat on the Senate Judiciary Committee
1. If you knew to an absolute moral certainty that you could capture and consume a live infant without being caught, how many do you suppose you could eat in a weekend?
2. Have you ever been spanked erotically by someone who was not your current legal spouse? Just yes or no, please.
3. Nominee, do you regard these slacks as accentuating my basket in an un-senatorial fashion?
4. Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind about…your mother.
5. Kindly rise, and sing the 1979 hit, The Piña Colada Song, also known as Escape.
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I think Sam is slowly approaching getting the...
January 13, 2006 by Adam in Sam
I think Sam is slowly approaching getting the necessary number of stars and checks to get his first game. He's opted for Zelda, the Wind Walker. After an initial burst of excitement around doing jobs, he lost interest in unloading the dish washer or cleaning the play room. Last night I tried to change his attitude by turning it into a game. The play room cleaning suddenly involved heroic leaps and tossing toys clear across the room. At least he got it done.
Sam's getting increasingly good at reading and spelling. He basically gets 100% on all his spelling tests these days and doesn't require much in terms of preparation. Fortunately he's inherited Jamie's near perfect memory, which helps immensely with these things.
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Emma seems more and more grown up every day
January 13, 2006 by Adam in Emma
Emma seems more and more grown up every day.
Her latest phrase is "Whatever", which is comical coming from her lips. She also says "actually" a lot in her cute two-year-old voice. Emma is also the biggest ham of us all, quite dramatic and sociable.
We do get occasional flashes of the dark side of her personality. She's extremely into wearing particular clothes and throws a fit if they're not available. Often in the play room she's strip down to her diaper and put on one of her princess outfits. When it's bedtime, she'll have a favorite pair of PJs for the week. Woe to the parent who tells her that it's in the laundry.
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Sweet, sweet mocha Friday
January 13, 2006 by Adam in Family
Sweet, sweet mocha Friday. I picked up some Starbucks this morning, courtesy of Santa and his gift card. Jamie's been pretty tuckered out the last few days, so hopefully this weekend will be a nice change for her. Since it's Friday, both kids are in school for at least the morning. With luck she'll have time to pretend she's a normal person again.
I think there's a lot of miscellaneous things going on this weekend. Jamie's going to see Mama Mia, which evidently has a lot of dance numbers set to Abba. I think Sam has a play date lined up for Saturday. As for me, I'm hoping for a little R&R, and maybe getting outside if the weather permits.
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I signed up for a non credit chess course, an...
January 11, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 I signed up for a non credit chess course, and spent two hours last night learning about and playing my first real game of chess. Well, it was more like a guided lesson by the most amazing teacher ever, fittingly named Adam. Adam showed me the absolute beauty of the board, building sweeping combinations and creating pressure points to disrupt the opponent's march toward your king. It was breathtakingly intricate and lovely. While I did not engage in combat, I sense that the trickery and meanness of competatition will be worth the inherent glory and perfection of the game.
Next time I come home, we are all playing chess.
And I finished Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass, which you really should pick up.
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Okay, I admit it
January 11, 2006 by Adam in Family
Okay, I admit it. I was in a grumpy mood last night. It quickly went downhill when Emma slipped on her skirt and twisted her ankle. By bedtime, she was doing better, but for awhile she'd cry every time she tried to walk.
The kids and I spent a long hour playing with Playdough, which was evidently cathartic for all. We went to bed in much improved moods. Emma was fast asleep in her bed when I woke up this morning, a rarity these days.
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Another weekend has come and gone
January 09, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Another weekend has come and gone. This one was pretty good, with everyone in high spirits and doing well. On Saturday I spent a fair time with Emma, who was quite cheerful, while Jamie had lunch with Jenny and Sam went to play with his friend Gavin. Emma and I made cookies, played with Playdough, and walked about a bit. Later in the day, Ray arrived with presents for all the kids, our final Christmas bash.
Ray is quite the avid shopper, so we were soon wading in toys. Emma got a Furby, which strangely enough she immediately recognized. She and Sam vied for it's attentions, and I had to settle more than one dispute between the two. Emma got a new outfit which she proceeded to wear for the next two days. Sam also got this vast game involving building a battlefield, moving around creature figurines, and rolling dice. It seems even Ray can appreciate the value of encouraging a young nerdling.
As for Sunday, it was pretty low-key. Sam and I played the previously mentioned game. There was lots of hanging about. Sam and I took his new football down to the park and got very muddy. Dave came over for dinner.
Now we're all off to our respective places for the day. I'm going to work and Emma and Sam are going to school. Emma's increasingly excited about school these days, which is a good sign. Finally, Jamie gets a few hours of relaxation, well deserved.
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A few weeks ago, Anna found that a cat and th...
January 08, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 A few weeks ago, Anna found that a cat and three kittens were in residence in the broken-down garage in our backyard. Anna's been trying to get a good view of them for a while now, and we thought we should send it on to you. It might be noted that kittens possess all of the scientific qualities that generate the "aww" response in humans. See http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/03/science/03cute.html. "Cute cues are those that indicate extreme youth, vulnerability, harmlessness and need, scientists say." And you wondered what it was about your kids.
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Hello to all
January 07, 2006 by Jenny in Jenny
Hello to all...thanks for everyones concerns..thanks for the calls and the talking...i'm doing much better..please don't worrie..well one of my new year reseloutions is to post more so here goes. Destin had a great practice tonight making about 12 baskets..jordan's now really loving king kong and talks about it all day long but the vedio game cost 50bucks so we will just keep talking about it..i substuted godzilla for 14 so think i'm doing pretty well..as for me i've started to read again and find it refreshing. Well i'm just feeling like sending my love to all.
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I've been having fun playing Civilization 4 f...
January 06, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I've been having fun playing Civilization 4 from time to time. I started a game on a tiny planet with eight other civilizations. I managed to expand to three cities and then instantly I was pushing up against foreign borders.
I barely managed to conquer the Russians this morning, though it cost me most of my army. It pushed me to the top of the relative Civ scores, though I can tell I'll need to deal with the others. The next choice is whether or not to attack the bigger civs, or try to go for the ones that should be easy picking.
Ah, these difficult decisions when conquering the world.
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Mmm
January 06, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Mmm . . . Mocha Friday. Well, not yet. I still have an hour or so before I head into work. I'm still rubbing my eyes and waking up.
Last night Sam spent a long time outside playing with a foam airplane. There was an elaborate reenactment of WWII or something similar. I never quite caught on to the entire thing, as my role was merely to bark out orders through the basement window. Eventually I hauled him in through the window and made him change his muddy clothes.
I had Emma yesterday, which was quite nice. She entertained the front desk people at my work (we call them "the ladies"). After that, it was off to Barry's bakery to very slowly eat a poppy seed muffin. Emma also used a Christmas gift certificate to get a toy cooking set. We spent much of last night chopping vegetables, cooking noodles, and baking muffins. It's funny how much our kids like their gender-specific games. Of course, I was right there cooking with her, so I suppose there's hope for a broader outlook on life.
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I hope you are all enjoying your weather as ...
January 05, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 I hope you are all enjoying your weather as much as I am enjoying mine. I love and miss you all very very much.
Anna and I are having our usual Saturday night madness. That is, she's downstairs attempting to make sushi for the first time. Later, we'll jet for a David Bowie/Elvis/Stephen Hawking birthday party. I don't think we have to dress as our favorite, but it's still tempting. So many choices... We've just met a very nice librarian who is hosting the party.
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The week keeps chugging along
January 05, 2006 by Adam in Family
 The week keeps chugging along. Thursday already. I've been at work for most of the week, slowly catching up. I think the kids drove Jamie a little batty on Monday and Tuesday, though with Sam back at school, things are returning to normal a bit.
Dave and Kirsten were over to watch the kids last night. Jamie and I watched an old movie called Call Northside 777. It's funny how movie making has changed over the years. A modern version would likely have more car chases and explosions. Still, Jimmy Stewart put on a good performance and the pictures of old Chicago were fun to see.
Otherwise, life is pretty normal. I think Jamie's dad is coming down this weekend to do a final Christmas present giveaway. Then we're holiday-free until Valentine's Day.
Today's picture is Emma today, as a nice contrast to yesterday's post.
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Well, we're back home after the holidays, and...
January 04, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
Well, we're back home after the holidays, and the cat is still alive and the house didn't burn down. I was wonderful to see everyone and to spend time with Sadie.
Robbie and Isa have started back at school, with Robbie resolved to maintain a positive perspective on the rest of the year. We rearranged Isa's bedroom, and she's been happily playing away with her new loot. I'm back at school for work and new student orientation this week, and classes start Monday.
Mostly this year we're trying to stay happy and healthy. We've accepted that things will be really hectic and my only goal is to maintain sanity and then find a job. Robbie's hoping to cook healthy and organic foods even on the nights I'm not home! We try to keep our resolutions simple. Love and happiness in the new year to all.....
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The other day, I bought a couple games for Sa...
January 02, 2006 by Adam in Sam
 The other day, I bought a couple games for Sam's Gamecube in hopes that he might be motivated to do chores around the house and earn points towards "buying" the game. Well, it worked amazingly well. Soon enough he was pestering me to do work around the house. I had him clean the play room, scrub toilets, and watch his sister. Every time he'd finish a chore, he'd run up to me and say "Ready for duty, sir!" When he put a star on his chart, he'd count to see how many more he needed before he could buy a game.
I tried to get a couple games that were highly rated, as well as being on the easy side. The first is Animal Crossing, which is completely non-violent (other than fishing) and involves making your house and your village a nice place to live. The other is a Zelda game, involving sailing and rescuing and the usual stuff. Both involve a lot of reading, which worries me some, but perhaps it will be a motivator for him reading more.
I remember the Zork games from years ago, teaching me to spell things like "gazebo" and touch type pretty fast.
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I swam to work this morning, braving the pour...
January 02, 2006 by Adam in Adam
I swam to work this morning, braving the pouring rain and cursing my lack of proper protection for my shoes. I've taken them off and stashed them under my desk, hoping my socks dry before lunch time. I thought about taking them off and letting the heat from my big CRT monitor dry them off, but my cubicle neighbors might complain.
I'm glad I came to work last Wednesday as my e-mail to-do list isn't too bad. I'm still going through and reading things, but hopefully that phase of the morning should be finished soon. Then it'll be the part when I actually have to do things, including several projects that I've put on hold while I was out on vacation.
Fortunately it's technically a business holiday and most people are at home watching football games and the like. I'm hopeful that means I can get some work done and feel somewhat caught up.
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Hi, everyone
January 02, 2006 by Sue in Wielesek
Hi, everyone. Christmas was wonderful, and New Years Eve at the Opera was fun - The Barber of Seville, and a great bit of music.I'm sitting here in the living room, trying to stretch out the vacation one more day. The last of the holiday candles are burning on the mantle, there's a fire in the fireplace, Robbie is reading aloud (The Lion,The Witch and the Wardrobe) while Seraph tries valiantly to finish her Christmas present book and Isa snuggles with Seraph. The kitty was stretched out, dreaming so intensely of catching squirrels that he ran himself awake, and had to go help himself to a bit more dinner. Sadie made it back home, but only after a delay. Grandpa was in a car accident,
but seems to be okay, and the other driver was cited. So, it's back to work for me tomorrow, and off to Portland for Seraph, Robbie and Isa tomorrow.
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Happy New Year! We've been taking it easy fo...
January 01, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Happy New Year! We've been taking it easy for the last couple days, recovering from the holiday madness. The kids are a bit sick, sniffling and coughing from time to time. I think they'll recover in time for school.
I did a bit of errands yesterday, picking up way too much cereal at Costco. We've also finished up the bathroom, doing some painting and hanging up towel hangers. Jamie went off to a New Year's party briefly, returning around nine o'clock because she missed us. The high adventure for today was going for a walk when the weather cleared.
Tomorrow I'm back to work, which seems odd after so much time off. In some ways, the routine will be nice, but I miss hanging out with the kids.
The picture for the day is actually from last year. Emma has grown immensely over the last year. It's fun to watch her grow.
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The screen is illuminated by the last inch of...
January 01, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 The screen is illuminated by the last inch of candle on the menorah. We are nearly ready for out New Year's dinner and evening of blues in Adams, a tiny town just south of North Adams (surprisingly). Our friend AnnaMo got us a beautiful children's book for Chanukah called "Africa is not a Country," which is highly recommended. Anna loves the "Ma Pickled Everything Last Summer" print, and it will make a great addition to the kitchen that I am infinitely blessed to finally be sitting in. Last night's layover in Chantilly, VA has made me feel grateful for my favorite mug, my favorite chair, and my own temperamental plumbing. Happy New Year!
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