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The week is nearly over, with Halloween comin...
October 31, 2003 by Adam in Family
 The week is nearly over, with Halloween coming up tomorrow. How that happened, I'm not quite sure. Work has been pretty busy, with an Internet upgrade that went relatively well Tuesday. Home has been equally packed. Yesterday Dave and Brant came over and we did some last minute things to the basement. Taking care of the kids has kept us endlessly busy.
Hopefully this weekend we'll have some time to relax a bit, though it may just be wishful thinking. I'm taking Monday off, though it's because the contractors arrive and Jamie's getting a massage. Hopefully I'll survive the experience.
In reality, though, we're all doing relatively well. Emma's been eating more and more solids, sucking down a big bowl of rice cereal tonight. Sam and I carved a pumpkin tonight in preparation for tomorrow. For some reason he's especially excited, though it may be the costume he has for the occasion.
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It was a wacky day yesterday
October 27, 2003 by Adam in Family
It was a wacky day yesterday. Sam and I decided to hike Spencer's Butte after breakfast. Once we got there, Sam checked out the map as always and decided we should try out the "difficult" path up to the top. I'd never done it, but we agreed that we'd turn back if it got to hard. It turned out to be quite the challenge, steep and very rocky at the end. Still, we made it to the top in good spirits and celebrated our success. Going down, however, was much more of a challenge as both Sam and I were pretty tired. I ended up carrying him most of the way down as his legs were all rubbery when he walked. We made it back home and ate a huge meal, then tried to take it easy for the rest of the day.
We watched some movies, including all but the last ten minutes of Bend it Like Beckam (thanks for the recommendation Sadie). We had one of the neighbor kids come over and babysit Sam, which was highly entertaining for him. Poor Emma wasn't feeling well, so we kept having to pause to try to settle her down.
I had a headache off and on and Emma was very fussy, spitting up a bunch. I decided later that we were both sick. When 7:00 pm rolled around and I put Sam to bed, I collapsed in Jamie's bed and didn't wake up until 10:30 pm. I got up, had a bowl of cereal, then slept until 4:30 am.
I'm feeling a bit better this morning. I snuck out for a mocha which always gets the blood pumping. It was nice riding my bike in the sunlight, though it was still a bit nippy.
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Well, we did the deed
October 25, 2003 by Adam in Family
 Well, we did the deed. Walls were knocked down. Carpets were torn out. Beer was drunk. Chips were eaten.
It was amazing how quickly everything went. Most everyone arrived a bit after 10 am and started right into things. My dad showed up too, working on a hole in the wall to support the future computer panel. By 3:00 pm, it was basically done. We piled out all the garbage in the driveway in hopes that our contractors would haul it away as promised. Nothing so far.
Actual construction doesn't start for a week, giving us time to do any last minute things that we end up having to do. At the moment, Jamie's family is watching the game and Sam and Josh are trying to find ways to entertain themselves.
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As much as I was looking forward to dispensin...
October 24, 2003 by Adam in Family
As much as I was looking forward to dispensing my own brand of harsh justice in our legal system, it appears they don't want me. I called in last night and there were no jury cases starting today. I'm off the hook for at least a couple years.
For some reason, that seemed to lift my spirits up last night. With my two-days of team meetings, work projects mostly under control, and no jury duty to worry about, all that's left is tomorrow's demolition festivities. Swinging slege hammers about seems like great fun in comparison to the rest of my week.
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Jamie called to fess up and explain that she'...
October 23, 2003 by Adam in Family
Jamie called to fess up and explain that she'd bumped the power cord to the computer. It's now stuck on a shelf with the craft supplies and Sam's friend Tuesday is over for a play date.
The week has gone relatively well. I survived two days of "team bonding" here at work, complete with all day meetings and bowling to boot. I'd rather have been working, but I suppose it's good for that elusive team spirit.
Tomorrow I may start jury duty, which I view with some trepidation. It may actually delay some things here at work, such as the go-live of our new Internet site. Very annoying.
Also, Saturday at 10 am appears to be the beginning of the great demolition project. Should you arrive to assist, you will be plyed with beer and pizza until it's finished. Everyone is welcome.
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What a weekend
October 20, 2003 by Adam in Family
 What a weekend. After breakfast, I moved all my computer equipment into the craft room, somehow managing to cram it all together and make it work. I was crawling under the wobbily card table and sorting through cables when I remarked, "It's spaghetti down here." "Want some sauce?" Jamie remarked dryly. Needless to say, I finally got it all working.
Afterwards, we got out of the house and went up to Hendrick's park. Sam had a great time finding new crazy paths and tromping through the wet grass. After a couple hours we returned home for snacks, playing games, and finally a park run. Sam played with another boy for awhile, trying to sort out the social rules of interacting with someone that you've never met. They had a good time and they both remarked on how fun it was. It's nice to see him growing up. We returned muddy but happy, then settled down for dinner.
Jamie and I juggled laundry, children, bedtime rituals, and collapsed ourselves around 8:00 pm. We've swapped beds too, so Jamie's upstairs with Emma and Sam while I'm down in the guest bed. Sleeping arrangements often seem like musical chairs with children.
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It's Sunday morning, still in the dark hours ...
October 19, 2003 by Adam in Family
 It's Sunday morning, still in the dark hours before the family wakes up. We had one of those rare good days where most everything went well. It wasn't perfect, of course. Jamie and I were a bit snappy with each other as we tried to coordinate children and getting the stuff moved up from the basement. Still, we quickly got in the groove and efficiently migrated my office to the craft room. It's going to be a bit cramped, but I think it'll work out okay.
The only thing down here at the moment are the computers, as Jamie wanted one last day with the old routine before she and Emma moved to the upstairs bedroom. Those head up this morning as well, in what's hopefully a quick move.
As for the rest of the day, I'd like to take Sam for a hike. We hiked down to the library yesterday, which was fun, though Sam was in the stroller for much of it. We'll see how it goes.
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Mocha Friday and the day is winding down
October 17, 2003 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday and the day is winding down. We're moving things upstairs this weekend, so it might be busy. With the nice Fall weather, I'd like to take Sam on a hiking trip. We'll see, though. Jamie reported that the kids were being tired today, so maybe it's movies instead.
I can't find my workout shoes, so I instead went to Smith Family bookstore to poke around. I picked up some books for Sam that he might like. A Star Wars picture book and a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book that I loved when I was a kid.
Heading home soon. I miss those little critters.
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We're back home now, settled in from our fun ...
October 14, 2003 by Adam in Family
 We're back home now, settled in from our fun Portland trip. The zoo was probably the highlight of the adventure, as Sam hasn't been for quite awhile.
Now we're gearing up for a far too exciting month ahead. This weekend we're moving things around in preparation for the remodel. Next week I've got lots of work stuff (team building activities which involve bowling), and potentially jury duty. Next weekend we start the demolition and all are welcome.
Emma's been grumpy and Jamie's been tired. Sam gets a bit bored and wacky when he's ignored. These are definitely the hard times, though when the dust settles we'll have a beautiful basement and rec room.
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Our Portland trip goes well
October 12, 2003 by Adam in Family
 Our Portland trip goes well. The grandparents have been entertaining the kids, giving Jamie and I some time to relax. We took Sam to the zoo yesterday, which was lots of fun. It threatened to rain all day, but never did, so few people were there. Jamie liked the bats the best, while Sam and I had fun watching the naked mole rats. Good stuff.
We'll head home relatively soon, though we're not in a giant rush. It's a rainy day, just waiting to be frittered away.
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Well, we're off to Portland in a few minutes
October 11, 2003 by Adam in Family
Well, we're off to Portland in a few minutes. We're taking Sam to the zoo, which should be a fun experience. It's been a long while since he went, so it should all be new. Jamie and I played 20 Questions this morning to guess my favorite zoo animal. Though it took awhile, she got it right - a naked mole rat.
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Thought it's technically Thursday, it feels l...
October 09, 2003 by Adam in Family
Thought it's technically Thursday, it feels like Friday. I'm taking tomorrow off to help move Sam along to Portland and spend some semi-quiet time with Jamie. Hopefully she can get some sleep, which has been lacking as of late. I got a less than happy call from her at 7:30 this morning to let me know that I woke everyone up with my banging about. The door under the porch was stuck and I couldn't close it after I got my bike out. Oopsie.
My boss has yet to arrive today. I think he must have taken the day off or went immediately to a long meeting. It's been awfully quiet here at work, which is actually nice for a change.
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Well, the final plumbing bill probably won't ...
October 08, 2003 by Adam in Family
Well, the final plumbing bill probably won't break our bank account. Nice to know. In comparison to the remodel, everything else seems like a pittance.
Another day full of children yesterday. Poor Jamie gets a bit haggard looking at the end of the day with no rest in sight. At least we had someone clean the house today and Sam went to school. This weekend will be nice too, as we plan on sending Sam up to Portland with Jim for a day before we join him a bit later.
The remodel project is getting even closer. We've got nearly all the stuff out of the washing room area, the ironing board mysteriously appearing in my bathroom. We're hoping that an army of helpers arrives to rip things up, lured by our promises of beer and pizza.
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No word yet on how expensive the plumbing fix...
October 07, 2003 by Adam in Family
No word yet on how expensive the plumbing fix will be. Hopefully I'll have all my arms and legs after we get it taken care of. In the meantime, we've got plenty of other baths and showers we can use.
Josh spent the night last night as his dad was out of town. Sam though it quite cool and I think Josh had a pretty good time despite it all. I put him to work testing my Neverwinter Nights game and he managed to break it in several interesting ways.
Emma has another fungal infection, this time buried in her armpit. Poor girl. Fortunately we have the stuff left over from her last infection and it usually clears up in a couple days.
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Monday
October 06, 2003 by Adam in Family
Monday. I can tell it's Monday too. Last night, Jamie was taking a shower and Emma and I were taking my lunch downstairs to put in the refrigerator there. I heard what sounded like rain, but it turns out it was inside, pouring down from the pipes. Jamie called the plumber and it looks like they'll have to tear out a wall in order to get to the problem. The plumbing is all original too, and quite rusty, so they recommended replacing it all. Ah, the joys of an old house.
Sunday went pretty well, though nothing too exciting happened. Angie came over to visit with Jamie for awhile and Sam and I played with Legos. I got a lock put on the door under the porch, which is where I'm storing my bike now. I also replaced my leaky bike tire.
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It's Sunday morning, my favorite time of the week
October 05, 2003 by Adam in Family
 It's Sunday morning, my favorite time of the week. Ray's coming over for breakfast, as he's stuck all alone watching the boys' house. Jamie's making waffles, which I'm eagerly awaiting, along with that big pot of coffee.
Yesterday morning my mom came by to watch the kids and lend us the truck. We loaded up for a trip to Goodwill, then later piled in junk that my mom generously volunteered to take the the dump. I think Jamie felt much better once things were feeling cleaned out.
The rest of the day was spent puttering about. Jamie made bananna bread, I picked up some movies for Sam, we did a park run where Sam showed off his Cheese climbing skills, and later Sam and Jamie played Yahtsee together. Great fun.
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Ah, Friday
October 03, 2003 by Adam in Family
 Ah, Friday. I've downed my mocha and eagerly await the end of the day so I can head home to play with my family. We don't have any particularly exciting plans, though I think we'll end up prepping for the remodel a bit. Jamie wants to haul things to Goodwill and I'd like to get things moved out of the basement to the upper floors. We'll see how far we get.
Emma's been a bit fussy as of late. We're thinking it's the aftermath of the shots, though it's always hard to tell. Poor Jamie hasn't been getting much sleep, but she still stayed up late to watch Will and Grace, which was hysterical as always.
Jamie's mom was down yesterday, which was nice. She entertained Sam for hours last night, taking a bit of the burden off of us for a few hours. Next weekend Sam's headed to Portland with just grandma, which he's very excited about. We'll meet him a bit later and go to the zoo together. Good times.
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October already! This year has seemed like s...
October 01, 2003 by Adam in Family
October already! This year has seemed like such a blur.
Jamie and I walked over to a pizza place last night while my mom watched Sam and Emma. Sam had a great time having her pick out different clothing and light saber colors for his Jedi Academy game. Jamie and I just enjoyed being out and about by ourselves for awhile.
We also got a new crib for Emma that we moved and assembled upstairs. The thought is that Jamie and I would actually share a room for awhile, something that we haven't really done since Emma was born. Jamie's worried that she'll keep waking me up, but I think she doesn't understand my supernatural ability to sleep through anything.
I took Emma around 9 pm last night and rocked her while watching Star Trek. She quietly watched it with me for a bit, then fell asleep when it was halfway done.
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