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Mocha Friday
November 30, 2007 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday. I'm not quite there yet, though its lure will be getting me into the shower momentarily.
It's been a rough week, with lots of illness and running about. Yesterday I went to work and then got a call from Jamie letting me know it was my turn to watch a sick Emma for the day. I tried to keep an eye on her as well as do work remotely, which is always a bit stressful.
Emma and I headed out to 5th Street to fritter the time away. I had a mocha and Emma had steamed milk with vanilla. She drew, I read. Eventually we did a little Christmas shopping until I realized she wasn't really up for it. For the rest of the day we stayed at home, other than a brief trip to the park when the rains momentarily broke. By the time Jamie returned from the gym and showered by six that night, I was pretty wiped out.
We have some interesting things happening this weekend. Emma has a birthday tomorrow and Sam and I plan on riding our bikes by the river. We also have a dinner at Barbara and Zoltan's house, which is always entertaining. I have more Christmas project work to do, though I'm feeling pretty good about my overall progress. Most of the gifts have been purchased and now I'm working on my typical presents for everyone. Busy, busy.
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My kids are awesome
November 29, 2007 by Adam in Family
 My kids are awesome.
At the moment, they're playing some elaborate game with ever-changing rules. Just a moment ago, Sam ran by with Emma on his back. He was making screeching noises and Emma was zapping imaginary creatures with a blaster. They've been going at it for an hour.
I feel greatly improved from last night, when I not only was knocking on heaven's door, but ringing the doorbell and peeking through the mail slot. Yet again I was reminded just how bad throwing up sucks, along with the inability to swallow pain pills. Fortunately I got to blissful unconsciousness around seven o'clock and woke up at three the next morning feeling almost normal. I made it to work, a bit late, and felt greatly elated from the lack of blinding pain.
Other than that little speed bump, life is going fairly well. Thanks to Amazon, I think nearly all of my Christmas shopping is done. Seraph and Robbie hopefully got their birthday gift certificates (let me know if this one didn't go through). I didn't completely spoil the children, but I got pretty close. Fun, fun.
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The four-day weekend extravaganza is finally ...
November 26, 2007 by Adam in Family
 The four-day weekend extravaganza is finally coming to a close. It's hard to know where exactly to begin, as so much happened. Probably the most happy news is that I finally feel better, as do Jamie and Sam. After not eating for most of a week, he cheerfully munched down pizza and applesauce as normal. Sadly it looks like Emma might be getting the sniffles. Poor girl.
On Thanksgiving I went over to my mom's house in the afternoon, leaving the kids with Jamie and her family. I loved chatting with my sisters in the kitchen, though Sadie's absence was sadly noticed. There was lots of food and conversation, which I think is my version of Heaven.
Friday was Thanksgiving with Jamie's side of the family. It began with a big red N stuck in our window, and the kids dressing up in Nebraska outfits. Of course, we won't actually mention the football game itself, but the result wasn't for lack of spirit from our family members. Food followed, along with more presents for Sam. The evening wrapped up with some non-stop Transformers, along with some dirty glances from Jamie as we edged near the kids' bedtime.
Saturday was our relaxation day. Since no one was feeling good, there was a lot of movie watching. The only exercise we got was playing boxing on the Wii. Today I've got "Wii back" from frantically punching.
Today was the party, and the preparation for it. I raked leaves while Emma dug for worms and Jamie went to the store. We did a lot of playing in the basement. The party itself was a big success, renting out a swimming pool and splashing away the afternoon.
Now we're all tuckered out and getting ready for return to our normal routine tomorrow.
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It's Mocha Wednesday for me, and a busy one a...
November 21, 2007 by Adam in Family
It's Mocha Wednesday for me, and a busy one at that. Sam's home sick today and I'm at work, but coughing away. As a measure of recovery, I managed to sleep through the night and only woke up for a few minutes with my coughing.
The Thanksgiving festivities start tomorrow. I think I'm making bread both days. It would be also nice to take it easy for awhile, though we'll see how much R&R I can manage on this holiday and birthday weekend.
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Everyone's still sick
November 20, 2007 by Adam in Family
Everyone's still sick. I've been waking up coughing the last few nights. All Sam ate yesterday was a milkshake and other fluids. Jamie's sniffling about and generally tired. Only Emma seems her usual self.
Last night the kids and I made pirate swords, pistols, and a hat with a skull and crossbones on it. Hearing Emma say "Yaar, matey" is quite inspirational.
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I'm hoping that everyone is on the mend this ...
November 18, 2007 by Adam in Family
I'm hoping that everyone is on the mend this morning. Both kids got very little sleep Friday night, and so both were very tired yesterday. Emma was wacky, crying at everything, and eventually took a long nap. Sam was quiet and watched a couple movies. I dosed them with Advil and got them to bed early. Now they seem in pretty good shape.
Jamie went off to a chocolate tasting party at Sharon's house, and then later to pizza at Pat's. I'm still sick, so it was almost fortunate the kids were too. They mostly wanted to sit around and watch shows. We did have a fun half hour before bedtime, taking turns shooting Nerf darts into ceilings, windows, and whatever.
I'm trying to arrange for a breakfast outing. The thought of good coffee and tasty pancakes is greatly appealing.
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Well, it's Mocha Friday
November 16, 2007 by Adam in Family
 Well, it's Mocha Friday. I ended up making my own mocha as I'm home sick today. I had to break a date with my mom, which was disappointing. Theoretically some consultants were coming in to work today and I was going to train them, but I'm certainly not up for it.
I don't feel horrible as long as I'm properly medicated, just sniffling and coughing all over the place. I've been waking up in the middle of the night the last couple nights when the Advil wore off, eating cereal and watching the t.v. show Chuck. I've also been sleeping on the guest bed in the craft room so Jamie avoids my tossing and turning.
The kids were very sweet to me last night. When Emma found out I was sick, they made a little bed for me to lie down and be taken care of. Of course, that game didn't last long, but it was the thought that counted. Soon enough they were playing pretend, lost in the desert. I was narrating their adventures, which ranged from making a shelter out of couch cushions, to finding food and water, and finally fending off wild animals. Fortunately they had a bath later, in part to wash off all the claw marks which they created using red washable pens.
As for today, I'm going to try and take it easy for a change. I've got laundry going and I might head over to the library. Otherwise I hope to lounge about and do things to take my mind off being sick.
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Back home
November 13, 2007 by Adam in Family
Back home. We had some brief excitement when they thought we might have our Eugene flight redirected to Portland due to winds. Fortunately all went smoothly and we're getting unpacked and ready for normalcy tomorrow morning.
I wrote down journal entries on actual paper while we were on the trip. I typed it all up and added some choice photos to each of the postings below.
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I woke up early, went down to the lobby, and ...
November 11, 2007 by Adam in Family
 I woke up early, went down to the lobby, and started writing down this little journal. Suddenly, loud fire alarms went off and dozens of people in their pajamas streamed out. The front desk people confirmed it was a false alarm, so I ran up to tell Jamie. They were still fast asleep, so I left them there.
Sam slept in until eight, unfortunately waking up with an itchy, puffy face. He was briefly unhappy, but the allergic reaction mostly cleared up. It's still itchy today, but not too bad. We went to Downtown Disney for breakfast. It was basic, but good. Since the restaurant was a bakery, I had the French toast. Coupled with coffee, it hit the spot.
 Once we got to Disneyland, we dropped off Sam's hat to get embroidered, picked up Fast Pass tickets, and hopped on the Mark Twain riverboat. It was slow and leisurely, a perfect ride for everyone.
The boys and girls split up again, Emma had her face painted pink with swirls and glitter, and Sam and I went on Thunder Mountain and then Splash Mountain. The first was a western-themed roller-coaster and Sam thought it was the best ride in the park. The second was an odd mix of water slide and Briar Rabbit animatronic scenes, with a gut-wrenching drop at the end. Sam wasn't very happy with it.
 Next was the California Adventure, with lunch first on the agenda. We ended up in a bakery, eating chili and chowder out of bread bowls. Emma had fun feeding the seagulls and ducks that hung out at the San Francisco themed wharfs.
We took Jamie to the vineyard for wine tasting and then circled around the boardwalk. I stood in line forever to buy ice cream for the kids and then Jamie and Sam went to Soaring Over California, which was my favorite ride. Emma and I played around the aviation area and posed with the characters from Cars. When we reunited, it was late in the day. We went back to our hotel for quiet time and early bet.
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We used our early pass today and got to the p...
November 10, 2007 by Adam in Family
 We used our early pass today and got to the park at seven in the morning. Our first ride was Finding Nemo, the revamped 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride. Emma, again, was scared. Poor girl.
Jamie wanted to do the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with Sam, so I watched Emma in a nearly empty New Orleans square. We reunited and the park filled up with people. We hit a few more rides, such as Indiana Jones, which was fast and bumpy. Emma and Jamie went on the Small World ride, which she enjoyed. Emma also stood in line to meet a princess, finally deciding she'd rather go to Toon Town again. We puttered around Tomorrowland and took the monorail to Downtown Disney.
 Downtown Disney was completely new to me, a section of shops and restaurants. We ate at a Mexican restaurant and then hit up the Lego store. The kids were amazed by the huge Lego sculptures and they both left with assorted Lego goodies.
Afterwards Jamie took Emma back to the hotel for quiet time while the boys headed for California Adventure. That park was also new to me, taking features of California history and turning them into rides, shops, and restaurants.
We wandered about, seeing the sights, and Sam declared he wanted to go on the Grizzly River Rafting Company ride. A sign warned we might get soaked, but we scoffed at danger and had fun going down the rapids. We wondered about the sign, as we were merely sprinkled, when a geyser erupted at the last minute and were got soaked to the bone.
 We spent another hour drying off and seeing the sights. I liked looking at the architecture, from the recreation of an old boardwalk to a surprisingly clean Fisherman's Wharf. Finally we did the Soaring Over California ride, which was quite amazing. They lifted our seats off the ground into a huge half-dome screen, playing movies of flying over California. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel.
I was exhausted and had a bit of a headache, so I collapsed for an hour. For dinner we went to Downtown Disney, which was very crowded, but fortunately the place we went to had great food. That night everyone went to bed early and got lots of sleep.
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We woke up, ate breakfast, and headed out the...
November 09, 2007 by Adam in Family
 We woke up, ate breakfast, and headed out the door. While the hotel I chose was technically across the street from Disneyland, the park entrance was a good quarter mile around the block.
 Our first ride was the train, which we took halfway around the park. After that was a blur of rides, people, and sights. Emma liked Toon Town, and got Minnie's autograph. The kids ran around trying all the silly doorbells and running through the houses. Sam, dad, and I stood in line twenty minutes to get seated on the Indiana Jones ride, only to have it canceled and we were sent out. We did Star Tours, which didn't impress Sam. Both kids liked the teacups, a long time favorite. Emma was scared by the Tiki Room and the Jungle Cruise. We took Sam on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and he thought it was pretty cool.
 We did indeed eat at the Blue Bayou restaurant, which looked like a nighttime New Orleans swamp. You could also see people from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride go by and periodically scream in the distance. The food was really good, especially after eating some of the more fast food in the park.
Afterwards we did the Haunted Mansion while my dad watched Emma. It was strangely unscary, having been given a Nightmare Before Christmas makeover. We wandered around a bit more, then headed home to swim at the hotel and get to bed early.
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I had carefully booked flights that minimized...
November 09, 2007 by Adam in Family
 I had carefully booked flights that minimized travel time, along with keeping the travel between late morning and early afternoon. Because of this great foresight we were able to eat a leisurely breakfast and drop off some library books on the way to the airport.
Trouble began when I found it hard to get a parking space. We ended up far away in row F (which led to some lovely mnemonics to aid finding our car later). Next when we got to get our tickets, the computer immediately told us our flight was delayed, we wouldn't make our next flight, and there were no more flights that day.
Fortunately the airline people talked to us calmly, told us to ignore the machine, and got us on a flight that was merely a few hours late.
 I dug out Sam's early birthday present, Phantom Hourglass, the latest Zelda game for the Nintendo DS. He was enamored and spent every free moment playing.
The flights themselves were fine. Since it was the first the kids could remember, they had a great time looking out the window. In San Francisco we peeked out at the famous hills and I talked about their historical significance in 70's cop show car chases. Emma made friends with an English girl named Jessica. We met up with them again on the bus to our hotels. They were very cute together and Emma whispered to Jamie that they spoke a different language.
We made it to our hotel, tired but happy. A quick call to my dad assured him all was well and we made plans to meet for breakfast the next day.
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We're going to Disneyland today
November 08, 2007 by Adam in Family
We're going to Disneyland today. The kids seem excited, though when we ask Emma, she says that Disneyland makes her a little shy.
I think we're all packed and ready to go. With luck, the hotel will have an internet connected computer and I can give everyone updates from the happiest place on earth (according to the brochures).
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The week is chugging along
November 06, 2007 by Adam in Family
The week is chugging along. Given that we're leaving on Thursday, I guess we're halfway through.
Last night I took Sam out for another bike riding practice session. He's getting pretty confident and we made some bike adjustments to make things easier for him. Now he's trying more challenging tasks, such as going up and down hills. Fun, fun.
Poor Emma had a touch of a fever yesterday, so we gave her a bath and put her in PJs. Jamie was an excellent mom, reading her stories until her throat was raw. Kiera, an older friend of Emma's, gave her a stuffed giraffe and new Barbie movie, which she completely adored.
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The weekend has come and gone
November 05, 2007 by Adam in Family
The weekend has come and gone. It was a very full one, with dinners, brunches, and all manner of activities. Sam was horribly excited that he learned to ride his bike on Saturday. I also took the kids to a marathon swimming session on Sunday for nearly two hours.
We're coming to the realization that we're heading to Disneyland in just a few more days. Soon my life-long dream of eating at the Pirates of the Caribbean restaurant will be complete.
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Happy Mocha Friday
November 02, 2007 by Adam in Family
 Happy Mocha Friday. It's long gone, though I still have that delicious caffiene/chocolate glow.
Emma got a glowing bracelet during Trick or Treating, which amazingly still glowed slightly. Bath time turned into a new "Diving in Darkness" game where they'd turn off the lights, toss the glowstick under the water, and then try to find it. Sam was so excited for Emma to get out of the bath and try it himself that he gave up having Jamie read Little House on the Prarie to him.
Everyone seems to be doing well and we've got a fairly busy weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow Emma has ballet and a birthday party. Sunday we have dinner at my dad and Yayoe's house, going over our Disneyland plans next week. Fun, fun!
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Halloween has come and gone
November 01, 2007 by Adam in Family
 Halloween has come and gone. The kids had a great time, returning with the traditional bag of sugary goodness. In an odd way, the candy was secondary to the whole dressing up experience. Sam really liked his outfit and was happy with the positive reaction he got out of people. Emma really wanted to pass out candy to the people who came to the door.
My mom came by and took a picture of everyone. I think we need more group portraits like this one. I posted a bigger, different version here.
The week is wrapping up as well, our last before the grand Disneyland trip. After feeling under the weather earlier this week, I was frantic with activity yesterday. I got so much done at work, I surprised even myself. Weird.
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