We made it to Portland, safe and sound

December 27, 2008 by Adam in Family

We made it to Portland, safe and sound. The roads were clear right up until we got off the freeway and into the residential area. After that, there was lots of melting snow and slush. Josh, Sam, Emma, and I spent the afternoon rolling massive snowballs and making snow forts. I was cheerfully tired by the time we opened presents and ate Christmas dinner.

Today I think we'll try the local park and see if we can turn a cardboard box into a makeshift sled. Jim and Judy are taking the kids into the city to see the lights, and I think Jamie and I are having dinner somewhere by ourselves. Such a treat.

It looks like we're about halfway through our...

December 26, 2008 by Adam in Family

It looks like we're about halfway through our various Christmases, which is increasingly a multi-phased holiday. Yesterday we went over to my mom's house for brunch. There was huge amounts of food and people, and presents scattered everywhere. The kids returned home with vast quantities of goodies, and I managed a few of my own. My personal favorites are the spoon lightsaber and the ventriloquism book. Awesome.

Afterwards I pretended to be a teenage girl and we all went to see Twilight. It was pretty much everything I expected, with my favorite part being sitting next to Sadie who informed me when I was supposed to squeal and giggle. Good times.

We're off to Portland today, though I'm not sure for how long. Because of the weather, we've put off Jamie's family Christmas until now.

We celebrated our Christmas yesterday

December 23, 2008 by Adam in Family

We celebrated our Christmas yesterday. Since so much is going on, we've been doing things early for several years now. The kids immediately opened their stockings, running around with their walkie-talkies and having fun. After breakfast, they dug into their presents and played with them.

I didn't really get much for Jamie, though she liked the digital picture frame I got for her and Emma. There were video games galore, so they kids tried a sampling of them all. I got some great stick figure warning stickers from Jamie that the kids quickly stole a few from.

For the rest of the day we hung out and didn't do much. Our plans for today were to go to Portland, but that's all up in the air with the weather so bad. We'll see what happens today.

The week is coming to a close

December 19, 2008 by Adam in Family

The week is coming to a close. It snowed and schools were closed again. I decided to throw in the towel and not try to go to work.

We headed out into the winter wonderland around ten, though Sam was reluctant to leave the warmth of the house. We made our way to Metropol, everyone's spirits perking up as we frolicked through the snow. I gobbled down a bear claw and downed another mocha. Afterwards I managed to sneak in a hair cut and Jamie picked up groceries.

After we got home, Sam played with the neighbor kids and I had some time to myself. Tonight Seraph and Sadie come for dinner. I can't wait.

It's been a bit crazy the last couple days

December 16, 2008 by Adam in Family

It's been a bit crazy the last couple days. Yesterday was fun and I opted not to try and work. Sam in particular spent a ton of time in the snow, ending the day tired, sore, and happy. We are now the proud owners of a snow fort in our front yard, complete with an arsenal of snow weaponry.

Today has been a bit more strained. The kids didn't have school again but I've been trying to work. Everyone is a little on edge after so many days inside, plus we didn't have hot water until I went out with a blow-dryer to melt the pipes to our gas hot water heater.

Now Sam's playing with the neighbor boys again and the girls are taking a walk through the snow. I'm trying to get on top of e-mail so work doesn't get too crazy. I did promise the kids I'd let them open one Christmas present if they were on their best behavior. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Saturday we went out into the wild and bagged...

December 15, 2008 by Adam in Family

Another Friday, another mocha (soon, anyway)

December 12, 2008 by Adam in Family

Another Friday, another mocha (soon, anyway).

I woke up at 4 am with a huge list of things I needed to accomplish for the holidays. So far, things are coming along fairly well, with all the assorted electronic gizmos bowing to my will. I can feel my stress levels going up these last few days as my lack of time becomes even more pronounced.

The shed is coming along nicely. They turned off the power for part of Wednesday to get lights and power to the shed and hook our main power to the roof. The shed now has a door and single window, with another soon to come. We're doing the painting ourselves, so I suspect I'll be out some cold weekend mornings with a paintbrush in hand.

Emma continues to have a cold, though I think she's on the mend. We have a fairly busy weekend ahead of us, though hopefully we can get a Christmas tree, do our assorted events, and have a little time to relax.

It's Mocha Friday, though I'm still at home g...

December 05, 2008 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday, though I'm still at home getting ready for the day. Soon that delicious elixir with be mine.

The big news of the week is that we're having a shed built in our back yard. I'm a little freaked out about the cost, but I suppose we're helping out the local economy and have been talking about it for awhile now. It's going up pretty quick and hopefully will be a useful addition to our back yard. Next is to replace our rotting balcony, though visions of dollar signs are dancing in my head.

Everyone's had a bit of a cold this week. Sam and Emma stayed home from school yesterday and Emma was complaining of a sore throat this morning when she woke up early. Hopefully she'll feel better when it's time to get out of bed.

Jamie went off to a Christmas party with her friend Victoria. The kids and I had a good time together, with both of 'em pitching in to help make dinner. At bedtime, everyone cuddled up in Emma's bed and I read them a story about bugs.

As for the weekend, I haven't thought that far ahead. I need to start making my assorted Christmas presents, and probably buy a few more. I'm not going quite so gung-ho this year and focusing more on event-type presents, handmade things, and buying locally. Well, mostly. I still spoil the kids horribly.

December already

December 01, 2008 by Adam in Family

December already.

Thanksgiving with Jamie's family went quite well. They were all well behaved, except when Nebraska was having problems in their football game. Fortunately they won, so Jamie's family was the model of polite behavior for the rest of the day.

I took the kids out swimming both Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday we went to the wave pool at Splash! and I practically had to drag them away. By the time we got home they were starving and tired, so Jamie's dinner was exceptionally well loved by all.