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We've been a lot lower key these last couple ...
March 30, 2008 by Adam in Family
 We've been a lot lower key these last couple days after the excitement of Friday. On Saturday we headed into town and spent a great hour at Powell's books. Sam picked up the Zombie Survival Guide. I grabbed three for myself, and Jamie tossed in something vaguely romantic looking at the last minute. Emma got fairy wings, which she's worn off and on the last couple days.
For lunch we went to Old Town Pizza, which was supposedly haunted. The kids liked to run around and look at things. Emma thought Chinatown was pretty neat. Some day we'll have to take her to the Japanese gardens.
As for today, we were thinking about going to the Pittock Mansion, but never quite got there. We visited Jamie's dad. Sam wanted to see the rifles, mostly from a zombie defense perspective. Emma liked seeing all the Native American things Ray had collected.
Since then, we've been puttering around, getting our last lazy moment in while we can.
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We're up in Portland, slowly waking up
March 29, 2008 by Adam in Family
 We're up in Portland, slowly waking up. Yesterday we rolled into town and headed straight for OMSI. It seems that a good percentage of families with kids decided to do the same, and we had to park four blocks away. Inside was so crazy that Robbie and Isa decided to give up once they got to the line for tickets.
We had a pretty good time once inside. Sam loved doing the brain teaser puzzles. We also spent a bunch of time in the physics room. With his hair so long, experiments with static electricity were especially dramatic.
As for today, I'm not sure what we're doing. I'd like to go downtown and putter around. It's pretty rare that we go to the city proper. Typically we're puttering around West Linn, taking it easy.
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It's Mocha Thursday for me today
March 27, 2008 by Adam in Family
It's Mocha Thursday for me today. We're heading up to Portland tomorrow, so I'm partaking of my weekly indulgence a little early this week. It'll be fun to get out of town for a few days. I'm looking forward to taking the kids to the zoo or OMSI. Perhaps Jamie and I can even sneak downtown for a little while.
The whole family went over to Barbara and Zoltan's last night, getting everyone to bed a little later than normal. I think everyone had a good time. We played Apples-to-Apples and the kids played cheerfully together. I sort of feel sorry for Sam, who's the one person who doesn't understand any French. Though most of the conversation was in English, there was occasional French or German phrases tossed around. Emma was bossing the dog around in German by the end of the evening.
We're loving our basement these days, which looks brand new with the fresh coat of paint. The other day Sam and I had a rousing game of Radioactive ball. The goal is to knock the ball into the other player with a couch cushion. If it hits, that part is considered unuseable, so we're always crawling around on the floor towards the end of the game. Good times.
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Happy Easter to all
March 23, 2008 by Adam in Family
 Happy Easter to all.
Yesterday we got to color eggs, my favorite part of the whole holiday. With Jamie's ever-vigilant desire to minimize waste, we only got two eggs to decorate. I went all-out and made them into temporary works of art. The bunny breaking out of the egg turned out well, but I was most happy with my watercolor-style egg. I ended up masking off certain parts and then using a paintbrush to add the dye. It seemed a shame to see Jamie turn them into egg salad this morning.
The kids had a good time finding eggs this morning and now Emma is settled with a movie and Sam's reading the book he got. I'm going to start painting soon, the last step in fixing the leaky ceiling. As a bonus, we're patching up other holes that have appeared over the years. I suspect we'll have to do it again as the kids get older, but hopefully it'll look nice for a little while.
Though it's dreary today, I'd like to take the kids outside. Everyone seems in a better mood when they get a chance to run around.
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It's Mocha Friday, though that wonderful elix...
March 21, 2008 by Adam in Family
It's Mocha Friday, though that wonderful elixir is gone for now. Jamie called me at work this morning to discuss the replacement of our normal coffee maker with a French press. I waffled a bit, concerned about the volume, though she won me over with the argument that it made stronger coffee. If all else fails, there's always my trusty espresso maker.
Emma visited a dairy farm yesterday, returning home full of facts about udders, manure, and milking machinery. She also got her animal magazine, which prompted us to make a bunny and duck out of pipe cleaners.
I'm looking forward to swimming tonight. It always makes a nice end to the week, relaxing and fun. Watching Emma swim around in the deep water makes me feel kinda proud of her.
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It's hard to believe that it's Thursday already
March 20, 2008 by Adam in Family
 It's hard to believe that it's Thursday already. The week just seems cruising along, with Spring Break right around the corner.
I had breakfast with mom on Tuesday, and went out to dinner with Jamie last night. We took a pack of cards down to Turtles and played a few rounds of gin. Such rare moments are the bedrock of our marriage these days.
Sam's been playing a pirate-themed game on his Wii called Zack and Wiki. Naturally this led to him setting up this elaborate puzzle in the basement and Shanghaiing Emma and I to play through it. The pirate attire lured me down, but it was fun to see Sam's creativity in the puzzles. Last night when my mom was watching the kids, Sam had her going through paper versions of the game. Quite funny.
Emma's been a little weepy lately, and stayed home from school earlier this week. Hopefully Spring Break gives her a little time to take it easy. We're looking at going to Portland for the end of it, so I'll see if we can do a zoo run with Seraph, Robbie, and Isabell. Fun, fun.
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The weekend is coming to a close and I'm plum...
March 17, 2008 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is coming to a close and I'm plumb tuckered out. Friday night I took the kids swimming as usual, both of whom seemed to have a good time. I went to the library alone Saturday morning, returning with goodies. I found a Gremlins movie, so Sam would be assured a solid foundation in American B-movies.
For lunch we went to Humble Bagel, but first Sam and I stopped by the Roosevelt gym to see the Eugene Fencing Club's Ides of March tournament. It was fun saying hello to my fencing teaching from twenty years ago. I really want to get into fencing again, though I'm not sure if it's something Sam and I can do together. We were going to go to Barbara and Zoltan's for dinner, but Luka was running a fever and we ended up going out for dinner instead.
Sunday morning we went off to Oakway mall to run around. I picked up a snazzy new shirt I'm planning on wearing tomorrow. Emma got a fairy coloring book, which we worked on for much of the afternoon. Sam got a little 20 questions electronic game that he played all the way home. Jamie got a free coupon for a beverage since they forgot about her bagel order until she reminded them.
On the way home we picked up a whole bunch of soil and bark-o-mulch. When Jamie went to the Hult center with Angie, the kids and I put in a couple hours of landscaping work. I even broke out the power washer and seriously cleaned up after myself. It's looking quite nice.
As the day wore on, I found myself increasingly tired. Sam's been drawing elaborate puzzles, basically 2D versions of a computer adventure game. I sat with him for awhile as he drew keys, frozen in huge ice crystals, and various pools of lava and other obstacles. In addition to being creative, the detail on things like his cartoon cannibal were pretty amazing.
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I'm slowly enjoying my Friday mocha, along wi...
March 14, 2008 by Adam in Family
 I'm slowly enjoying my Friday mocha, along with my usual snack of almonds and raisins. It's a perfect way to start the day.
Work has been comically busy as of late. I wrote down a list of all the things I needed to do, with multi-hour tasks summarized with single words like "FAX" and "Locums". My list is still far bigger than I want it to be. It's hard being a nerd super-star.
The week has been fairly typical at home. Sam brought home a report on who his hero was. I read it, thinking that of course it would be his father. It turns out Sam's hero is himself, which I should have expected. He explained later that I was his second choice, a sort of hero understudy. Swell.
Emma and I had a little time to play after work yesterday. My role shifted from me being the orgre that captured her in a blanket, to being a prince who rescued her, and then later I was a customer coming into her jewelry store. I don't think Emma lacks for imagination.
The weekend looks to be somewhat busy. Tonight will probably be swimming. Tomorrow night we're off to Barbara and Zoltan's for dinner. Sunday Jamie and Angie are going to the Hult center, so I'll need to find something to do with the critters. Perhaps I can make something up involving lots of duct tape.
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The week continues to move along at a steady pace
March 11, 2008 by Adam in Family
The week continues to move along at a steady pace. There's a big hole in the ceiling of our basement. It turns out I guessed the issue correctly (a leaky pipe joint). Perhaps if web development doesn't pan out I could give plumbing a try, though I'm not sure I have the properly low-riding jeans. Today the hole should get patched up and we can put this unfortunate event behind us.
My family members were their usual goofy selves yesterday. The kids break into song at the drop of a hat. Jamie attempted unsuccesfully to be above it all. Coming home after work is like visiting a comedy club on improv night.
I had breakfast with my dad, which was lots of fun. I seem to rarely see him, yet every time we get together we blab for hours. I gave him advice on networking his dental clinic. I also know more about the upcoming family reunion, though it seems much is still in flux.
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The weekend is over and I'm running late, get...
March 10, 2008 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is over and I'm running late, getting to work. The time change took everyone by surprise and we scurried about setting clocks yesterday.
I took Sam swimming Friday night, as Emma didn't want to go. We had a great time and made up a game involving keeping a ball under water and trying to get it to a goal on either side of the pool. I missed Emma a little, but it's admittedly challenging to play with Sam and prevent Emma from drowning.
Saturday morning the kids went to Dave's house and Jamie and I went on a walkabout. We went to the library and picked up chocolate for my dad's birthday. Next we collected the kids, and headed out to the pizza place. There was singing and running about, and we went home exhausted. The kids were grumpy that night and Jamie was off at Pat's. I finally shuffled them off to bed and blissful sleep.
Sunday was amazing. The weather was warm and sunny and I leaped into shorts and a tank top. Jamie made a birthday brunch for Dave, Kirsten, and Josh with a "pioneer breakfast" theme. The food was incredible and then we all played outside for the afternoon. I spent an hour or so weeding and preparing the garden. Jamie took Emma to the park. Later on Sam and I washed and began reassembling the Lego pirate ship that had been given to us a few weeks ago. Good times.
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I just finished the last few drops of sweet, ...
March 07, 2008 by Adam in Family
 I just finished the last few drops of sweet, sweet Cafe Mocha. As expected, I now feel like I can take over the world. I suppose I'll have to settle for getting through my e-mail for now.
When it rains, it pours. Last night Jamie was off at the gym and then at Angie's house. I was playing in the basement with the kids, folding clothes, and noticed a funny bump on the ceiling. I reached out and poked it, only to have it pop open and a gush of water pour down. I cleaned up, cut a hole in the rotten part of the ceiling, and put a bucket underneath. Emma hit the nail on the head when she said, "Mamma's going to be really mad."
Sam and I continue to be a little sick. He's got a cough and I have the sniffles. Still, we both seem to be on the mend. Winters are always hard with the sicknesses that wash through our family. I can't wait for Spring.
We have a busy weekend ahead of us. Tonight is swimming. Tomorrow is my dad's 65th birthday party. Jamie's out in the evening. Sunday at noon is a pioneer brunch for Dave, in lieu of a birthday party. Busy, busy.
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It's been a rough last few days in the Miller...
March 04, 2008 by Adam in Family
It's been a rough last few days in the Miller-Mellor household. Saturday started fine, with Jamie heading up to Portland for the day to do some antique shopping. Unfortunately by the end of the day both Sam and I were getting bad headaches and weren't feeling so great. By Sunday I was better, but Sam took a turn for the worse. He had a fever for most of the last few days, peaking at 104 degrees. A couple nights ago he was throwing up and feeling miserable. Last night was better, though he wasn't looking at his best when I left for work.
Work has been a little nutty as the go-lives of last week were put off to this week. There have been some bumps along the way, leading to the occasional witty exchanges of dialog:
Pam: "At least you know what the explaination is now."
Me: "Sure I do! The explaination is that I'm an idiot!"
Hopefully Sam will be feeling better tonight. Yesterday after work I just played with Emma while Sam slept and Jamie took a break. There was playing pretend, dolls, drawing, and a little bit of computer games over the many hours. It's rare that I just hang out with Emma, so it was a bit of a treat. I think my "playing pretend" bucket is empty now, though. That girl's imagination is astounding.
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