|
|
Mmm
April 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mmm . . . mocha Friday comes again.
Both kids seem on the mend, though Sam skipped soccer practice last night. Jamie is getting more sleep and she seemed quite cheery last night. That might have been in part to her visit with Victoria and being able to get away for a couple hours.
I had this naive belief that this weekend was going to be quiet. Jamie reminded me that we had two soccer games, guests for dinner, Easter dinner, Jamie helping my mom cook, and assorted house chores. Ah well, hopefully we'll have fun scurrying about.
|
|
Both kids have been borderline sick the last ...
April 28, 2005 by Adam in Family
Both kids have been borderline sick the last day or so. Jamie kept Sam out of school. Emma's seemed warm to me and was crankier than usual last nigh. Will it ever end?
The massive machines are out of the basement, so it seems much more quiet and peaceful. The one door that had warped a little has warped back into place. Hopefully we can put this little flooding issue behind us.
|
|
It was business as usual at our house yesterday
April 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was business as usual at our house yesterday. I returned home to find Jamie exhausted and the kids running around. Sam's got a bad cough that's been lingering for awhile. The carpets are back in place, though we still have one dehumidifier running.
My mom came over, bringing a tasty dinner from the Glenwood. It was great having her around to entertain the kids a bit. After she left I gave everyone a bath. Sam's pretty obviously wiped out as he decided to just go to bed early. Poor kid.
I'm hoping the equipment gets out of our basement today. It's incredibly hot down there and the heat rises up to the top floor. It feels like Summer and I've been sleeping without blankets. Emma was up for a long time last night. She just wouldn't stop talking, rattling on about having a "temperature" and asking Jamie to get the ear thermometer we use. I think she's fine, but also not used to warm nights.
|
|
I came home last night to large industrial ma...
April 26, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I came home last night to large industrial machines in our basement, blowing hot air around and sucking every drop of moisture out of the carpet. Jamie decided to take matters into her own hands and call the carpet company. Of course, our basement now feels like one of the lower circles of Hell, with hot air smelling like industrial lubricants and the ground covered with exposed carpet tacks. Hopefully they'll be gone when I return home today.
Sam made it back safe and sound from his Portland adventure. It's nice to have him around again.
|
|
Visual proof of the intense emotional strain ...
April 25, 2005 by Jamie in Family
Visual proof of the intense emotional strain I live under each and every day ;-)
|
|
It was a pleasant morning, still quiet with S...
April 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a pleasant morning, still quiet with Sam in Portland. It was luxurious having from 5:30 in the morning until 8:00 to myself. We had a nice breakfast with blueberry muffins then decided to head out on an adventure to Old Navy, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Trader Joe's. Everyone had a good time and we returned with all sorts of goodies. Little did we know what awaited us at home.
It turns out that Jamie ended up doing something I'd only previously seen in a situation comedy. She turned on the basement sink, closed the drain, and walked away. Our first clue was the water coming out of the garage, never a good sign. When I went downstairs, however, I got to see the water pouring over the sink and down off the counter. It was like our own Niagra Falls in miniature.
Jamie quickly picked up on the screams and we spent the next hour with towels sopping up the mess. Even now, hours later, we're drying things out and tossing things that were beyond repair. Fortunately I don't think it's that bad. Water evaporates. Jamie's a little nervous and felt terrible about the whole thing. She kept asking if I could grant her absolution.
We had a nice walk with Emma around the neighborhood, played in the sandbox this afternoon, and had a nice dinner. Sam comes home tomorrow.
|
|
Sam had a great time hiking with his friend a...
April 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sam had a great time hiking with his friend and his dad on Friday. He returned with a mild sunburn and tales of holding snakes and lizards.
Yesterday Jamie's parents arrived and we all went out to Sam's soccer game. He gave it his all, pretty exhausted by the end. We all went out for lunch and then we packed him up and sent him off to Portland.
The rest of the day was very quiet. Jamie and I watched an old Cary Grant movie while Emma slept. We then went out to get rid of some of Jamie's old clothes at the store that Angie's mom runs. After that it was off to 5th Street market for dinner and running around.
Today will likely be equally quiet. Having just Emma around makes things generally simpler. We all miss Sam, though. Emma keeps asking where he is and Jamie keeps wanting to call her mom and make sure he's okay.
|
|
It's mocha Friday and I'm mellowing through t...
April 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's mocha Friday and I'm mellowing through the day. Work has been pleasantly quiet in some ways, crazy in others. Funny how that all works out.
I took the kids to soccer practice where Sam played really hard. He has another game tomorrow. I tried to keep Emma out of the car, where she wanted to spend the entire time. Fortunately she liked the slide on the playground and went down it a bunch of times.
Sam has an exciting day today, hiking with a friend from school and his dad. Then he's off to Portland with the grandparents tomorrow afternoon. It'll be quiet without him around.
|
|
Well, the work trip to Portland has been canc...
April 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
Well, the work trip to Portland has been cancelled so it looks like we'll be home for Russian Orthodox Easter after all.
The weather's been gorgeous as of late. Last night we hung out in our front yard. Emma had a great time playing with the neighbor's cat. "Chester! My friend. Love 'em."
Our lives seem to be filled with the ordinary. I'm taking the kids to soccer practice tonight. Jamie's coming in a few minutes to work out in the gym while I take the kids to eat bagels and walk around campus. I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
|
|
The week's been slowly moving along
April 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The week's been slowly moving along. Sam's got a bit of a cough which I keep waiting for the rest of us to get. So far so good, though. Sam did the normal soccer practice last night, with Emma and I wandering around for the duration. She's getting very strong headed, demanding that we spend the time sitting in the car listening to kid music. Sam went through a similar phase at her age, so I think we get to wait patiently for awhile.
The upcoming weeks are getting pretty busy. Sam has a hike with a school friend and his dad on Friday. Jim and Judy are also picking him up on Saturday, then taking him to Portland to be returned by Dave and Kirsten coming back from Hawaii on Monday. The following weekend is mom's Easter Sunday which also is the same time that I take my work-related Portland trip. I may try to hitch a ride with Seraph and Robbie in order to do both, so we'll see how it goes.
Busy, busy.
|
|
It was a good day yesterday
April 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a good day yesterday. We took advantage of a brief lull in the rain to go to the library and pick up books for everyone. Emma later demanded that I read every kid book that I got at least once.
Jamie spent most of yesterday off and about with Angie, first going to the ballet where they critiqued all the ballet-goers' outfits. Then they relaxed at Steelhead with friends before returning to their respective homes.
Sam's second soccer game was late in the afternoon. Emma and I braved the rain and hail to watch him. Sam's been reporting on the other team "They were really good. They had special moves and they knew the names of everything." Though their scores may have been low, Sam's been having a really good time.
|
|
It was a fun, wet day
April 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a fun, wet day. Sam had his first soccer game this morning in the rain. He ended up happy and muddy. Jamie and Emma came along as well, though Emma was only interested in the soccer players for a short while.
The rest of the day was seemingly spent trying to get Emma to sleep. Just like Sam at this age, Emma's nap time is probably going to disappear. We finally got her down three hours late.
Tomorrow Jamie's going off to the ballet with Angie. The kids and I will likely be doing a library trip as I've let my books become overdue.
|
|
Sweet, sweet Friday mocha
April 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sweet, sweet Friday mocha. Yesterday was busy, but manageable. I worked through lunch and left for home early. Jamie got Sam from school and then transported her dad back home to Portland. Some friends took Sam to soccer practice while I played with Emma outside, finding all sorts of bugs and caterpillars to play with.
It looks like Sam's soccer games start this weekend. Already I can see the beginnings of hauling kids around to practices and games. Baseball season starts soon too, so maybe he'll do that during the Summer months.
If not, he and Emma can continue their perpetual pirate duels that go on in the basement.
|
|
Emma slept much better last night and her sni...
April 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
Emma slept much better last night and her sniffle seems much improved. She crawled into our bed at about five o'clock and was still there when I left at seven this morning.
The excitement for the day will likely be getting Ray up to Portland. They've changed their minds again and he's being released around noon, though it will probably take an hour or so to do all the paperwork stuff. I think Jamie's going to ask me to get out of work early so she can drive him home and return at a reasonable hour.
|
|
Jamie earned her keep last night
April 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Jamie earned her keep last night. Emma's got a cold and has been having a hard time sleeping. I was briefly called to duty around one in the morning, feeding Emma without my contacts. Eventually Jamie took pity on me and let me sleep while Emma watched television.
It looks like Ray is going to be staying in the hospital a bit longer. They switched doctors on him and there's a new set of magic numbers that they're trying to get him to. Jamie brings the kids daily so she can visit him.
Sam's soccer practice was last night. They all got very muddy and braved a couple minutes of hail. Sam got a big glob of mud in his eye which took awhile to get out. After all that, he ate his bednight snack and talked about how he wanted to play Kid Sports soccer until he was old enough to play "real" soccer.
|
|
It was another soggy ride to work this morning
April 12, 2005 by Adam in Family
It was another soggy ride to work this morning. My shoes are off and my socks are slowly drying. Emma was very cute this morning before I left for work, puckering up to give me a kiss and then saying "thank you" after I obliged.
Ray's still in the hospital, going a little stir crazy. They're waiting for one of his magic numbers to get high enough before they discharge him. I think he's very ready to head up to Portland and return to his life.
Jamie and I spent a pleasant evening chatting together after the kids went to bed. Emma's getting to the point where she sleeps well enough, so we can actually visit together like grown ups. Mostly I talked about the latest zany activities at work and she talked about her dad.
|
|
It was a good day today, full of kids and goi...
April 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a good day today, full of kids and goings on. Jamie had Spring cleaning on her mind and we washed the kitchen while the kids watched Fantasia set to techno music (they switched the DVD audio to a cable music channel). Jamie went off to shop for food and practical presents for her dad while Sam and I put in some play time before Emma awoke. Then it was shows and playing outside and running around in the basement.
Dave and Josh came by, much to the delight of the kids. Jamie and I took the opportunity to sneak out for a short walk, enjoying our opportunity to talk about things other than child care and house maintenance. At the end of the day was pizza and beer, which suited me just fine.
Sam was particularly nice to Emma, acting like her teacher and showing her all sorts of things. Emma thought it was great, especially having someone read books to her.
|
|
Mocha Friday
April 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday. When I left this morning, Sam and John were already up and watching cartoons. I don't think they got much sleep last night, so I suspect Sam will transform into Captain Crankaroo later tonight.
The day is going fairly well. I swam to work through the rain. My shoes are off and my socks are still a bit damp. I should move one of the many computers under my desk so I can warm up my toes.
|
|
Another day has passed
April 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Another day has passed. We visited grampa Ray in the hospital again. He seems to be doing better, getting off the medication it turns out he was allergic to. The latest plan is that he gets out this weekend and heads back to Portland, assuming he feels okay.
After a productive day at work, I headed to Sam's soccer practice where Emma proceeded to get extremely wet and muddy. Eventually I stripped her outer layers of clothes off, wrapped her in a blanket, and waited for practice to end. Sam came home with his friend John as neither of them have school tomorrow.
|
|
Yet again, yesterday was a really busy day
April 06, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yet again, yesterday was a really busy day. In the morning, I was off to jury duty. I lucked out and they didn't call me, so I was dismissed around noon. I then rode back home on my bike, had a quick lunch with Jamie, then rode back to work. There I played catch-up, and watched kids while Jamie visited her dad for awhile. When I went home, I took the kids to Sam's soccer practice and watched Emma play in the dirt.
Needless to say, there's more excitement planned for the future. Dave's leaving for Hawaii with Kirsten in a couple days and I suspect Jamie's dad will be discharged to us while he's gone. More busy days ahead.
|
|
Yesterday was really busy
April 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
Yesterday was really busy. Ray was back in the hospital with blood clots in his leg. I wandered down to the ER for awhile to give Ray and Dave some moral support. I think Jamie's fairly stressed out about the whole thing.
Since the weather was nice, the kids and I played outside quite a bit. There was lots of running around and giggling, which I think everyone needed.
Sam also picked up his Gameboy and spent some quality time playing Dig Dug and Ms. Pac Man. It's funny that we're actually encouraging him to play video games. The last couple days I had this fear that we'd gotten him something he'll never use, so it's a little refreshing that it's not completely useless. He played for a half hour or so, then closed it and we all went outside.
It also sounds like my number is up today. They've called me for jury duty so I'm off to the courthouse to see if I'll actually serve. I'm number 22, which probably means I will (numbers 1-350 are showing up to see if they're called).
|
|
It was kids for me, from sunup to sundown
April 04, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was kids for me, from sunup to sundown. Well, it seemed that way anyway, giving me further respect for Jamie's full time parent job.
We tried to get Sam another game for his Gameboy, but I'm not sure it's catching on. Jamie also picked up a movie for her dad, who she went to visit in the afternoon. Towards the end of the day, I was getting a little on edge from watching grumpy children, but fortunately Jamie returned and the kids seemed much cuter after a little rest.
|
|
It was a busy day yesterday
April 03, 2005 by Adam in Family
It was a busy day yesterday. Sam was up at 4:30 in the morning with a bloody nose. He decided he was staying up at that point, so we played on the computer until the rest of the family woke up. After breakfast, Jamie went out to visit her dad while the kids and I planted flowers and puttered around in the garden.
Later in the day we headed out to Gateway mall to drop of the vaccuum and get some supplies. We also ended up getting a Gameboy Advance SP for Sam, as a reward for his year of chores that he's been doing. I made the mistake of getting a game that was a bit too hard, but he seems to like the idea quite a bit.
I was planning on going to Colin's house to hang out with some of my old friends, but I was so exhausted by eight that I just went to bed instead.
|
|
Ah, Mocha Friday
April 01, 2005 by Adam in Family
Ah, Mocha Friday. I'm slaving away at work, pushing through the endless work that's piled up over these last few weeks. My counterpart, Jonathan, just returned home from four weeks in New Zealand. His arrival is most welcome.
The last few days have been pretty good. Everyone's healthy for a change. Sam had fun at soccer practice last night. Emma's been cheerful and happy. She and Jamie came down to visit this morning before I left for work. "No work day," Emma said frowning. It gets hard to leave after that. Sam's got a play date with Ethan this afternoon. Jamie's trying to go shopping and visit her dad as well. Busy, busy.
I keep thinking of some clever April Fool's joke, but nothing comes to mind. My friend Jim is getting married today, oddly enough.
|
|
Older Posts
|
|