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Emma has been a bit of a pill lately, ever si...
May 31, 2006 by Adam in Family
Emma has been a bit of a pill lately, ever since she turned three. At times, she can be incredibly charming and polite. She amazed and astounded the dental staff yesterday, following directions and speaking in complete sentences. At other times, she can be quite impish. I left her alone for a moment and she ran over to steal Sam's toothpaste and start licking it. Bedtime has turned into a challenge as well, as we've returned to the days of fighting sleep tooth and nail.
Other than that, our week has been relatively uneventful. Jamie made a tasty stuffed pepper dinner last night. Sam and I watched a bit more of The Day After Tomorrow, which is scientifically questionable but a fun disaster movie. The kids and I played a bunch in the basement, including the "Master Thief" play pretend game. There was much tying up and stealing of jewels.
Update: Emma gave me a call this morning, all by herself. She managed to push "speed dial" and my number without any help from Jamie. Soon she was talking about how she wanted to eat the birthday muffins that Alma brought and had me listen to her talking toy tea set until Jamie intervened.
Evidently Emma's will has become even stronger than normal. She decided she's done with diapers and is currently wearing underwear. I can tell it's going to be a fun year ahead of us.
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I'm outside on our patio, the weather on this...
May 29, 2006 by Adam in Family
 I'm outside on our patio, the weather on this Memorial Day turning gorgeous after a week of rain. We celebrated Emma's birthday on Saturday, with tons of family around. Sunday we went out to eat at Ambrosia, with the kids dressing up and behaving rather politely. Today I got to make breakfast for everyone, with tea and eggs and english muffins. The rest of the day was spent playing outside, enjoying the sun.
There have been a few memorable moments along the way. Emma was watching Fantasia, the old one with the dinosaurs being wiped out by a comet. "Darn it! You're dead," she exclaimed.
Jamie and I worked on the front door, varnishing and painting trip. Already the next house project is shaping up, tearing out our rotting trellaces and bannisters from the front yard and putting in something new.
Sadly, tomorrow I'm back to work. Due to some delays and shuffling of people, I think my workload will slowly become saner. I think I only have two application changes going live when I get in.
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Mocha Friday! I'm at work on this wet, drear...
May 26, 2006 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday! I'm at work on this wet, dreary day, caffeine and chocolate happily percolating in my belly. Even better, a three-day weekend stretches before me, with Emma's three-year birthday tomorrow. Should be fun.
Emma and I went off to the library last night, which is evidently a big hangout for Goth-like folks, with colored hair and piercings. Emma was talking about going up to the second floor so she could look out the window to see the "bad guys". I laughed and explained that some people just look different.
I watched the season finale of Lost last night, and felt obligated to Google about for like-minded obsessed fans. My favorite was Lostpedia, which is well-organized and contains all sorts of interesting speculations.
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The week is half over
May 24, 2006 by Adam in Family
The week is half over. I'm feeling a bit slow today, though perhaps it's because of the dreary weather we've had since the weekend. It looks like Emma's mermaid-themed party this Saturday will have plenty of water.
It's hard to say what all we've been up to these last few days. Most afternoons I spend with Emma, who needs the most supervision. Yesterday we wandered around outside looking for bugs and flowers. Sam would periodically come over to me and have me go through this elaborate maze that he'd drawn.
We had my dad and Yayoe over for dinner on Monday, hearing all the stories about China and Japan. They both came back with bad coughs from the pollution. It made me worry about Kai and her new baby over there.
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Another weekend, come and gone
May 22, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Another weekend, come and gone. Friday night brought back swimming, now with pretty murals on the bottom. Saturday morning Jamie and I stained the front door and then Emma and I had a jolly time at the library. The rest of the day was pretty quiet, with Jamie having dinner with a friend and the kids and I having movie night.
Sunday we all went to Mount Pisgah where we got rained on, but had a wonderful time. The smells of the forest alone made the trip worthwhile. We then went to Humble Bagel, ending up with two bouncing children and Emma demanding sugary fuel for her sweet tooth. Eventually we wandered back home to take it easy for the rest of the day.
In the evening the Musgroves came over and we entertained them the old fashioned way - a flash flood and hail the size of dimes! It seemed an inch of rain fell in five minutes. Our back stairwell quickly flooded to six inches deep, the drain not able to handle the volume. We were running around with towels and hoses while the kids enjoyed the spectacle. Eventually we dried off and sent our guests home. Next time we promised a wild fire or perhaps a plague of locusts.
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It's Mocha Friday, though I'm still an hour a...
May 19, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It's Mocha Friday, though I'm still an hour away from work and the delicious frothy substance.
It's been a good week, all-in-all. The weather has been great, sunny and warm. It's done everyone good to be outside and play around. The kids in particular are having a great time.
Last night we all went outside and I broke out assorted water activities. I started with some hose squirting, turned on the sprinklers, and then dragged the wading pool out of storage. The kids were pretty excited, with Sam getting goggles for everyone just in case.
Wednesday night Jamie took me to the rose gardens for a picinic. It was amazing to see the roses in bloom already. Plus we had a great time looking through some furniture magazine and making fun of how horrible the things were. Trust me on the garden gnome bench.
As for this weekend, I'm looking forward to swimming tonight after several weeks of being closed for construction. Jamie is having dinner with friends tomorrow night and we're having guests for dinner Sunday night. Boy is our social calendar full. There's also a house project waiting for us, staining the front door. Busy, busy.
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Wednesday already
May 17, 2006 by Adam in Family
Wednesday already. Weird.
It's been crazy hot all week. I've been sleeping commando-style since our upstairs is baking. We were all out in minimal clothes, traipsing about in our backyard late last night since it was so darn warm.
I think Emma and I caught the same bug. We've both been having headaches and tummy trouble. I'm hoping I'm on the mend, as this one has been merely annoying.
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Monday already, here at work with things pili...
May 15, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Monday already, here at work with things piling up left and right. Fortunately my boss and cubicle neighbor are out most of this week, so I'm hoping that minimizes the amount of work that gets to me.
Sunday and Mother's Day went well. I took the kids around the little shops near Jim and Judy's house. We visited with the parrots and koi at True Value hardware, stopped by a pizza place, and picked up a new game for Sam to earn stars towards. The drive back went well, with Sam watching a movie and Emma sleeping the whole way back.
The evening was a bit busy, with unpacking and Jamie going out to dinner with a friend. The kids and I went over to my mom's for a lovely dessert and visit. It's amazing how much trouble the two of them can get into, even when supervised by two adults mere five feet away. Eventually everyone returned home, the kids got to bed late, and I collapsed to sleep.
This morning it's amazingly warm and sunny again. I rode to work with no jacket or gloves. Summer seems just around the corner.
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It's been beautiful all day, with blue skies ...
May 13, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It's been beautiful all day, with blue skies and warm weather. Emma had problems getting to bed, but otherwise everyone's been fine. Come morning, we had breakfast, played at a nearby park, and generally lazed about.
For lunch, Jamie, the kids, and I all went up to Piddock mansion. It was amazing inside, especially the shower that sprayed in all directions. Emma decided we should live there.
Afterwards, we brought out picinic things out only to find Isabell running up to greet us. She and Robbie had come up to visit, even though all we did was leave messages to each other all day. After a nice long visit, we returned home and have lazed about yet again.
In an hour or so, Jamie and I hope to go out to dinner. I could get spoiled with all this child care.
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We made it to Portland, after a lovely day ha...
May 13, 2006 by Adam in Family
 We made it to Portland, after a lovely day hanging out with Jamie. I took Sam to school and later we both took Emma to her school, leaving us with several decadent hours to pretend we were childless. After going out for lunch and puttering about, I dropped off Jamie at home and picked up Emma from her school.
She was a little tired, but we went to the library and picked up new books and videos. After a quick side trip to get Jamie and load up the car, we got Sam from school and hit the road. Emma fell asleep, Sam watched Independence Day on the new laptop, and two hours later we rolled into town.
Now our kids are being entertained by Jim, Judy is fixing dinner, and all is good in the world.
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Mere minutes ago, the power company turned th...
May 11, 2006 by Adam in Family
Mere minutes ago, the power company turned the power back on to our house. There was some weird notice about "de-energizing" from EWEB yesterday. Evenidently that meant they wanted to cut our power for most of the day.
When I wandered home, there was still no power. Emma and I went outside to look at bugs and check on the tadpoles in our porch pond. Afterwards we played on the piano, with me recovering enough repressed memories to play Old MacDonald without too many errors.
Still, when 4:10 rolled around and the power came on, we ran around the house yelling "Power! Power!" and promptly sat down at our respective computers. We Millers could never survive the collapse of civilization. Unless maybe I could rig up an espresso machine to work off a windmill, in which case anything is possible.
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Well, it's technically Thursday, but I'm decl...
May 11, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Well, it's technically Thursday, but I'm declaring it an honorary Mocha Friday since we'll be going to Portland tomorrow. Of course, I still have to shower and ride into work, but that's the price I pay.
Emma was really tired when I got home last night. She immediately conked out in my lap and napped for too long, staying up late last night. Sam happily played Animal Crossing, trying to work off the mortgage on his imaginary house. There's a tremendous amount of reading, so he's getting lots of practice and having fun. Mostly he goes around shaking trees in hopes of having interesting things fall out of them, though he got stung by a bee once and his eye got swollen.
Kirsten came over for a small birthday party last night. Emma and Jamie made the cake, with Emma doing the decorations. My mom came over too, which was nice, and the kids played with everyone for a long while.
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The week is moving along
May 10, 2006 by Adam in Family
 The week is moving along. No exciting news, really, but I thought I'd give my usual daily update on the minutia of what I'm up to.
Sam's been the social butterfly as of late. Monday afternoon he had Jake over to play. Yesterday he had Zach over. With Jake, they mostly did cartoons. With Zach, they did Star Wars Legos non-stop.
I had fun watching Emma at soccer practice last night. She's an impish girl, pushing her boundaries. She was ripping up the label from a water bottle as we drove back home. After the third time telling her to stop, I told her if she wanted dessert that night. "Will you take away my privileges?" she asked in a sad voice. She was so darn cute, it was hard to be upset with her. That convinced her to stop her ripping and Sam cleaned up after her mess, as he often will.
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It was rather dreary on Sunday, so today's pi...
May 08, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It was rather dreary on Sunday, so today's picture is actually from the day before.
Sunday was good, though I was exhausted at the end like usual. We had a hearty breakfast and went off to Jerry's to pick up tomatoes and wood stain for the new front door. We came back by way of the Metropol Bakery and Baskin-Robbins, so everyone's goodie needs were satisfied.
In the afternoon, Jamie went off to Pink Martini, which she reported was good. Sam volunteered to work in exchange for stars, which he eventually earned enough to "buy" the game Animal Crossing. Emma watched a Barbie movie and really should have gone to sleep, but instead became increasingly wacky. I fed them dinner and had a little quiet time once Jamie returned.
It should be a short work week ahead of us, with a Portland trip this Friday. Jamie's shooting for a relaxing time, though we may try for one or two of the uniquely Portland activities. Visiting the Pittock mansion is on our list. I might try an OMSI or zoo trip too, depending on how I'm feeling.
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Congratulations to Seraph on getting the job
May 07, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Congratulations to Seraph on getting the job. We know you're good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like you. As for Sadie, well, you're becoming an anti-role-model for our kids. "Get that out of your mouth or your tongue will swell up just like Aunt Sadie's did!"
My favorite part of the week came and went. Saturday morning Jamie made pancakes and I made my usual espresso. The kids ate huge amounts of food, which probably means they're both having growth spurts. Afterwards, I took the kids to the library and then Humble Bagel. We returned home with a bunch of new books, movies, and computer games, as well as bellies full of bagely goodness.
Sam had a soccer game in the afternoon, which was attended by Grampa Ray, his new girlfriend Ella, and my mom. Sam played really well, scoring several goals and rarely falling down. Emma made a new friend with one of the soccer boy's older sisters, chasing bubbles and playing catch.
Eventually we returned home where I cleaned up the kids and we all had dinner. My mom had other plans, but Dave and Kirsten joined us. Emma had a wonderful time with Ella, working on her Barbie coloring book. Sam and I took turns reading a fairly advanced book. All-in-all, it was a fine evening.
As for today, I think everyone's going to see Pink Martini at the Hult Center except me. I'll have to think of something interesting to do with the kids while I've got 'em. There's assorted house projects calling to us too. We'll see how much we can manage.
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It's another Mocha Friday, though it's admitt...
May 05, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It's another Mocha Friday, though it's admittedly early in the morning and I'm still at home. In another hour and a half, though, that Mocha will be mine!
We had a good time taking Sam to soccer practice last night. There's a little creek next to the field, full of tadpoles and critters. Emma and I brought along a plastic container and net to catch a few. When we got there, the creek had dried to a few brown puddles, surrounded by boys devoted to saving them. Our little container was full of squirming little tadpoles in a few minutes. Later we dumped them all into our porch pond. We'll see if the critters make it.
I arrived home to a new door to our house. Like all home improvements, I grumbled about the price, and then became amazed at how great it is. I now have complete faith in Jamie's sense of taste. We still need to stain it, but otherwise it looks great.
I did some research for this Bend trip we're taking next month, looking for fun things to do. There's the lava tube caves, the high desert museum, horseback riding, and a brunch/train ride combination that involves a train robbery in the middle. I don't normally think of Bend as a vacation getaway, but I'm starting to get excited about the possibilities.
As for this weekend, I'm still not sure what's going on. Jamie's dad and his new girlfriend are coming down to watch Pink Martini with Jamie on Sunday. I'll probably take the kids on our usual library and bagel run in the morning. As long as we get some relaxation along the way, I'm good to go.
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It's funny how yesterday was crazy busy, but ...
May 03, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It's funny how yesterday was crazy busy, but still satisfying in an odd sort of way. I actually enjoyed work for the first time in awhile. I think it was because I got so much done, as well as begging and receiving help for some upcoming massive projects.
Over the evening, Jamie and I practically threw the kids back and forth. Our Tuesdays and Thursdays are pretty much booked solid. When I get home, Jamie goes to the gym. Next the kids and I go to Sam's soccer practice. Then it's home, dinner, bath, and finally bedtime. Whew.
Emma and I had a good time at Sam's soccer game. We listened to music in the car, played on the playground, and watched a bigger girl catch tadpoles in a stream. Emma was watching intently and said "Look! It's an aquatic insect!" She's finally turning three at the end of the month, which is sort of a relief. How many two-year-olds can use the phrase "aquatic insect" appropriately in a sentence?
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What a weekend
May 01, 2006 by Adam in Family
 What a weekend. Friday night was spent with the kids at the park, tossing a Foxtail about while the swimming pool we normally go to gets refinished. Saturday was a whirlwind as well, with a pretty exciting trip to the library which included a wild bird exhibit and Ecuadorian music.
Sunday morning, we hauled the kids' bikes up to the reservoir. Emma did very well with her training wheels. I think Sam was frustrated that it didn't go quite as quickly. Soon enough he wanted to go off to collect bottlecaps and poke in the dirt.
 I watched the kids for the rest of the day, playing at home for a long while and then taking them to an extremely late soccer game. Sam played really well, scoring goals and such, as well as just really pushing himself. He did return home with a bruise from a head-on collision with another kid. And so the sports injuries begin.
I have to run off to work in a few minutes, hopefully catching up from my time off last week. There's a couple "big deal" things I'm working on, as well as the usual endless little things that always appear. Busy, busy.
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