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It's been a pretty exhausing day of continual...
August 31, 2005 by Adam in Family
It's been a pretty exhausing day of continual meetings, following yesterday's all day meetings. Plus the mild cold that Jamie and the kids had has finally caught up to me. Fortunately it's pretty easy to manage.
Sam's on his last couple days of Summer. We were out in the backyard last night, letting Emma chase us around with the hose. Still, there's a crispness in the air that suggests that Fall is on its way. Already I've started wearing a windbreaker to work in the morning.
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We're back! I just recovered my main server ...
August 30, 2005 by Adam in Family
 We're back! I just recovered my main server from a catastrophic failure due to trojans slipping through a security hole in the browser. Needless to say, it sucked. I stayed up until one in the morning, woke up at five in the morning, went to work, came home after lunch, and only just now got things somewhat working. I even talked to Microsoft for awhile, an experience I relate to a preview of Hell.
Other than that, the weekend was pretty good. I did get a bad sunburn, but had a great time playing in the pool getting it. The kids all played together and we had many long visits to the beach. The weather was great, except for the last day which was a bit cloudy. All-in-all, it was quite nice.
I'm going to see if I can get the last of the server things working, have dinner with some visiting coworkers, and then hopefully get to bed early.
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It was the last of the kid's swimming lessons...
August 26, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was the last of the kid's swimming lessons today. Both graduated with honors. Sam's big news was that he jumped off the HIGH diving board into the water, a pretty big leap. I'm proud of that kid. Attached is a picture of the kids with their instructor.
My mom came over for dinner and I handed over her laptop to her. She's been watching the kids and letting us take care of things before we leave tomorrow. I gave the garden a good long drink as the weather's so warm.
She also brought along an old flintlock rifle, which Sam and I oohed and aahed over. Jamie wasn't too keen about us mounting it over the fireplace, so I'm not quite sure where it'll end up. It has "1835" stamped on it, though I'm not sure if it was the year it was made or some sort of batch number. It also has the letter M carved into the wood, presumably for Milton.
Jenny called to let me know that her new computer was working quite well. She even got online and things seem to be working much more smoothly.
Now I'm off to pack and prepare some more. Great fun.
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It looks like we're heading off to the coast ...
August 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
It looks like we're heading off to the coast tomorrow with the Musgroves. Hopefully it'll be fun and relaxing, though I'm also preparing for the reality of four small kids running about.
Sam and Emma's last day of swimming lessons are today. It's been really fun for both of them, I think. Sam in particular has become very confident in his skills. Emma has become the darling of the kid's pool, saying things like "Class, look at me!" whenever she does something.
Kirsten and Dave watched the kids while Jamie and I went out to dinner. It seems like we spent the hour reminiscing about simpler times, along with figuring out what Jamie's going to do when the kids are older. The dinner itself was pretty amazing. I love fresh greens in my salad.
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Sam lost another tooth yesterday
August 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sam lost another tooth yesterday. He tried to explain it to me, but mostly it seemed to involve sitting on the couch and hitting his mouth with a blanket. The kids had swimming lessons again, as they will for the rest of the week. What's strange is that there's only two more weeks until Sam goes back to school.
The kids were a little wacky last night. Emma was really trying to have me stay next to her as she went to sleep. She was so sweet, telling me things like "you my best friend." Jamie's recommendation was to cut the cord, and so I glumly left her crying and went downstairs. Jamie reported that as soon as I reached the last step, she fell fast asleep.
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I survived the weekend alone with the kids
August 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I survived the weekend alone with the kids. Sunday was a bit more difficult than the day before, though it still wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Saturday night was lots of fun. Dave and Kirsten came over and we had a movie watching night, watching National Treasure and eating pizza. Kirsten was a trooper, watching Emma the whole time. Sam got really into the movie, so much so that we had a treasure hunt first thing in the morning.
I took the kids to Old Navy Sunday morning, picking up some shirts for myself and Jamie. The kids were a bit wild, so I had them run around in the courtyard until it was time to head to my dad and Yayoe's for lunch. They had a good time there, but Emma was pushing her nap time. Unfortunately when I got home, she decided a nap wasn't such a good idea and she merely grumped her way into the afternoon.
Finally I gave up on being productive and threw the kids in the back yard with the sprinklers on. That was good for a long while, and combined with the Barbie Farytopia movie (which Sam liked), that kept them going until Jamie returned.
Jamie seemed much refreshed, regaling us with tales of a pod of blue whales playing just outside their window. I dropped off the movies, picked up Steam Boy to watch that evening, and Emma collapsed from exhaustion on Jamie's lap.
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Jamie's off to the coast
August 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Jamie's off to the coast. She called when she got there just to make sure I wouldn't be worried. I can tell she's been looking forward to this for a very long time.
I've been managing the kids fairly well by myself. I took them to get some food supplies for our wild weekend, and then got them ready for the fair.
 They both really enjoyed the fair, though they occasionally got a little rambunctious. Emma in particular was very strong-willed about going on certain rides. I managed to drop $28 on just kid rides for the two of them. Emma really liked the canoe ride and the merry-go-round. Sam was more daring and did a few more exciting ones, happily giving each a nausea rating.
Emma fell asleep on the ride home and I tucked her into bed. Soon I'll be feeding corn to the boy and preparing for the evening festivities. We'll probably start making pizza around 4 o'clock and expecting Dave and Kirsten for a visit and a movie.
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I'm slowly getting my weekend scheduled so th...
August 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
I'm slowly getting my weekend scheduled so that I keep the kids busy around the clock when Jamie's out. It looks like Saturday we're going to the fair when it opens at 11 o'clock, and then having Dave over for a pizza and movie evening. Sunday morning I think I'll try to go shopping and have lunch with my dad and Yayoe. Then we'll pine away at the window waiting for Jamie to return.
We had a pleasant evening last night. We all hung out in our front yard playing with the kids. Jamie and Sam played a little catch. Emma's favorite game was when I'd stick her on my head and pretend that I lost her. Every time I found her, she'd giggle and say "again?"
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Yesterday was crazy busy
August 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
Yesterday was crazy busy. It's assessment time at work, so I had non-stop calls from VPs and other executives who were running into problems using my assessment tool. I did manage some time with my coworker Jonathan, working on a new template for our development projects. It was fun to try something new and "prepare for the future" as it were.
Home wasn't much better. Jamie left as soon as I arrived and didn't return home until bedtime. Emma didn't take a nap yesterday, so she was pretty wacky. Still, we managed to make pizza and keep the house relatively clean. As a bonus, we got to listen to Van Halen blaring from the fairgrounds. Emma danced a little jig.
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It was another very full day yesterday
August 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was another very full day yesterday. Breakfast was a drawn out affair of tea, sausages, bagels, and cinnamon rolls. Not leisurely, but instead a series of small nibbles in between chasing children. After breakfast I donned my painting shorts and painted the garden wall and columns. Before they were looking pretty lousy compared to our shiny new house paint job. Now they're equally cheery.
After lunch we went over to celebrate Jordan's birthday party. Sam spent the entire time in the pool with the other rambunctious kids. Emma shyly moved from toy to toy. We left early when it became clear that Emma's nap-time was long past and she crashed when we got home.
Sam and Jamie went to the baseball game, where they ate terrible food and got way too hot. Fortunately the Emeralds scored multiple home runs in the first inning, so they felt it was okay to head home. Emma and I instead went to the library, spending a long while playing with the library stuffed animals.
After the kids and gone to sleep and Jamie had finished the new Harry Potter book, we rendezvoused out on the patio porch to look at the stars and have a nice little chat. Life is good.
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The day is winding down, though it's admitted...
August 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The day is winding down, though it's admittedly been a bit exciting. I spent two hours painting this morning. There were some doors in our bedroom that went untouched when we painted the walls purple. Of course, now they don't match the doors at all, so they're turning white. I might be able to manage a second coat tomorrow and finish everything up.
The kids and I went to Humble Bagel for lunch, where Sam praised the tastiness of their bagels. Emma got sugared up with a cookie and juice.
After returning home, there was a frustrating couple hours where Jamie tried to put Emma to bed. Eventually she crashed for fifteen minutes on top of me while watching a movie. I snoozed off myself, though it was hard with her jumping up and down on my stomach. Eventually we retired to the wading pool outside.
As the afternoon wound down, I took the kids to the park to play in the fountains and wander around. It was beautiful and fairly quiet. Emma chased and was chased by a butterfly. We returned home for dinner, some gardening time, and finally to bed.
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It's another Mocha Friday
August 12, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's another Mocha Friday. I'm happily caffinated and going through the messages of the day.
I had the kids last night as Jamie went over to visit with her brother in his new house. Evidently they sat around watching The Mummy with Jamie saying how stupid it was the whole time. The kids and I played non-stop. Impromptu capes were made, race tracks were drawn, and I somehow managed to make dinner in the middle of it all. They were loads of fun and we continued playing even after Jamie returned.
Both Sam and Emma had a hard time going to sleep, though. Emma started crying and called out for me, so I took her downstairs for cereal and a show. Later on, Sam woke up after having a bad dream so we went down to the kitchen to talk and have some warm milk. Finally I escaped to the guest bed and was blissfully undisturbed for the rest of the night.
Our weekend plans include Jordan's birthday party on Sunday and continuing some painting around the house. I've turned into the tech support for our family again. I've got Ray's new computer to configure, I bought my mom a laptop yesterday, and Jenny's dropping her computer off today for me to repair. I suppose if I were a neurosurgeon they'd have me poking around in their brains or something.
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The kids and I have been playing hard these l...
August 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The kids and I have been playing hard these last few days. It seems like most evenings we're either in the basement running around or in the backyard fleeing from Emma with the hose. The other day the kids dressed up as super heroes and wanted to be flown about. I suppose it's good exercise for everyone involved.
Work has been busy but strangely rewarding. Occasionally I'll come up with an elegant solution to a complex problem that impresses even me. I've been drinking a fair bit of tea throughout the day, so perhaps it's really just the caffiene doing the thinking.
It's strange to think that Summer is coming to an end. The kids start swimming lessons next week and after that it's time to return to school.
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I'm spent
August 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I'm spent.
Today was a day of discharging various obligations, though not entirely unpleasant. Darryl and I took the kids to the park in the morning while Jamie went to the store. It was funny watching Darryl with the kids as he normally is somewhat reserved. I caught him cheating in a race with Sam, as he pulled him back by the seat of his pants.
Around ten Darryl and I went over to help Dave move. It was hard work, with seemingly endless pieces of solid oak furniture. Fortunately moving a guy's stuff is pretty easy, as he just wants the number of pieces stuffed into it to roughly equal the number of pieces coming out at the end. Bumps and scratches weren't really an issue.
I left after the main load, walking back home from his new house. I watched the kids while Jamie went off to a play with Sharon. We played in the basement until she returned several hours later. Then it was off to the park to watch the storytelling pre-show for Shakespeare in the Park, though most of the time was spent on the play structure. We returned home and I dropped everyone off then ran out to Seraph and Robbie's house to take pictures for potential renters.
Now, at the end of the day, I find it hard to summon the energy to do much of anything. I'll likely stagger up to bed and collapse relatively soon.
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I wore myself out playing with the kids yesterday
August 07, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I wore myself out playing with the kids yesterday. We left the house after breakfast, our intentions to go to the park and play around. We never got there, and instead started preparing one of the garden beds in the front yard. We weeded, hauled away yard debris, and broke up soil. The kids really got into helping, even Emma.
We drove over to Gray's to pick up soil and some lavender, with the kids having a great time playing in their fountains. Eventually we made it back home where we spread the soil, put in the plants, and watered away.
Emma was having a hard time napping, so Jamie took off to clean Dave's new place and the kids and I watched Kiki's Delivery Service. Emma fell asleep on my chest and I snoozed as well, waking when Jamie returned.
In the afternoon, Jamie's family arrived for dinner. I spent a couple hours playing hard with the kids in the basement, running about listening to AC/DC and the like. I've been staying up until 11 pm or so, but last night I collapsed right after 9.
Today it looks like I'll be helping Dave move and watching the kids in the afternoon while Jamie goes to a play with a friend. Hopefully I can pace myself.
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Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday
August 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday. I'm still at home, so I'll have to wait for awhile longer.
The kids and I had a bunch of fun last night. It's been really hot so we played outside with the hose. True, I started by watering plants, but soon enough Emma was wanting to help and things went downhill from there. I even made a little movie about it.
I have the kids today for awhile while Jamie signs papers to sell Brant's house (he gave her power of attorney, the fool). There's a play on campus that looks fun, so I might to take them there.
I'm very much looking forward to the weekend, though it's looking busy already.
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Our house is yellow
August 03, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Our house is yellow. The last of the painting finished yesterday and everything is bright and cheery. Of course, now it means that Jamie's all excited to start work on remodeling the main floor bathroom. When will the madness stop?
We bid farewell to Josh yesterday. He's heading up to Portland today and then off to Tennesee after that. Hopefully we'll see him around Christmas time, but if not then, he should be back next Summer. The kids both adore him, and I'll certainly miss him too.
Dave is moving into his new place, just a few blocks away. It'll be nice to have him so close, though we promised not to hand him the kids whenever they got unruly.
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August already
August 01, 2005 by Adam in Family
August already. How time flies.
Sunday was a very good day. Jamie was all ready to take the kids out, leaving me to have some time to do my own thing. I had the wheelbarrow and shovel ready to dig out a flower bed, when I realized I'd much rather spend time with my family.
We went to a park far away in the middle of this new housing development. It was really cool, packed with all sorts of modern park technology and design. My favorite was a high water spigot that poured water into various troughs that could be played in or simply emptied onto the sand below. We also took along a frisbee to play with Jamie and the kids. Even Emma gives it her best shot, spinning her entire body to propel it six feet, upside down.
I had the kids for the afternoon while Jamie went to have tea with her English friend Gillian and then later hung out at Angie's. The kids were both in good moods. Sam played with his new Gameboy game (and a new time limit was introduced). Emma and I watched My Neighbor Totoro, both of us eventually falling asleep. We spent lots of play time in the basement, played with water balloons, looked at pond water under a microscope, made pizza, and generally had a very good day.
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