Cruddy Mocha Friday

September 30, 2011 by Adam in Family

It's been a marginally cruddy day, full of borderline-sick kids, interruptions at work, and miscommunication.  The bright point in it all is that it's almost done and the weekend is right around the corner.

Sam and Emma went to their mom's after complaining of illness early in the day.  They spent the day reading in bed, evidently without complaint.  We were going to start swapping Emma on Friday nights, but she'd like to come over tonight.  I think Emma would like a change of scenery.

We had pizza and Mythbusters last night, working around the family dinner Sunday night and not having Sam Saturday night.  It was quite enjoyable, though it did result in a lot of rushing about, trying to accomplish homework.

We also had Lana overnight, a friend of Berry and Duncan's. Lana's mom Maria was a good friend of Colette's, and just found out her son has cancer.  We took care of Lana for a bit while Maria got ready for a trip to California to see him.  I snapped a picture of all the kids watching Cinderella, even Sam (who hid his face).

As for the weekend, the plan is to get fish for Emma's tank, do some house projects, and possibly do a bit of volunteer gardening at Berry and Duncan's school.  Tonight Joanna and I are going out to eat and then visiting an art gallery.  It's nice to have adventures.

Colette's Birthday

September 28, 2011 by Adam in Family

Wednesday already.  I'm slowly getting over a mild cold, feeling fairly good at the moment.  Work has been interesting and family life is moving along.  Last night we had a special dinner in honor of Colette's birthday.  There were eggs and chips, and delicious treats from Metropol.  I had carrot cake, which was delicious.

Emma came over as well, and she was charming and happy.  It's always great to see her and am looking forward to the weekend.  Jamie and I have been fiddling with the kid schedule and have chosen to alternate Friday nights between houses.  It's a little tricky, but hopefully it'll work out for everyone.

Sam's been responsible with catching up with his missing assignments.  He's also continued his enthusiasm for programming.  Last night he was Skyping with his friend Evan, who contributed some theme music he created on his Mac.  It's cool seeing him collaborate and learn all these accidental skills while persuing his hobby.

Duncan yanked out his tooth during Monday dinner.  Berry continues to put on way too much makeup.  I drove them to school this morning, making sure to draw faces for them in the dew on the window.  Joanna finally got her graduation plan approved, so theoretically she'll get her bachelor's degree soon.  So much for dating a co-ed.  Sigh.

Pet-Filled Weekend

September 26, 2011 by Adam in Family

I'm back at work after a very pleasant weekend.  It was a pleasant mix of work and play, and the kids were funny and interesting, as always.

Friday night was a reprieve of sorts.  Emma went out to dinner with her mom, Joanna took Berry and Duncan to a school event, and Sam was too sick to play anything.  Instead, I listened to World War Z on my phone and maniacally cleaned the basement.  It was a wreck and a mess, so I scrubbed and organized and vacuumed.  I sat down to eat some salad, and then get Emma to bed.

We ran errands Saturday morning, going to the library, Down to Earth for soap and bulbs, and getting goodies at the farmer's market.  We cleaned and gardened more in the afternoon, as well as playing with kids.  Emma and I in particular had some great sword fights and play time in the basement.  She actually broke out her old kitchen set and prepared assorted soups for me while I scrubbed the floors.  Late afternoon, Emma, Joanna, and I watched Glee.  Now Emma wants to dye her hair pink.

Jessica came by to watch the kids in the evening, and we realized how much we missed each other.  I think her school has been rough this year, with lots of kid responsibilities.  Fortunately she's available in the evenings to come over and help on occasion.  Joanna and I went to Off the Waffle, where I devoured a delicious waffle with banannas and whip cream.  We also researched a Christmas trip on the netbook, which was terribly exciting.

Sam arrived early on Sunday, eager to program.  We ended up with jMonkeyEngine, an open-source java SDK.  It's pretty cool, and he got through the tutorials by the end of the day.  This morning as we left, he told me he'd look over the code and we could talk about changes later.  It was one of the happiest moments of fatherhood.

We also did pet expeditions.  Joanna returned with two gerbils - Sulu and Pear.  Emma and I went to get aquarium supplies.  It's all set up and running, and next weekend we can get the fish.

It was a wonderful weekend, and I feel refreshed for the week ahead.

Meetings Over, Week Wrapping Up

September 23, 2011 by Adam in Family

I'm exhausted.

I've been in team meetings for most of the week, which finally wrapped up.  It was nice to see our geographically diverse team, and to finally get a play date set up between Emma and Summer.  Still, the whole thing took a lot out of me.

Wednesday night we went to dinner at Glen's house.  I picked up Emma from her mom's house, met up with everyone at home, and drove over.  Emma and Summer chatted, swam in the hot tub, and had a good time.  Everyone was amazed by Sam's height, and he loved the BBQ.  Duncan and Berry played with the parachute for most of the time.  Emma asked if she could move in with Summer when she's an adult.  I dropped Emma off at her mom's, wearing her swimming suit and boots.

Last night I drove out to the beach as part of our meetings, drove back, and returned in time to drive again to the Edgewood BBQ.  We ate, ran around briefly and returned.  I grabbed Sam to begin the homework process and started working on the kitchen.  I must have looked so pitiful that Joanna started helping me out and tried to get me to sit down.  Eventually I finished up, got Emma to bed, and the three of us relaxed with Modern Family.

Poor Sam continues to be sick, and was sleeping in this morning.  This is his second day out, and he was so bored yesterday that he made a "scarecrow" out of gym clothes and a blanket.  We left it in the play room, warning Joanna just in case she went down there.

Mid-Week Update

September 21, 2011 by Adam in Family

Wednesday already, with face-to-face team meetings over the next few days at work.  That means a lot of eating out and chatting with coworkers, which is generally agreeable.  I will my miss my gym time with Joanna.

The week has gone well, if relatively uneventfully.  We had Flynn over for awhile when Victoria had to go to a school event.  He and Berry played with Legos, which they proudly displayed to me at the end of the day.  We ended up with some chocolate cookies from across the street in compensation.

Sam and I had a guy movie night yesterday, watching the 1982 classic The Thing.  I'd never watched it somehow, and neither of us were particularly frightened or grossed out, but enjoyed it and the interesting story it told.  I miss 1980's Kurt Russel.  When we came upstairs, we found Joanna relaxing to Plants versus Zombies and Sam and I played a bit of Minecraft.  Our swamp village is coming along nicely (just below the house icon on the map).

Relaxing at Work

September 19, 2011 by Adam in Family

I'm back at work, which sometimes feels relaxing after the wild weekends.  Friday night we put Hobbes down, which was a strange mix of laughing kids watching cat videos on YouTube, and Joanna holding Hobbes and crying.  My mom and Bob were over for moral support, which was quite nice.  The vet was very empathetic and understanding.

Saturday we met up with Danica after a breakfast of pancakes and cafe mocha (for me anyway).  We went to Saturday Market and the library, returning with food and books.  Danica was quite pleasant and helped with the smaller kids considerably.  She and Emma spent some time planning an aquarium, which may happen in the future.

Joanna and I went to a wedding in the evening.  We went to the wrong place (the invitations had the wrong address), and rushed in at the last minute.  The ceremony was lovely and the food was pretty good.  I managed to sneak in one dance and we headed home to kids.

Sunday wasn't quite as relaxing as I'd liked, though it did have some high points and we got some work done.  The pool was taken down, we worked in the garden, and Emma and I went food shopping.  Sam, Emma, and I played a bit of D&D.  Sam and I played some Dead Island, where he managed to crash the car and we were forced to tediously carry our juice boxes to the rest of the survivors.  The evening wrapped up with pizza and Rough Science.

I took the three younger kids to school today, which went quite well.  Emma walked Berry onto the bus.  Duncan cheerfully played with friends on the playground until his school started.  I dropped Emma off at nearby Edgewood.  Now I can relax and write some code.

Kitty Pancakes

September 16, 2011 by Adam in Family

It's Hobbes' last day today.  I made kitty pancakes for Duncan and Emma.  It made Duncan sad, and Emma talked about how we'd still have the chickens.  So he didn't feel left out, I made Sam Cthulu pancakes.  I think he had fun eating his Elder God with syrup and peanut butter.

It's been a hectic week.  Last night Joanna and I fed leftovers to the kids and ate cereal for dinner.  She was off to school while I somehow got Duncan and Sam through homework, and packed three lunches.  Joanna was a bit late coming back, so I also got kids into PJs, ready for bed, and then rushed off to get Emma bathed and in bed.  Once the three younger kids were asleep, Joanna declared that she was going straight to bed herself.

Sam kept me company, and we played Left 4 Dead with Matt.  Of course, by bedtime I was so hopped up on adrenaline from fighting zombies, it took awhile to go to sleep.  We had a great time, though.

Tonight Sam goes to his mom's house, a bit reluctantly.  He's been lamenting his lack of free time during the school schedule, and wants to play more Dead Island with me.  He also wants to play D&D with Emma and I, and I suggested Sunday as a good day.  My mom wants to take the two of us to see a movie at the Bijoux, but I have no idea when I can schedule it.

I took Emma to school this morning.  She was very sweet last night and this morning, helping with younger kids and being cheerful.  I look forward to hanging out with her tomorrow.

We're putting Hobbes to sleep tonight.  I imagine it'll be pretty sad, with the edge taken off by kitty cookies and a cat-themed movie.  Danica is supposed to visit this weekend, though I've yet to hear a peep.  My mocha is finished and I best get back to work.

Hobbes

September 14, 2011 by Adam in Family

We took Hobbes to the vet and got the prognosis that it was likely cancer and she didn't have long to live.  The plan is to spend some time with her over the next few days, and then arrange for her to be euthanized at home this Friday afternoon.  There's a place in Junction City that does pet cremation.

We told Duncan and Berry, who immediately started writing cards for her.  Duncan wanted Hobbes to be stuffed so that he could still play with her, though Joanna didn't seem keen on the idea.  We'll let Emma know tomorrow.  The tentative plan is to have a kitty wake this Friday night, perhaps with cat-shaped cookies and a cat-themed movie night.

The rest of the week has continued on relatively uneventfully, if somewhat busy.  Sam's getting into the swing of things at Roosevelt.  He hasn't found his old friend, Jordan, who has been absent, but last year's "new kid" Evan has been promoted to buddy status.  He likes his world history class, and is strangely enthusiastic about Spanish.  There are a few teachers he's not keen on, but he burned through his math homework last night without hardly any assistance.  Mostly we chatted while I did the dishes.

Joanna, Sam, and I finished the A-Team movie, which was fun and ridiculous.  We watched the original tv show for fifteen minutes or so on Netflix.  Joanna and I waxed nostalgic, while Sam thought is was relatively high-budget but extremely silly.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggidy Jig

September 12, 2011 by Adam in Family

It's official.  My dad got hitched.

Friday night was our brief moment of relaxation, Joanna and I going to Cafe Soriah for dinner, and then Market of Choice for food shopping.  Saturday morning we packed up the kids and drove like maniacs, picking up Sam and Emma from their mom's beach house on the way up.  We made it in time to freshen up and get ready for the ceremony.

The wedding itself was quite nice, one of the few times I've ever seen my dad in a tuxedo.  Anna looked lovely and everyone was on their best behavior.  I took all the kids to the church's rec room where we played pool, foosball, and ran about.  Eventually we ate, danced, and retired to my dad's beach house for dinner.

Sam and Emma were scooped up by Jamie, and we started getting Berry and Duncan to bed.  Joanna and I collapsed soon afterward.

Sunday was very pleasant, basically a continuous breakfast, snack, and lunch with chatting.  It was great hanging out with Seraph, Sadie, and Jenny, which is a rarity these days.  Eventually we made the long drive home, got pizza and Rough Science ready, did homework, and got to bed.

This morning we took all the kids but Sam to school.  Emma ran into her Little French School teacher when we dropped off Duncan.  The schools are so close together that it's easy to drop Emma off afterward.

The only really sad thing these days is that Joanna's 19 year-old cat, Hobbes, is in very bad shape.  Joanna's at the vet with her now, and we may be working through the end-of-life issues for the cat soon.  This summer has been full of weddings and funerals.

Almost Mocha Friday

September 09, 2011 by Adam in Family

It's been a crazy week of running around, getting kids to assorted schools.  I'm waiting for Joanna to get to work so that I can go get my Friday mocha.  I'm waiting not-so-patiently, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.

Sam started school yesterday, and was pretty exhausted by the end of the day.  He didn't find his buddy Jordan, though he ran into a lot of other people he knew.  A locker was assigned, and Sam got his classes.  I'm not sure I can remember them all, but I think there was math, science, reading, choir, Spanish, health, and something involving making a presentation that he wasn't quite sure of yet.  I may have missed one or two along the way.

Tomorrow dad and Anna get hitched, and it's a whirlwind of driving and moving kids about.  Joanna and I have a date night tonight, then Saturday we pack up Berry and Duncan and take them to the beach, picking Sam and Emma up on the way.  Then there's the ceremony, chatting, eating, and returning Sam and Emma to Judy's beach house.  Sunday we somehow make it home, get the kids again, and hopefully do pizza and Rough Science.  Whew.

Really looking forward to seeing Seraph, Sadie, and Greg.

School Tours

September 06, 2011 by Adam in Family

It was quite the long, lovely weekend.  Joanna and I snuck out for a exciting date night of dinner and food shopping at Market of Choice.  Jen watched Berry and Duncan, and was given a house tour.  It was quite pleasant.

I got the kids Saturday morning and stuffed them full of pancakes.  Emma and I then went to the library and picked up an inflatable pool that was 50% off at Rite Aid.  I soon filled it and the pool became the central activity for all the kids over the weekend.  Even Sam got in the pool, once each day, though always wearing full clothes.  We set it up in front of the swings, so he'd swing into it repeatedly.  Everyone else got in eventually, even Joanna.  It was loads of fun.

Joanna worked her fingers to the bone canning plums and peaches.  She also cooked tons of dinners.  Saturday was pizza and Rough Science.  Sunday was family dinner, with my mom and Hanni showing up.  Monday we grilled meat and tofu.

Otherwise we hung out and did very little of importance.  Sam and I built the humanoid robot.  Emma, Sam, and I played D&D.  Kids played together.  Life was good.

Today was the school tours of the three younger kids.  I met up with Jamie and Emma and we went over to Edgewood.  Emma's teacher is quite nice, and she's sitting fairly close to her best friends Kate and Daniel.  The three of them played on the playground while we chatted with Kate's dad Tom.

I then dropped off Emma and Jamie, and ran over to Duncan's open house at Charlemagne.  We met his teacher, I ran into assorted Eugenenians, and returned home.  Tomorrow's the big day for the three of them, and Sam starts Thursday.  And so it begins.

Mocha Friday

September 02, 2011 by Adam in Family

Okay, I don't have my mocha yet.  I'm still waiting to head into work and drink deep of that delicious elixir.

It's the end of summer and Labor Day weekend looms ahead.  Joanna is going to a winery with her department, while I work away until late afternoon.  There are no big plans this weekend.  I want to hang out with kids and maybe make some jam.

Last night we went over to dinner at Joanna's ex-coworker Linda, who is also the grandmother of Bella, Duncan's "girlfriend."  It's a small town.  She was a longtime vegetarian, so there was excellent farm food and Linda told tales of her hippie days from long past.  Good times.

Midweek Update

September 01, 2011 by Adam in Family

I'm crazy busy at work.  Plus this website is getting blocked from work, which is vaguely annoying.  There are ways around it, but still.

Feeling somewhat ready for the start of school.  I have all the school supplies ready.  Emma's old teacher, Barbara, is teaching Berry next year.  Jamie and I mostly have a kid schedule worked out, though we're stuck on where Emma will be on Sunday nights.  We confirmed that Jen will be watching kids after school.  I really like her and she had great references.

Back to my endless emails . . .