I've set aside some "quality time" to spend w...

March 31, 2004 by Adam in Family

I've set aside some "quality time" to spend with Seraph's cake. I've been eating it for lunch and after dinner for the last couple days, an experience that lifts me blissfully from the rest of life's cares. Sadly, it probably won't last the day.

The week seems to move along. My huge piles of things to do at work are slowly fading. Sadie and my mom came over to visit before she left, which was very nice. The next day Sam made up a little letter to send to her.

I'm hoping for a quiet weekend, possibly even spending time with Jamie. The weather's supposed to be nice as well, so some outside time with the kids would be welcome.



I borrowed Call of Duty and XIII from Chris o...

March 31, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games

I borrowed Call of Duty and XIII from Chris over the weekend. I've only loaded up CoD, and it's pretty fun so far. I've really liked the mission variety. The graphics are decent and the sound is great.

I'm not sure if Jamie is so keen on me playing with Sam, however. Last night Sam was sitting on my lap and we were trying to defend a bridge from oncoming troops. Our officer just gave us the order to man the machine gun, so we hopped on and started laying down suppressing fire.

I had the surround sound on and the volume was cranked. Jamie stuck her head in and gave me "that look". Soon enough, we were off the computer and doing something else. Sam's "But mom, it's only a machine gun" didn't help my cause very much, I think.



Woe is me, Sadie is gone; Sadie and I drove t...

March 31, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

Woe is me, Sadie is gone; Sadie and I drove to Portland yesterday afternoon. We found The Art Institute of Portland, where Seraph will be next year. Very snazzy place. We went to the Veritable Quandry, her favorite restaurant in Portland. It was a hole in the wall dump in the riverside commercial slums when I was a law student, and now is a spendy trendy restaurant in a gentrified rehab area.



Sam is quite enamored of Sadie these days

March 30, 2004 by Adam in Sam

Sam is quite enamored of Sadie these days. She was over last night for their semi-annual play time. She's been teaching him how to be "supa bad" and dance about the house. I think Sam like Sadie because she'll play games the way he wants to play, which is rare for an adult.

They also did their annual feign death play. Every year it seems that they pretend that one of them dies, but comes back to life. This year the twist was that Sadie died, but that Sam's magical tears brought her back. Unfortunately, those same tears kept Sam alive, and so he collapsed. Very dramatic.

Sam continues to learn and grow. He's getting more comfortable with reading and writing, though it still takes a fair bit of effort. I'm looking forward to the day when I can put a book in front of him and tell him to read it himself.



It was another insane day at work

March 29, 2004 by Adam in Adam

It was another insane day at work. It's nearly time to head home and I'm feeling bleary-eyed from staring at the screen for so long. Lots of projects and things going on, with very little time to do them. Endless interruptions as well.

Of course, Jamie will expect me to jump in with lots of energy and entertain the kids. It's a little hard at times, though playing with them is usually way better than dealing with annoying computers. Plus they're cuter.



Well, the weekend is over and I'm back to the...

March 29, 2004 by Adam in Family

Well, the weekend is over and I'm back to the daily grind. The weekend seemed a string of events amidst a backdrop of playing with kids. Saturday Sam and I went to see my friend Chris where we exchanged some computer games. Sunday I took both kids hiking, which ended in everyone crying and me carrying them both out. They perked back up when we rented movies and Sam watched Swiss Family Robinson for most of the weekend. Jamie did a bunch of scrap booking, something she's been wanting to do for a long while. I avoided doing taxes for yet another weekend.

Last night was a big Easter gathering. Sadie looked tired, cooking far too much. An armada of children were running about swinging sticks at each other. Fortunately no one's eyes were poked out. Seraph made my absolutely favorite cake ever, which is still in my refrigerator as I haven't found time to eat it. Such is life.



Well, the new web server is in place

March 27, 2004 by Adam in Family

Well, the new web server is in place. I must be getting pretty good with this sort of thing as it took me less than an hour to fiddle with everything.

Dave and Kirsten watched the kids tonight while Jamie and I went out to Ambrosia. It was nice to have a conversation with her without being interrupted by anyone. Quiet moments together are a rarity.



I spent a bunch of time last night getting th...

March 26, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Projects

I spent a bunch of time last night getting the new web server ready. It was a bit of a challenge smacking around the Dell trying to make it do my bidding. Evidently Dell doesn't really want people installing Windows Server 2003, so they didn't offer up any network card drivers. I had to download them from the vendor's site which took awhile to find.

At this point I have IIS installed and configured on it, along with SQL Server. The web site comes up when I go there, so I'll probably try to do the final swap tonight. My only point of nervousness is seeing if the DSL drivers work under Windows Server 2003. They have XP drivers and I'm hoping they'll work in a pinch.



My mom and Sadie came over last night for dinner

March 26, 2004 by Adam in Family

My mom and Sadie came over last night for dinner. It was great seeeing Sadie again, who seems her usual young and witty self. She had a great time playing with Sam, encouraging him to make a sign that said "Sadie and Sam are Super Bad". It's probably a good thing she lives on the East coast, otherwise she'd be busy getting Sam into all sorts of trouble.

It's Mocha Friday, which I'm thankful for. I'm very much looking forward to the weekend in hopes that I get a few moments to rest. The reality is that it seems to already be filling up with plans, most of them fun things.



Welcome home Sadie! She has promised to come...

March 25, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

Welcome home Sadie! She has promised to come by and help me write a flowery little essay for my scholarship requests. I have found that I am much more of a "cut and dry" essay type of writer.
Isa and Robbie are off to the Hult Center and the Library to pick up a copy of Alice in Wonderland we reserved for Sadie.
My cleaning is at a small stand-still because I am running out of small boxes (for books, books, the never ending books). What amazes me is that we got rid of a huge number of books before we moved into out house. Now we have many more, but they're all ones we want to keep!



I picked up a $350 Dell computer last week, a...

March 25, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Projects

I picked up a $350 Dell computer last week, a deal so outrageous I couldn't resist. I've gone ahead and installed Windows Server 2003 on it and hope to replace my current web server with this one. I'll still have it hooked up to the same screen and dials, of course. It's simply too cool not to.

While the current web server has served me well over the years, I'm finding that I need something with a bit more "oomph" as the site gets more hits. I get frustrated by the "too many users connected" errors as well as the slow load times.



As I type away, I have four big bandages on m...

March 25, 2004 by Adam in Family

As I type away, I have four big bandages on my chest. I had a couple moles that I wanted to remove, so I did the deed today. I'm a little hesitant moving around, but otherwise okay. It didn't hurt much at all, except for the shots of anesthetic. Sam sat with me the whole time, making sure I was okay. He had been proudly announcing to everyone that I'd be getting "surgery" today.

Sadie is back in town, though I have to take Jamie's word for it. I've yet to see her and probably won't until tomorrow. Sniff.

Other tidbits: work's very busy, though I managed to unload some projects to my teammate. The computer I ordered for a web server replacement has arrived. I'll be getting things ready and plugging it in later this weekend.



Ooooo, Sadie's home

March 24, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

Ooooo, Sadie's home. I picked her up in Portland about 11 last night. I listened to the Oregon basketball game all the way up; they won and will play Notre Dame tomorrow night. She looked so sophisticated and beautiful I actually had to stare for a minute to make sure it was her. She is playing with Sam and Emma while I spend an hour at the office. I always feel so much better when I can actually see
all my kids and their families. I belong to the Radical Solipcism (???) school of parenting. Love, om



Sam and I finished up Beyond Good and Evil ov...

March 23, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games

Sam and I finished up Beyond Good and Evil over the weekend. I'd classify it as a solid adventure game - not stupendously great, but pretty darn' good in its own right.

I'm still puttering through Deus Ex 2, which is okay. The physics is fun to play with and I like the multiple pathways to solve a problem. I've turned into a bit of an air duct monkey, prying open grates and seeing where they lead. Lots of fun.



I have many thing's I'd like to do while I'm ...

March 23, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

I have many thing's I'd like to do while I'm home, most of which involve familial gatherings, some at various homes or Eugene hangouts. If anyone has free days that they'd like to spend with me, I'd like to spend them with you too.

Here are some things I'd like to do:
Decorate
Watch Alice in Wonderland, Donald Duck in Mathland and Harold and Maude
Cook like crazy for the 28th celebration
Reinact the stations of the cross with willing little children



What a gorgeous weekend! I spent the weekend ...

March 22, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

What a gorgeous weekend! I spent the weekend with a 28 year old worker guy, and pretty darn hard working company he was, too. We worked Saturday at mi oficina and Sunday a mi casa, doing yard work until I was feeling muy viejo. Sunday morning Adam, Jamie and the kids showed up, bearing orange juice, champagne, and muffins, for a sunny mimosa morning. Seraph and Robbie fed me Sunday night, a kindness for which I was most grateful. I just got back from lunch with Jamie and the kids; Sam got an operational digital watch as part of Wendy's lunch. Remember when watches were so expensive we
got them for graduation presents?



Well, the weekend's over

March 22, 2004 by Adam in Family

Well, the weekend's over. It was a pretty good one, as weekends go, seeming to last for three days because I ended up working at one o'clock in the morning Friday. Mostly we hung out as a family, ferrying the kids about.

Emma discovered the power of a zerbert, making funny noises on Jamie's stomach by blowing. She'd try it out, look up at Jamie and laugh, then do it again. Pretty soon Sam wandered in to join the festivities. I was downstairs hearing it all on the baby monitor, deciding that my family had gone crazy.

Sam and I watched a bunch of old movies, including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and the Magnificent Seven. It's a breath of fresh air after the typical new Disney releases. I'm looking forward to Master and Commander with him, which comes out on DVD in April.

We did a park trip yesterday as well as a visit to the library. Sam and I played library as well, pretending he was the librarian and I would ask for a particular book. The hammock got strung up for the first time this year, becoming a pirate ship for Sam the moment it left the ground.



Isabell is sitting on my lap, helping me to p...

March 21, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

Isabell is sitting on my lap, helping me to post on the web. She wanted me to type the letter "S" for Seraph. We've be practicing her parents names, her full name, and her street address. She doesn't yet understand the differences between the city and state, frequently mixing up Eugene and Oregon.
I'm stalling on cleaning up our family room and storage room. But after that we'll be on our way to organization! These days I'm learning about financial aid and re-learning how to make homemade pasta.



It's another damn (whoops, the FCC beckons) d...

March 20, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

It's another damn (whoops, the FCC beckons) darn Friday night. I am hoping and hoping that I can get my desk clean by Tuesday when Sadie arrives.
A year ago we were in Belize when the war started. Trust you all remember the line from the Steinbeck novel, The Moon is Down, about the Nazi invasion of Denmark, when one of the occupation soldiers said, bitterly, The flies have conquered the flypaper."
Went with friend Carol last night to see The Fog of War, primarily an interview with McNamara, Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War. Deja vu. I wonder what would happen if everyone who had access to the Internet agreed with everyone to refuse to fight wars anywhere but computer games.



Yeah for Christian flexibility! I missed East...

March 20, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Yeah for Christian flexibility! I missed Easter four times too many, and I will not miss it again. Christ is all the time anywhere and I don't see anything wrong with toasting to good food and good company on the 28th instead of some other day.



It's four in the freakin' morning and I've be...

March 19, 2004 by Adam in Adam

It's four in the freakin' morning and I've been at work for three hours already. I'm helping the network team configure a new firewall, basically acting as a tester as the need arises. I'd just like to say that I'm getting too old for this sort of middle of the night shenanigans.

Hopefully we'll finish up in an hour and I can go home and try to sleep a little more.



Hi, in honor of Mel Gibson, could we move Eas...

March 18, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

Hi, in honor of Mel Gibson, could we move Easter this year?
It falls on American Easter this year anyhow, and I doubt Jesus would care much. How about the Sunday, the 28th, that Sadie is here? I talked with Ilona and Steve at the St. Paddy's Day party last night and they thought it would be fine. How come all holidays in our family inevitably turn into pagan rituals? Probably it's our fondness for food.



Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all! It's been ...

March 17, 2004 by Adam in Family

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all! It's been a fairly uneventful week, as life with two kids often is. Sam went to the dentist yesterday and got a clean bill of health. Unfortunately both he and Jamie forgot to mention that one of his teeth has been hurting where Josh wacked it with a plastic golf club (accidentally, they assure me). I guess he'll be getting a new one anyway when his baby teeth come out.

Emma's cold is a bit better, though she's still being a bit clingy towards Jamie. I gave her and Sam a bath last night and it was all we could do to keep her from crying. Warm water and toys to splash with work miracles.



Sam's officially been accepted to Crest Drive...

March 16, 2004 by Adam in Sam

Sam's officially been accepted to Crest Drive for kindergarden. It's about a ten minute drive south of our house, a cute place nestled in the woods with a nearby stream.



It's O

March 16, 2004 by Betsy in Betsy

It's O.K. Sadie, I broke a molar during turnover last fall and still haven't done anything about it. Such is life!



I officially have a toothache from decay

March 16, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

I officially have a toothache from decay. I should be disowned.



Emma's got a nasty cold

March 15, 2004 by Adam in Emma

Emma's got a nasty cold. We're following her around with tissue paper as she oozes about the house. Poor girl.

I think she's still getting used to having me in the bed with Jamie as well, though I'm using it to my advantage. A couple nights ago she was crying inconsolably and I popped my head over Jamie's tired body. Emma stopped in shock and I offered up a "Where's dado's hair?" She patted my head a few times, then went to sleep.

This morning, Jamie called and put Emma on the phone. She was quiet for a long time, then said "hi dad". Though there's a chance it was just a random assemblage of noises, it was pretty cool anyway.



We have disappeared into the abyss of school,...

March 15, 2004 by Betsy in Betsy

We have disappeared into the abyss of school,work, and homework with an interspersed cold. Not much to report. The kids leave for Florida with Mike, Alice Kohr and Mike's girlfriend Missy, on Friday. It will hopefully be the week that I finish stripping the wood work in their bedroom. A long tedious task as the original finish was coal tar stain with lacquer on top. It's like the proverbial tar baby.
I arranged with Sears to deliver, hook up and take away the old stove at Dad's in Florida. So he now has a cooking device. Go visit him, I'm sure he would enjoy the company.
lots of love, Bets and the boys.



Three days and three dye bottles later, I no ...

March 15, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Three days and three dye bottles later, I no longer have black hair. It is brown. Almost. Currently, I look like a red head that dyed her hair brown four months ago, rather than a blonde that dyed her hair black yesterday. The day before, I was a brunette that dyed her hair black then brown, but not quite the right color brown, so had brown roots, mahogany grown out roots, and black tips. Very punk rock. Now I'm spring punk rock, with all the split ends and peroxide headaches to prove it. If I still have hair when I get home, act excited about whatever color it is.

Lindsey and Anna are out of town, so it's just Lindsey's girlfriend Rachael and I schlepping around the apartment, she finishing her thesis and I watching the fourth season of Sex and the City. We're having a really good time.



Mom is watching Isa and Robbie and I are head...

March 14, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

Mom is watching Isa and Robbie and I are heading out to the Home & Garden show. It will be nice to browse a bit wthout chasing Isabell around the fairgrounds.
We went to King Estate with Hanni yesterday. Isa has finally gotten over her old and was running around exubriantly. It's nice when your children return from the land of grumpy sickness and are really fun, nice kids.
I've been cleaning like crazy and our house is in a simi clean/chaotic state, but I'm starting to relax into non-professional mode, so I don't seem to mind the piles of garage sale goods as much.



It was a funny little day though I seemed alm...

March 14, 2004 by Adam in Family

It was a funny little day though I seemed almost unnaturally exuberant through most of it. It started out with Jamie and the kids summoning me upstairs by calling "Dado McBado" over the monitor. I ran upstairs to hear Sam's dreams and play with giggly Emma.

Breakfast was a bit rushed as Jamie had to leave early to set things up for the play. The coffee maker also decided it had had enough and set fire to itself. It managed to get as far as seeping out some thick black smelling smoke when I tossed it outside and salvaged the one cup of coffee it had managed. You'd think that a machine's last few drops of coffee would taste either blissfully sweet or most foul, but it seemed about the same to me.

After Jamie set up for the play, I spent late morning and early afternoon selling raffle tickets and fending away kids from the castle that was one of the prizes. It was pretty funny, with long quiet stretches mixed with fifteen minute bursts of people when the play got out.

Now I'm hoping for a fairly quiet evening. Jamie's parents are here, entertaining the kids. Pizza's on its way. Life's pretty good.



Working late on Friday night

March 13, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

Working late on Friday night. This was a week that I thought I would get all the loose ends tied up on Monday and have the rest of the week to garden. It's now 8:00 p.m. and I still have to finish one thing before I leave. It feels like trying to run through jello.



The week is almost over, strangely enough

March 11, 2004 by Adam in Family

The week is almost over, strangely enough. I've loved the sunny days, springtime creeping up on us again. We've been hanging out in the yard most evenings, watching the world go by.

Last night Sam and I went swimming for the first time in a long while. He had a great time, semi-swimming for short stretches and playing lots of games. We've been going for such a long time that I recognized a lot of the regulars, kids that have grown up in the last few years.

I'm working at the Vet's Club tomorrow, strangely enough. We have a work meeting in one of the dance halls. Over the weekend Jamie's mom is coming over and Saturday is the second round of the play.

I'm tired, ready to go home.



We are finally connected to the world!!! Afte...

March 10, 2004 by Robbie in Cortez

We are finally connected to the world!!! After procrastanating for months about getting internet service, I finally got on gear and did it. It's nice having it again, though I start running out of ideas on what to surf for. I don't know how others can sit there all day and do this. You can still e-mail seraph at her address, or you can e-mail us at cortez@pacinfo.com. I'll write more later!



I woke up tired this morning

March 10, 2004 by Adam in Adam

I woke up tired this morning. It was my own damn fault, of course. I stayed up late fiddling with my computer and watching shows, then staggered upstairs around eleven o'clock. I'm still getting used to sleeping with Jamie and Emma after my lengthy nighttime solitude. Emma was quite wiggly, trying to climb onto the nearest parent to use their body as a pillow. At one point, she'd managed to get her noggin on my chest, leaving her head at nearly 90 degrees to her body. Jamie pulled her back to her side, saving her from a sore neck in the morning but waking her up at the same time.

I had a mocha this morning to shake off the fatigue a bit. Now I've got a perky/wonky sensation that leaves me working hard but making a bunch of mistakes. My justification is that I'll be away this Friday, my usual coffee time, with meetings at the Vet's club of all places.



This is a great organization and website if y...

March 10, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

This is a great organization and website if you're at all interested in AIDS activism and current government policies and politics:
http://www.healthgap.org


With the help of a borrowed grow lamp, my seedlings are doing beautifully. If all goes well, I might have my own lettuce, tomatoes, and basil this spring. If not, I have a little greening hope to pull me through one last snow.



It is a lovely sunny day, falling in one of t...

March 10, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

It is a lovely sunny day, falling in one of the first weeks when I have not had gobs of clients and/or gobs of trials.
I even had time to pop in and see Jamie and Sam on my way to work this morning! I suspect that I will enjoy retirement!



do you mind posting some pictures of dad's bi...

March 08, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

do you mind posting some pictures of dad's birthday? i'd love to see seraph's new funk and the beautiful faces of the kiddos.

You know Sadie, I completely forgot to bring my camera. Not sure if someone else thought to take some pictures . . . - Adam



It was a much more restful night last night

March 08, 2004 by Adam in Family

It was a much more restful night last night. Emma was only up once or twice. I barely noticed she was there in the huge new bed.

Yesterday was pretty fun. The weather was gorgeous and most people were in t-shirts and shorts. We did a little shopping in the morning, buying some food, books, and house supplies. After that, we opened our doors and let the fresh air in, playing with the kids inside and out. Only later did I realize that the early spring meant early allergies. Gotta get the Claritin prescription filled.

Dave, Kirsten, and Josh came over to watch the kids for a bit, leaving Jamie and I with a rare hour to ourselves. Much of it was spent on the bench in our front porch, watching the world go by. Very relaxing.



Friday was great fun with everyone descending...

March 07, 2004 by Adam in Family

Friday was great fun with everyone descending on my dad and Yayoe's house for his birthday. Seraph's hair was brilliant red and Jenny's kids seem to have grown like puppies since I saw them last. The only one missing was Sadie, so I had to be content sending her happy thoughts across the continent.

I survived my day of kid watching yesterday while Jamie was off at the play. It was surprisingly fun, with both Emma and Sam being in pretty good moods. Jamie fixed us up a hearty breakfast then the kids and I retired to the basement for a couple hours of play. Emma got cranky so I put her to sleep without much problem. Once she was up, I packed her and the library books up, then went to the play.

Jamie evidently decided to come home, so we missed her for awhile, but she returned before we left. Sam and I went to the library to stock up on assorted kid, adult, and comic books. We also paid a fine on a book that was on Jamie's card, so they couldn't tell me what the book was. Oh, and we had to pretend we were chased by orcs the entire time.

Jamie eventually returned home, and we puttered around for the rest of the day. One monumentous thing was a bed shuffle. For most of the last year, I've been relegated to the guest bedroom, first for Jamie's late pregnancy and later because of Emma. We hooked Sam's two single beds together to make a king sized bed for our room, then moved the Queen sized bed to Sam's room. I finally get to sleep in the same bed as my wife again, albeit with a grumpy baby between us.

As for our first night together, it was a bit less than marital bliss. Emma was up every 45 minutes crying, driving Jamie a bit mad. I faded in and out of sleep, dreaming that our valley was filled with smokestacks. Around 4:30 I got up and wandered down to work on my computer. Since then, it's been very quiet.



We are now turning the water off at the stree...

March 07, 2004 by Judy in Hanes

We are now turning the water off at the street source. The water key is hanging off the tool bench in the garage. The main is by the street light to the south of the house. Turn left to turn on -- you can hear the water rush through. Turn right to turn off before you leave. This requires coordination with the washing machine and dishwasher -- as well as going to the bathroom before you leave!



I haven't posted for an age! I'm no longer w...

March 06, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

I haven't posted for an age! I'm no longer working, and I promptly died my hair and am going to get funky glasses. I will only be taking fashion advise from Sadie from now until graduation!
In reality we're trudging along. I haven't cleaned the house as much as I'd like to, but I am trying! I've mostly enjoyed going along with Robbie and Isa on their outings. I still have piles of work to do, but they'll get done eventually,
(BTW Adam call Jenny and let her know what her password is for posting!)



Emma definately understands the word "hair"

March 05, 2004 by Adam in Emma

Emma definately understands the word "hair". I can go up to her and ask "Where's Dado's hair?" and she'll promptly try to make me bald with her grasping fists of fury. The other day I swear she said "Dado hair". Putting two words together at nine months is fairly remarkable. Of course "dado" is her favorite word at the moment unless she's in distress in which case she'll switch to "mama".

It's neat that we can start communicating in words with her. I love being able to teach little kids new things, such as all the words for all the things in the world. I started playing a little game with her where I'd say "nose, nose, nose" while tapping her nose, then switch to her ear and other parts. Eventually she'll figure it all out.



Made good polenta

March 05, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Made good polenta.



It's rare that I pop into my little section o...

March 03, 2004 by Adam in Adam

It's rare that I pop into my little section of the web site and mention that work is actually going well for a change. My major projects have quieted down a bit and I'm able to breathe a little. Of course, I just found out that HR wants a rush change to our Jobs Online application, the most used of everything I've written. Oh well, I'll enjoy my morning tea until then.



The week has puttered along, with tonight pro...

March 03, 2004 by Adam in Family

The week has puttered along, with tonight promising to be somewhat busy. We've been doing a better job getting the kids wound down for the night, with baths and quiet time before bed each night. It seems to help get them to sleep more easily.

Yesterday Jamie and the kids fed the ducks at the duck pond, but otherwise had a quiet day. Sam and I played a bit on the computer, then took Emma and played outside until bedtime. Lots of running up and down the front hill and playing pretend (why do I always have to be the evil robot?).



A couple nights ago, we had a really hard tim...

March 02, 2004 by Adam in Sam

A couple nights ago, we had a really hard time getting both kids to bed, so I started the bedtime ritual early last night. I had him running up and down the hill in our front yard, getting him pretty tired. We then crammed both kids and Jamie in the bath before seven, where Sam pretended he had been transformed into a beast and only a mother's love could bring back his humanity. Eventually we got him dressed, bednight snacked, and to an early bedtime. I read a long comic book to him which he seemed to greatly enjoy. He was out like a light.



I picked up a couple games Friday - Beyond Go...

March 01, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games

I picked up a couple games Friday - Beyond Good and Evil and Deus Ex 2. Deus Ex 2 had fair reviews and I'm finding the game to be okay with occasional bursts of fun. Beyond Good and Evil, however, is an overlooked gem. Both were quite cheap, $25 for DE2 and $20 for BG&E. The latter has been very much worth the price of admission.

Sam and I have been sneaking, photographing, and fighting our way through a mysterious invasion of our little planet. The graphics are stunning, with some of the best water effects I've seen in a game. I usually take over for the tricky fighting and sneaking parts, while Sam does most of the wandering around and "adventure style" gaming. There's also a huge number of mini-games, from a hovercraft race to a weird air-hockey like game that I've yet to master. Needless to say, Sam and I played a lot this weekend.



Emma's starting to stand up by herself

March 01, 2004 by Adam in Emma

Emma's starting to stand up by herself. The other day, she stood up without holding on to anything. Waited a second, then lowered herself back down again.

She also seems to be talking, though it's sometimes hard to tell. She can say "mama", "dada", "dado", "adam", and a few things that sound vaguely like "hair" and "baby".

Emma's also getting the hang of playing games like peekaboo and "crawl through the tunnel", along with all sorts of things we make up on the spot.

She really wants to eat adult food too, though I think we've got to be careful about upsetting her stomach. She was very insistent about Jamie's vegitarian meatballs last night, scarfing them down quite quickly. So far, fruits and vegitables don't seem as big a hit, just like her brother.



It was a fairly low-key and cheerful weekend

March 01, 2004 by Adam in Family

It was a fairly low-key and cheerful weekend. I watched the kids Saturday morning while Jamie got some preschool work done. We all went to the planetarium which Sam greatly enjoyed, then ran around the nearby park afterwards. Sam and I filled in the holes in the craft room floor where Jamie got a spliter in her toe the week before. Yesterday Sam went over to grandma Sue's house while Jamie and I finished watch an old Cary Grant movie.

The weeks ahead look busy. Wednesday night is preschool play rehersal night, with Saturday the play itself. It runs for two Saturdays, so I'll have to manage the kids for most of the day. I'm not too worried about Sam, but I don't always have the proper equipment to take care of Emma. Hopefully we can muddle through.



Not to get totally gay on you, but just so yo...

March 01, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Not to get totally gay on you, but just so you know, this is what the American Anthropological Association has to say about the issue:

"The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies.

The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association strongly opposes a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples."

And that's all I have to say today.



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