The weekend continues to sneak up on us

June 30, 2005 by Adam in Family

The weekend continues to sneak up on us. It's the kid's last day of swimming lessons. I think next week is cartoon camp for Sam. I think t-ball ends fairly soon as well.

Emma, Sam, and I walked down to cheese park last night where Sam played his t-ball game. Emma leads me all over the place at these things and last night was no exception. We found various little girls that Emma immediately started referring to as her friend. Unfortunately at this age everyone's attention span is pretty short. Sam was pretty tired after the game and I almost had to carry him back home.

The only other exciting news is that Dave and Josh are moving into a house that Victoria rents, just a few blocks away from us. We'll probably have to promise not to go over and bug him every day. Brant's still hoping to sell his current house to finance his great Bend real estate adventure. Ah, the joys of change.



Wednesday already

June 29, 2005 by Adam in Family

Wednesday already. Jamie was off at Sharon's house last night while I entertained the kids. Sam, Emma, and I somehow survived, playing outside, drawing, and taking baths. Jamie returned at bedtime with painted nails and dessert for the kids.

Alex continues to work away on the outside of the house in preparation for painting. Jamie's getting the paint for our bedroom tomorrow and we'll probably finish painting this weekend.



Did everyone know our Anna got a job with an ...

June 29, 2005 by Sue in Wielesek

Did everyone know our Anna got a job with an engineering firm about 35 minutes drive from Williamstown? She will have time to go to Uganda first. I'm going to send her a small check to use to help the local people in Uganda as she
sees the need.



June had so much good stuff in it! It was so ...

June 29, 2005 by Sue in Wielesek

June had so much good stuff in it! It was so much fun to have Sadie and Anna, and to spend time with everyone who was spending time with them. The family Potluck was good, and I especially appreciate Yayoe's organizational skill and Hanni's fried chicken. Sara and Alina's wedding last Saturday was also very fun. Alina's family is Indian, and the women wore lovely sara (okay, if that were Latin, sarum would be the singular noun and sara the plural, but I'm way over my head with correct grammar here). At first, people were a little awkward about a wedding of two women, but a wedding always makes people happy, and a good time was had by all. Bob's daughter Anna told me that he looked like the
two too cool guys on SNL when he danced, but it wasn't that
bad at all. We also learned the rudiments of tango at Dagua's wedding. Sadie left a message last night saying they got in safe and sound.



Emma's vocabulary is amazing

June 28, 2005 by Adam in Emma

Emma's vocabulary is amazing. Not only does she understand all sorts of big and complicated words, but she's surprisingly in touch with her emotions and how the things around her impact her feelings.

Lately she's been carrying around a toy notebook from Blue's Clues. Jamie took it away as it was bed time. "Why you take it away from me?" Emma said tearfully. After some back and forth, she got it back and said "Now I'm happy."



Sam loves his sister

June 28, 2005 by Adam in Sam

Sam loves his sister. Jamie was telling me a story about how Sam took Emma into the living room and sat down with her. "Emma, I'm going to tell you a story about Princess Emma." He then went on to tell an elaborate tale about Princess Emma and her grand adventures.

Emma loves him as well. Whenever Sam gets upset, Emma becomes equally distraught and tries to give him hugs.



Sunday was filled with family

June 27, 2005 by Adam in Family

Sunday was filled with family. I took the kids to the library, both of whom were fairly grumpy throughout. Sam's new phrase is "I'm bored", which is driving Jamie and I nuts. Jamie went off to help get Brant's house sold. I think there's a plan afoot to get Dave moved into the house Victoria rents, which is only a few blocks away.

We all went over to Jenny's house for the afternoon where I kept an eye on the kids. I gave Jenny and Sadie my odd little gifts from the Haunted paper toys site, along with some safer soaps and lotions. My dad was given some chocolate covered espresso beans, one of which he gave to Emma and the rest he ate himself.

Later in the evening Anna and Sadie came over, which almost made up for the day I was sick and missed them. They brought a guitar, fiddle, and banjo, and proceeded to entertain us and the kids with music and stories. It was wonderful and I spent most of the time smiling at Emma "helping" play the banjo.

There's some more mundane excitement going on as well. In theory our house is getting painted this week, though the weather is horrible. I think we settled on a bright yellow, which should keep things cheery. Jamie's also painting our bedroom "Awesome Violet", which I never tire of saying. Busy, busy.



It was quite a whirlwind day today

June 26, 2005 by Adam in Family

It was quite a whirlwind day today. It started with Emma waking up early and Jamie and I sharing a cup of tea for awhile. After breakfast I mowed the lawn and tore down parts of a massive clematis that was growing beside our house. Since we're having someone come on Monday to start the prep work for painting, we've got lots of things to get ready, not to mention picking a color.

Sam and I played on the computer while Emma napped, then Jamie went off until dinnertime. The kids and I walked all the way to Saturday market where neither had been before. We met with Seraph, Robbie, and Isabell and enjoyed the food, music, and people. Emma was very quiet at the beginning, in awe of all the strange people wandering about. After Isabell shared her hat and magic wand, she felt better and they played together for a long while.

Afterwards we walked all the way back with a short stop at the library to cool down. Once we got home, we dug out the slip-and-slide and layed it down on the hill (movie). The kids went nuts, Sam especially, and had an extremely good time. Soon enough it was dinnertime and I had them watch the end of Beauty and the Beast while I made pizza. The kids got cookie-cutter pizzas, I got pesto, and Jamie had traditional cheese and pepperoni.

The evening's wrapping up. Jamie's reading to Emma. Sam's watching the House of Flying Daggers which I previewed last night. I'm looking forward to some time to myself.



It's Mocha Friday and I dragged myself to work

June 24, 2005 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday and I dragged myself to work. I actually feel reasonably okay at the moment, other than having my stomach feel a bit wobbly. I probably managed to sleep around 12 hours yesterday and last night combined. It's beautiful outside and I wandered outside to get a haircut. Hopefully the weekend will stay like this.

Swimming lessons continue for the kids. Emma thinks it's great and keeps talking about it at dinner. She was evidently quite good at jumping off the side.

I got to visit with Emma briefly this morning, who was very cute. She was eating her bananna yogurt and chatting away. The plan is that Jamie head out with Sadie tonight until past the kids' bedtime. We'll see how that all works out.



I was sick as a dog today

June 24, 2005 by Adam in Family

I was sick as a dog today. The worst part is that it was the same day Sadie and Anna were slotted to play with me and see the town. I took the day off of work, Jamie made an elaborate breakfast, and I was very excited.

I had my usual cough again last night, taking cough syrup before I went to bed. I slept fairly well, waking up at my usual time. Unfortunately I started getting a headache in the morning and it quickly went downhill from there. I hardly touched my breakfast when Sadie and Anna arrived. I took a nap, went with everyone to 5th Street Market for lunch, and then came home for another nap. I got up, took a bath, napped, threw up, and finally felt a little better.

It's the end of the day. Jamie was wonderful with the kids, taking them off to T-Ball while I slept like the dead. Sam had an odd little pain this evening tonight, but hopefully it'll be better in the morning. We'll see if I can manage to go to work. It doesn't appeal to me much at the moment.



Isa and I head down to Eugene on the train th...

June 22, 2005 by Seraph in Cortez

Isa and I head down to Eugene on the train this evening. I'm looking forward to hanging out with Sadie and Anna, and everyone else! Robbie will be down Friday afternoon.
Right now I'm working at the store doing inventory. Robbie has been adjusting to his summer classes, but still misses his old group of kids. This week they've been doing "messy art" and Robbie is coming home with tempra paint on everything!



My annoying cold continues

June 22, 2005 by Adam in Family

My annoying cold continues. I was up late coughing, so I downed some cough medicine and am my typical spacey self this morning. I predict lots of caffiene in my future.

We had Gavin and his mom Louise over for dinner last night. The two boys spent the entire time climbing on anything climbable in our yard, along with causing great distress and distruction to any snail they could find. Emma mostly follwed them around, with lots of trips to the kitchen sink to wash off odd sticky bits.

I'm taking tomorrow off to hang out with Sadie. I'm quite excited.



Well, Sam and I wrapped up Psychonauts

June 21, 2005 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, Sam and I wrapped up Psychonauts. It was generally a fun, enjoyable game. Rarely do I see that sort of creativity and humor in games these days. Mostly they seem the polished big-budget types that aren't terribly creative or daring.

There really isn't that much out these days. The Summer months tend to be pretty dry gaming-wise. Fortunately there's some great stuff coming out towards the end of the year and there's always my own little project to work on.



My cough continues, though I'm hoping these a...

June 21, 2005 by Adam in Family

My cough continues, though I'm hoping these are the last few days of it. It's been so many months since I was last sick that I've forgotten what it was like.

Swimming lessons started in earnest yesterday. Sam's been doing it by himself, something he's quite proud of. He's also pretty good at it and is wanting to move to the next level after his current lessons (I think he's currently in the Angelfish group).

Emma's in the Starfish group, with Jamie helping out. The instructor ended up using her as an example, showing everyone how to float on your back and go underwater. Jamie had a good time along with everyone else. The weather's been gorgeous which helps too.

It looks like the next great house project will be to paint it. Jamie mentioned the desire to eventually paint our house to her dad, who found a nice young man to send down and get things organized. Odds are it'll happen fairly quickly. We picked out a few promising colors yesterday and will probably do some painting over the next couple days. Busy, busy.



The weekend is coming to a close

June 20, 2005 by Adam in Family

The weekend is coming to a close. Happy father's day to all you dads out there. I got a present from Sam that had a crayon picture of me along with his favorite things about me. Evidently I'm good with computers and tell Sam I love him a lot. Made me tear up.

Yesterday was fairly uneventful. Dave, Kirsten, and Josh came over for awhile, much to the kid's amusement. Today we took a trip over to Hendrick's Park to hike around, then stopped by Humble Bagel for lunch. The afternoon was play time with kids. Sam and I played with his new pirate toy. Emma is non-stop singing and dancing and playing.

Now it's off to work again tomorrow. Hopefully tonight I can catch up with sleep. I got the cold that everyone has been getting and it's keeping me up at night.



From Typhoid Mary - I have a terrible cough, ...

June 17, 2005 by Sue in Wielesek

From Typhoid Mary - I have a terrible cough, and I hope I
haven't infected anyone. We're going to Dagua's wedding on
Saturday in Yachats, and staying at the beach house. Bob has an old friend who is in the hospice stage of cancer, so
we may come back early on Sunday. On the other hand, we both
caught the same cold/whooping cough/who knows? so if the weather is sunny we might bundle up in big blankets and try to get some Vitamin D. I'll have my cell phone. It would help if I could learn to use it.



I've attached a picture of me, Anna, and Maur...

June 17, 2005 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

I've attached a picture of me, Anna, and Mauricio, my close friend here from Urugay. He flew home last week, with a masters in development economics in hand, is getting married on July 9th, and then flying with his new bride to Italy to start a PhD program in political economy. Sigh. He was such a great part of my time here, and I wanted him to be on adamandjamie.com....



Yet another Mocha Friday

June 17, 2005 by Adam in Family

Yet another Mocha Friday. Sam's out of school now, so it's a bit of a challenge for Jamie to figure out what to do with both kids all day long. I think they're going to get a fish for Sam's new fish tank this morning, and perhaps come to visit me this afternoon.

Emma's got a bit of a cold and has been feeling lousy. I watched her as Sam and Jamie went off to a T-ball game at cheese park (a.k.a. Washington Park). Emma and I watched movies of her as a baby, made some Spaghetti, then walked down to watch the final moments of the game. A quick bath and then everyone was off to bed.

Hopefully this weekend will be a bit slow. I'm excited about Sadie's arrival next week.



Today was Sam's last day of school

June 16, 2005 by Adam in Sam

Today was Sam's last day of school. He brought home all his journals and yearbooks, said goodbye to his teary-eyed teacher Mrs. Staysack, and started his Summer vacation. Hopefully the transition will go smoothly. I'm very proud of Sam and think his kindergarten year went extremely well. He's confident, made many friends, and did very well scholastically.

It was a treat reading through his journals. They'd say things like "I like to do my star chart so I can play with my dad". Though he sometimes wears me out, I love spending time with him and I'm glad he feels the same.

Jamie also got Sam a new fish tank, though it's currently without fish. They went with a pirate theme, complete with a skull at the bottom and a Jolly Roger as a backdrop. Quite cool.



Very quick note

June 15, 2005 by Sue in Wielesek

Very quick note. It's beautiful weather, and nothing fell over in the earthquake. I had a long telephone visit with Sadie. She and Anna are sounding very content, a reassurance to any mom. Much love, Sue



It's good to see that Emma continues to explo...

June 15, 2005 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

It's good to see that Emma continues to explode the gender binary, and she's only two! What a sophisticated feminist. Anna and I are also excited to hang out with the ladies and lady-identified family members (that means you, Dad), and hopefully everyone else will kid-watch while us "girls" go for cocktails on Friday night. We're having a bunch of the Williamstown young Turks to play music and drink beer tonight. Much bawdy sailor fun is bound to happen. Anna goes in for a job interview tomorrow in New Lebanon, NY, at a small woman-owned firm that may be right up her alley. I'm very excited to be a kept woman, and she has promised me a mink for every day of the month. Hopefully the summer will be a cool one. Much love from the other (east coast) Northwest.



I'm posting from the middle of my exam - wait...

June 15, 2005 by Seraph in Cortez

I'm posting from the middle of my exam - waiting for my turn to go study fabric swatches. After this I only have one more project to complete for tomorrow morning!
Robbie and Isa headed down to Eugene for a few days of R&R before summer camps begin, and we're gearing up at work for inventory, kit building and distrabution, and a surprise visit from the corporate auditors!
I'm hoping to get a few days off while Sadie and Anna are here to play and relax. It will be nice to be around family for a bit.



Emma was up early this morning and I was hang...

June 15, 2005 by Adam in Emma

Emma was up early this morning and I was hanging around the kitchen table with her and Jamie. For some reason, I was pointing out that she and Jamie were girls and I was a boy. I'd point to her and say "Emma's a girl", point to Jamie and say "mom's a girl", and point to myself and say "I'm a boy."

Emma smiled and pointed to Jamie. "Mom's a kitty." She pointed to herself and said "I'm a man." She then pointed to me and said "You're a milkman."

I had to stifle my giggles so that I didn't wake up Sam. It's amazing that she's only two and still has a great sense of humor.



It was a fairly busy Monday

June 14, 2005 by Adam in Family

It was a fairly busy Monday. Jamie and Emma stopped in to bring me flowers from our garden. I think Jamie was a bit frustrated that Emma decided not to nap and wanted a little backup. We wandered around campus for awhile and we showed Jamie all the cool places we hang out when Jamie works out in the gym.

Later that night we went to one of Sam's T-ball games. I was woefully unprepared, trying to entertain Emma for an hour and a half. On Thursday when we do the next one, I'll be sure to bring a bag of toys and snacks.

After the kids went to bed, Jamie and I sat on the couch and watched the sun set. It was a nice end to the day.



Generic Heading

June 14, 2005 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

One more week!



The weekend has come and gone

June 13, 2005 by Adam in Family

The weekend has come and gone. Sunday was a very nice day. In the morning we headed off to the library and played around. Jamie was very nice and let me find some books for myself. Sam got a couple that he was excited about, sitting down and reading them during lunch all by himself. It's cool that he started this school year barely able to read and now he can read most simple things by himself.

We played with the kids during the afternoon, most of it outside. Sam's allergies are acting up a bit, even with Claritin. Eventually we headed inside and my mom came over to watch the kids for a couple hours.

Jamie and I took a leisurely walk down to a restaurant near Humble Bagel. It was excellent food and very nice to spend some quiet time with Jamie.



Oh! I just checked and got all your wonderful...

June 12, 2005 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Oh! I just checked and got all your wonderful Happy Birthday messages! Thank you! I feel especially old because I chose to spend my birhtday in a suit at a conference. All is well in Mass, and counting the days until I'm with ya'all.



The other day, Emma destroyed one of Sam's sa...

June 12, 2005 by Adam in Emma

The other day, Emma destroyed one of Sam's sandcastles he was working on. Sam was mad, and told her so. For the entire afternoon, Emma and Sam discussed the issue. She kept telling me "Sam mad at me." Emma turned on the charm, apologizing, giving him hugs, and saying she was sorry. After a very long while, Sam decided he wasn't mad any more and they went back to being best of friends.



Yesterday was packed, from morning to night

June 12, 2005 by Adam in Family

Yesterday was packed, from morning to night. I played with the kids as Jamie made breakfast, then we all went off to Sam's back-to-back T-ball games. He had a good time and their team played reasonably well. Sam got to play on the pitcher's mound, so he was fielding all the balls for one game. I took Jamie and Emma home in the middle of the second, and my mom joined me in the middle of the last one.

After T-ball, Sam and I stopped off at home briefly then went to South Eugene to watch Treasure Island. We got there a bit early, so we wandered the halls of my old Alma Mater. Some of the murals were exactly the same as when I went to school there nearly twenty years ago. It was very nostalgic, even the smell was the same.

The play was fun and Sam enjoyed it immensely. We got a "pieces of eight" song stuck in our heads afterwards. Then it was home where we wound down and headed for sleep.



Arg

June 10, 2005 by Seraph in Cortez

Arg... The reason I started posting yesterday was to wish Sadie a Happy Birthday and Dad and Yayoe a happy anniversey - and low and behold it was the one thing I forgot to do.
We love you, you are a continuing source of inspiration.
From Isa: "I love you. I miss you."



Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday

June 10, 2005 by Adam in Family

Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday. I've got a bunch of "to do" e-mails sitting in queue today, but I've decided to take a short breather before I dive in. Work has been extremely productive over the last few days, especially since I've been avoiding meetings like the plague.

Last night we went to the carnival at Sam's school. It was lots of fun, with endless games, activities, prizes, and auctions. Sam drove cars, threw balls, had a squirt gun fight, and returned with assorted plastic treasures. Jamie won an auction for a basket of tea goodies. The entire production is to raise money for the school's art program, so it's for a good cause.

The weekend is shaping up to be quite busy. It's a good thing we didn't end up going up to Portland. Tomorrow we have three baseball games and then I'm taking Sam to see the Treasure Island musical at South Eugene. Should be a fun though exhausting day.

Perhaps we can rest Sunday and have some quiet family time together.



I would like to add my personal birthday mess...

June 10, 2005 by Jamie in Jamie

I would like to add my personal birthday message to Sadie today. Thanks for including me as a "Sister" in your life! We are all thinking of you.



Happy birthday, Sweet Sadie! Let's add a coup...

June 09, 2005 by Sue in Wielesek

Happy birthday, Sweet Sadie! Let's add a couple more celebrations to our belated Father's Day, namely Sadie's birthday and Anna's graduation. I am feeling fortunate today to be associated with such wonderful kids. It was Aric's track and field awards banquet last night. He got a bunch of awards for "winning" but I was most proud because he was one of only a handful of students who had a 3.5 grade average, and because the other members of the team and the coaches voted him "most inspirational" male member of the team. I think about you all and what fine people and good parents you all are; none of you can really understand until you yourselves are old how satisfying that is to a parent. I know you are a little bored by this speech, but it is heartfelt. I also have complete faith that the wall between life and death is pretty transparent, and Dick is always aware of each of you and is travelling quietly along on with you on the paths of your lives. Love, om



My week is slowly wrapping itself up

June 09, 2005 by Seraph in Cortez

My week is slowly wrapping itself up. I now have only two major projects and three exams left! The load is starting to lighten, though I'm working hard on keeping focus.
Robbie and Isa are off to the zoo this morning with Isa's school. Robbie has gotten his room moved and set up for the summer, and the two of them are hoping to head down south for a few days next week.
Isa will be making her debut modeling appearance on the 18th in the Ai spring fashion show. Maybe I'll try to get some pic's that can be posted. Nothing like child exploitation to liven up the family website!



It's not quite Friday, so I'm only having tea...

June 09, 2005 by Adam in Adam

It's not quite Friday, so I'm only having tea this morning. Sadie sent me a CD in the mail which I'm listening to, my only lifeline to the world of hip music. Left to my own devices, I'd probably be listening to weird things that drift my way across the wide Internet.

Work is good, if busy again. I have endless tasks of moving data about and modifying web pages. Hopefully the tunes will get me through the day.



Emma had her two year checkup at the doctor's...

June 08, 2005 by Adam in Emma

Emma had her two year checkup at the doctor's this morning. I went along with everyone to provide moral support.

Emma was happy and cheerful the whole time, giving Doctor Jimmy a spontaneous hug. She requested that they take her "temperature" in particular and dutifully submitted to various measurement and prodding. Even the shot at the end didn't make her cry. Her cheeks flushed and she seemed a little scared, then she was fine again.

She's tall and thin for her age, but we already knew that. Since she's in the 25th percentile for weight, we got quizzed on eating habits. Sam was the same way, as I recall, so we're not particularly worried. The doctor was amazed with her verbal skills, just like he was with Sam.

We had Emma well trained to identify one's philtrum, as that was the one body part Sam couldn't identify at that age. Sadly he never asked. Gotta start impressing those authority figures early on, I say.



The easiest way is to just e-mail them to me

June 08, 2005 by Adam in Betsy

The easiest way is to just e-mail them to me.



Adam?????? How can I add pictures to my posti...

June 08, 2005 by Betsy in Betsy

Adam?????? How can I add pictures to my postings? Patrick has some terrific shots I thought I'd share!



Sue, the best bets to reach me are: Office 6...

June 08, 2005 by Betsy in Betsy

Sue, the best bets to reach me are:
Office 614-291-8000
Company Cell 614-206-2110
My cell 614-578-5890
Patrick's Cell 614-561-4267
Home phone 740-246-4461
Today is the boys last day of school. Patrick has a little graduation ceremony to go to the high school from the middle school. Should be nice. I'm going as his parental unit.
It has turned beastly hot here. After a cold damp spring we have now had 4 days of 90+ degrees. Its not so bad at the farm, I finally got central A/C and the breeze moves there but working in the city has been ghastly. It's amazing how normally pleasant people turn into aliens when it gets this hot. Hugs to all. Bets



Betsy, would you send me your phone numbers? ...

June 07, 2005 by Sue in Wielesek

Betsy, would you send me your phone numbers? I have gotten
completely messed up on which number I have (if any) is work, cell, and home.



The last month or so has been full of fun and...

June 07, 2005 by Sue in Wielesek

The last month or so has been full of fun and kid stuff.
Last night was a baby shower for Kai and Baby Olivia, who is now two months old. Lots of old friends - Seraph, Amber was down from Seattle, and sent her best to you.
I got to babysit for Jordan and Dez on Saturday, and Sunday was a really nice bar-b-que, courtesy of Jenny, for her birthday. How could this be her 35th birthday when she
was only ten last year? Got to see Sam's year end kindergarten program in his role as the Eggman, and also his last soccer game. In Bob's family, his sweet daughter Anna is ploughing through finals at the U of O. His son Aric did well in the district track meet, and took second in State, losing to a guy who now has the second fastest time in that event in the United States.
Erin and Margie should be around for the belated Father's Day party; Margie and Duffy want to buy a house here for Erin as an investment. Thanks to Yayoe for her
organizational skill, and Sadie and Anna, we are so glad you are coming.



Work was pretty busy yesterday

June 07, 2005 by Adam in Family

Work was pretty busy yesterday. I have an all-day meeting today as well, though I'm sneaking out a bit early. Jamie's planning on going to a four o'clock step aerobics class, so we'll do a kid hand-off and I'll entertain them until she's done.

Sam had more T-ball practice last night. Though I mostly watch Emma, I'll occasionally glance up to see him make a particularly good hit or catch. He also seems to be having a good time hanging out with the other boys and running around, which is the main point of these things.

We were planning on going up to Portland this upcoming weekend, but that fell through. It sounds like we'll be seeing Treasure Island, the musical, which one of the neighbor boys is in. We're a pirate-loving family, so it should be the height of entertainment.



Another weekend has wrapped itself up

June 06, 2005 by Adam in Family

Another weekend has wrapped itself up. Sunday Josh and Ray came over to entertain us. Most of the time I was in the basement with the kids while Jamie and her dad talked and watched a movie.

Josh was great with the kids, as always. It also sounds like he'll be around for awhile this summer before heading off to Tennessee to live and go to school.

In the evening, the kids, Jamie, and I went to the rose garden to pass the time. It was beautiful out and the overcast weather kept most people away. The kids chased each other through the rows of roses. Jamie and I held hands. It was a nice ending to the weekend.



Today was launch day

June 05, 2005 by Adam in Family

Today was launch day. Yesterday after work the kids and I went to Eugene Toy and Hobby to pick up a rocket. Sam and I worked on it last night and again this morning, gluing all the little pieces together so that we'd have something to launch with my dad today.

The maiden voyage didn't go very well. After the engine burns, it blows out a short burst from the other end to shoot off the top and extend the parachute. Unfortunately the parachute wasn't glued in tightly enough and it flew out, causing the rocket to land hard and emerge slightly bent.

Fortunately we had a second one handy and launched that five or six more times. Getting excited, we picked up a two-stage rocket and returned home for lunch. My dad managed to super glue all his fingers and inappropriately glue the rocket several times, but an hour or so later we returned to the field by Roosevelt school and had an incredible launch. We thought we'd lost it as it was completely gone for about ten seconds, then we spotted the upper stage slowly returning.

Unfortunately the second launch ended up with the top stage not separating out. Instead it burned in place, causing a fairly large hole. We decided to call it a day and vowed to continue our experiments at a later date. The kids were both ecstatic about the whole thing.

I had the kids in the evening while Jamie went off to her friend Gillian. She's a nice English woman who's a grandparent of a classmate of Sam. The kids and I made pizza with cookie cutters, much to their amusement.



It was a fairly quiet day yesterday

June 03, 2005 by Adam in Family

It was a fairly quiet day yesterday. Jamie and the kids played with John, Natalie, and Sharon at the park. Sam had gym during kindergarden today. Emma ran around being excited and cute.

Work is somewhat exciting today. I've got my mocha and rebooted a server, all before 8 a.m. There's some mysterious problems I'm trying to solve, as well as a fair amount of project work on my list. At least it's rarely boring around here.



The week is winding down already

June 02, 2005 by Adam in Family

The week is winding down already. I took Sam to T-ball practice last night, mostly following Emma around as she explored the playground and visited with assorted people.

She's incredibly friendly, going up to people and asking their name. Everyone's amazed at her verbal abilities at such a young age, easily charming them with her witty reparte.

I'm hoping it clears up this weekend as I'd like to shoot off rockets with my dad and assorted children and nephews. We'll see if we can arrange it. Jamie's dad is also coming to town to spend some time with us. The other day Emma said "Grandpa Ray's my favorite guy." It was very cute.



Sam's T-ball continues

June 02, 2005 by Adam in Sam

Sam's T-ball continues. He seems to enjoy it, though for some reason he doesn't really talk about it much. We drive over to Adam's school, he plays, then we drive back with nary a word.

Summer break is sneaking right up on us too. We've got a variety of things lined up for Sam - a camp on cartooning and another called "Wizard's camp". Jamie's also working on various babysitting help to keep her going. This is the first of many Summer breaks and hopefully we can figure out how to do it well.



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