Wonderful Weekend

April 30, 2013 by Adam in Family

It was one of the better weekends in memory, beautiful and warm, with lots of great kid time.  We accomplished much, but didn't feel tremendous pressure to get anything done.

Friday night we had Emma, with a Saturday morning full of quality hanging out time.  I played Minecraft with the kids, something we haven't done in a long time.  After breakfast, Joanna took Berry and Duncan to a garden party at their school.  Emma and I went food shopping.

In the afternoon, I took Emma to Kate's house so she could perform some experiments on Kate's cat.  It involved shining light in the cat's eyes, somehow collecting data points and learning something about reflection.  Mostly the two girls hung out while I chatted with Kate's dad.

I picked up Sam early, who was starting to show symptoms of a cold.  He's been wanting to play Dark Souls again, and sucked me into it.  The evening wrapped up with pizza and Bang Goes the Theory.  Next weekend Mythbusters returns, which excites me greatly.

Sunday was spent playing once again with kids.  Sam, Emma, and I managed an hour long game of Elder Sign, defeating the Lovecraftian foes together.  The only casualty was one of Emma's characters, who went insane.  I told her a long rest and some prozac made her better after the game.

We spent a long while outside in the afternoon.  Joanna went crazy with pruning, opening up the front patio tremendously.  Sam eagerly mowed while listening to H.P. Lovecraft.  I broke out the second hammock, spread mulch, and pondered reconfiguring the shed furniture.

The day wound down with tie dye efforts.  Emma's turned out really well, and everyone was excited to wash them this morning to fix the colors.  Good times.

Mocha Friday

April 27, 2013 by Adam in Family

It's the end of the day, the kids are (mostly) in bed, and silence has engulfed the house.  It was amazingly beautiful, warm and sunny.  Eugene days don't get much better than this.  When we went for a walk around the neighborhood, the number of flowers and trees in bloom was amazing.

The week has been pretty uneventful, the usual mix of homework, and kid projects.  Sam has been teaching himself a new computer language and tool - C# and Unity to be specific.  Emma is working on a science project for school that involves shining lights in cat eyes.  My mom gave us her old slide projector.  I found one of my old slides and soon we were projecting a giant baby Adam on the stove.

It's nice to have things quiet for a change.

Mad Men

April 24, 2013 by Sue in Wielesek

For those of you who follow "Mad Men" you will remember his sales pitch about the Kodak Carasoul -oh, poop, I've lost the ability to spell. Anyhow, I have a Carousel which was Dick's, preserved perfectly in its vinyl case, with an extra projector bulb, two extra slide racks, and some instrument called a "slide duplicator". I have no idea who reads the family blog, but I will cheerfully send it free to anyone who will pay the postage. I think I looked on ebay and they were selling for something north of $100-$150.
I'm just trying to clear junk out. If I don't have any takers by Emma's birthday, I'll try to foist it off on a Facebook friend. You can offer it to anybody you like who will just come pick it up. I think I have all the tickets in place for the trip except my return. I'm going a day or two early, as it always takes me a long time to adjust.
Remember that Yayoe is coming up on her surgery on the 10th. We're not going to give her a bunch of flowers starts to plant for her birthday...

Science fair

April 22, 2013 by Joanna in Family

I snuck into the Science Fair on Friday morning, prowling around the gym peering at the project by the light of my Droid flashlight on my phone. And then another parent came in to do the same thing and just turned all the light son.

There were tons of cool projects. I told Berry my favorite was by a little girl in Kindergarten who tested gravity by trying to walk up the walls and repeatedly jump off the back of the couch. (Yes, that would be hers.) But the one I truly liked the best involved taking cut white flowers--roses or carnations--and putting them in vases of water dyed different colors. You could see how the water traveled up the stem of the flower into the petals and dyed the petals. Adam liked the one that involved somehow turning lemons into electricity. [EDIT: Apparently I had that conversation with someone other than Adam, or dreamed that I did, as he pointed out he didn't go to the science fair.]

There were a lot of great projects and it was a good reason to be later for work that usual. :)

Another Weekend Draws to a Close

April 22, 2013 by Adam in Family

It was an odd weekend, a mix of frantic work and relaxed playtime.  Friday night Joanna hosted a charity dinner for a group of women from her church.  The average age was probably around sixty, but they were a lively group and a little risque.  I kept a straight face and helped in the kitchen.  Berry and Duncan sat with us for much of the time, though I retreated occasionally to watch a little She-Ra in the basement.

Afterward I started in our our new "exercise chamber," taking the rather nice treadmill and stuffing it into a corner of the room, along with mounting a computer monitor to the wall.  You can now browse YouTube, watch Netflix, or other downloaded movies while running away.  All four kids have tried it out, and I think it'll work much better than the clunky thing upstairs.

In the morning I finished up the basement, doing a massive cleaning job with Berry as we listened to music.  The complete wreck turned into a somewhat organized room, which I was quite proud of.  Emma returned home after lunch, along with Sam.  We hung out and played and then had our usual pizza and Bang Goes the Theory.  Berry went shopping with my mom, wearing the dress she got all night and all day today.

Sunday started with a groggy Joanna going off to choir at church, where they got a standing ovation.  Emma and Berry played for a long while in the basement and made things out of clay.  Sam and I played a bit of Arma 2 and worked on his endless homework.  After lunch we swapped kids around, with Joanna taking Berry to Toys-R-Us and Jerry's.  The rest of the crew went hiking at Ridgeline Trail for an hour or so.  The evening wrapped up with stir fry and nonsensical laughter, as is often the case.

Funny for Yayoe

April 21, 2013 by Seraph in Cortez

today we were volunteering at the Santa Fe Japanese Festival and I saw a lovely little Japanese girl with a shirt that said "Everybody loves Jewish girls!" Made me laugh and think of you :)

Crazy Mocha Friday

April 19, 2013 by Adam in Family

It's been a wild week and I've been glued to the news trying to figure out if there are Chechen terrorists anywhere near Sadie.  I e-mailed her the other day and she reported everyone she knew was fine.  Craziness.

It's looking like we might be moving Emma's birthday party up to the weekend before Memorial Day, as her best friend will be out of town otherwise.  We may try to go to my dad's house that weekend instead.

Duncan and Berry had their science projects for school this week.  Berry did one on gravity, with many photos of her jumping off of things and trying to climb the walls.  Duncan's was on taste, complete with mystery substances to sample.  Emma went to see them after getting picked up from school yesterday and was quite impressed.

Jessica came by to watch kids on Wednesday for our date night, bringing along baby Avery.  She's evidently a great baby who sleeps all the time.  Jessica seems terribly perky and ready to go back to watching everyone this summer.

Joanna's stomach is bothering her again, which is super annoying for her.  She's hosting a dinner for her fellow churchgoers.  She spent last night after dinner making all sorts of French-themed dishes and desserts.  I hope she can enjoy the meal.

No exciting weekend plans.  We might do some gardening if the weather improves.  The plan is to get passport photos Saturday.  Sam is learning quantum physics at school and needs some practice.  Busy, busy.

Wizards!

April 14, 2013 by Seraph in Cortez

Happy birthday Berry!! Have a magical day.

Spoiler Alert: We Set Her Hair On Fire

April 14, 2013 by Adam in Ben

It was quite the birthday party for Berry yesterday.  We've all been sick, but we managed to go all-out on the Wizard 101 themed decorations.  There were Harry Potter glasses, a Wizard 101 cake, and a Unicorn-themed Happy Birthday sign.  The horde of children arrived, along with a few adults who stayed.  We gave the adults wine, chocolate covered strawberries, and board game recommendations.  The kids got pinata bashing, playing in the backyard, and lots of cake and ice cream.

Berry had a good time overall, despite the fact that the relighting candles ended up being a fire hazard that set her hair briefly ablaze.  Fortunately no one had time to be terrified, as one of the dads had lighting-like reflexes and put it out immediately.

It's her actual birthday today, and we'll have a smaller gift exchange with just the family.  I think Berry is happy to finally be six, as she's seemed like a big kid for some time now.

Generic Heading

April 14, 2013 by Emma in Emma

(Mostly) Back from the Dead

April 13, 2013 by Adam in Family

Yesterday was full of throwing up, moaning, and generally feeling lousy.  I woke up with stomach pain and was soon cleaning up after Duncan, who joined me in horrible illness.  Berry soon followed.  The rest of the day is a blur of pain medicine and sleeping.  Sam and I played a fair amount of Civilization, successfully defeating England on our little continent.  Emma went over to her friend Miawako's house where they made sushi and origami.  I managed to watch a couple shows with Sam and Joanna and eat some oatmeal before collapsing in bed.

This morning I feel so much better, as do Duncan and Berry.  I think Sam and Emma are doing just fine today too.  I think Berry's birthday party is still on today.  I've been cleaning up in preparation.

Sick Friday

April 12, 2013 by Adam in Family

I woke up feeling queasy this morning, followed by Duncan waking up feeling the same.  He's been throwing up off and on and it's not even seven this morning.  Lots of laundry, cleaning the tub, and so on.

Fortunately Sam and Emma seem lots better.  Emma is cheerful about going to her friend Miwako's for origami and lunch.  I really hope Berry continues to remain free of illness, as her birthday is tomorrow.

School Photo

April 12, 2013 by Adam in Emma

I finally got around to scanning in Emma's 4th grade school photo.  Some notable friends are Jade, Jamie, and Trinity.  Absent is Kate, who has been Emma's best friend since 1st grade - she's in another class.

Sneaking up on the Weekend

April 11, 2013 by Adam in Family

It's another odd day, working from home while Sam and Emma moan and groan about.  Emma is complaining of stomach aches, while Sam has a sore throat and headaches.  Next week is going to be spent catching up with homework, which is always fun.  On the plus side, I'm taking tomorrow off, so it's effectively my Friday.  I'm also getting a ton of stuff done at work, despite the crushing level of things to be done.

Mom has been heroically booking tickets for the trip to France and England this summer.  It looks like we're leaving on July 4th.  The last time I flew on the 4th of July was when I was a kid, and the fireworks were awesome.  Hopefully we can get some window seats.

We're getting ready for Berry's impending birthday party this Saturday.  Joanna has amassed all manner of Wizard 101 themed items, from pinatas to wizard hats.  It's hard to believe she's turning six.

Sam and I played a little Civilization 5 last night, as that's all he was up for.  We've yet to meet up.

Time to make myself a mocha and delve into the madness of the workday.

Tuesday?

April 10, 2013 by Adam in Family

I'm not quite sure how it became Tuesday already.  The weekend came and went, wet but generally pleasant.  As Jamie is on vacation, we've had all the kids, all the time.  It's generally worked out really well, and it's cool to see the kids play together and laugh even more than usual.

Emma and Berry found pet snails and made up a song for them.  Sam stuck a sleeping bag on his body and became Worm Sam, attacking Duncan who crept around him.  Later we all went to the park and mixed up track ball, Frisbee, and playing in the sand.  Sam and Duncan had so much fun that they came up later.  Joanna puttered in the garden, putting in even more plants and getting things ready for the patch where the chicken coop used to be.

Yesterday we bought a new (used) treadmill to replace our $50 Craigslist one.  I certainly got my exercise putting it into the van and getting it out again.  I think it weighs 300+ lbs.

Both Emma and Sam are sick today.  They mostly made it through school, but are sitting around moaning a bit.  I may be working from home tomorrow.

Spam Call

April 06, 2013 by Adam in Joanna

Joanna got a call from an Indian fellow claiming we had computer problems.  She played along.

Mocha Friday

April 05, 2013 by Adam in Family

I woke up crazy early this morning, dreaming of taking tests that I was ill prepared for.  Life does seem that way on occasion.

The week has moved along without too much excitement.  Duncan and Berry went to the eye doctor, with Berry crying because she didn't need glasses.  It was great seeing Emma last night, as it had been awhile since we spent time together.  I look forward to being able to hang out with her more this weekend.

Joanna and I had a good date night, checking out the new restaurant where the Zenon used to be.  Their moussaka wasn't as good as mom's, though it was decent.  I did love their Turkish coffee and baklava, though.

Sam had his big concert choir last night, perhaps the last one we'll go to at Roosevelt for a long while.  He was looking incredibly huge in his black dress shoes, and was only vaguely embarrassed to see all our enthusiasm at his singing.

It's a mocha day for me.  I've been doing pretty well at work.  Doctors are getting paid, and SouthWest Hospital users are getting migrated.  I work on weird, complicated things.

Sweet Spring

April 04, 2013 by Sue in Wielesek

is my time, is your time, is our time. So viva, sweet love!

I'm sitting here, grooving on the fact that I have virtually no paperwork on my desk. I'm in much better spirits, though I'm so unsure how to work around the anti-Semitism I was so floored by. Maybe I could put on a
"Meet an Actual Jewish Person" event. Anyhow, I think I can bail after the September Luncheon. Does anyone know Hilary Clinton, Bill Clinton, or any of their staff? Maybe one of them would be a speaker. If you have any pull, contact Adam.

This is one of those wonderful "misty, moisty" days. I've been rereading TS Eliot. Amazing poet.

Back Home, Safe and Sound

April 01, 2013 by Adam in Family

Saturday night in Bend continued with a return to downtown.  We ate sushi in a very hip bar.  I kept feeling we should be discussing international intrigue under the water-covered lighting things.  After that we drove to the old ironworks where hipster artisans did a once-a-month sale and music fest.  It was pretty cool and I almost got a "Die at the Helm" shirt from these guys. 

The musicians started late, and they were pretty loud.  The night was cold and the big fire was smokey.  The music itself was pretty good, though we eventually decided we were old people and went home.

This morning we had another amazing breakfast and I took Joanna to the lava fields.  I think she was being somewhat polite in my wishes, but I think ended up a bit in awe of the devastation volcanoes produce.  We headed back to the B&B, packed up, and headed home.

Joanna found alpaca yarn in Sister's and we managed to find a place to eat.  Eventually we returned home to unpack, garden, grocery shop, and settle down.  Duncan and Berry should return from their adventures with their dad soon.  Sam arrives tomorrow.  I'll probably see Emma on Wednesday.  It'll be nice to have all the kids together in a few days.