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Seraph had her baby shower today
December 31, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Seraph had her baby shower today. Quite the crew, including myself (they let in the menfolk). Jamie finally gave Seraph the jacket and hat that she'd spent hours knitting away. It was quite well received.
There were also gobs of baby shower games. I can see why only women are traditionally allowed. In "Baby Bingo", were were supposed to write down the gifts that Seraph might get. Since there were 24 squares, it was hard to come up with enough, so I started making things up. Needless to say, Baby Cortez didn't get a gun and I didn't win.
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Well, we're lazily approaching the new year
December 29, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're lazily approaching the new year. We've had a touch of some illness, though it seems to be hitting me the most. I've had pretty bad headaches the last few days, taking lots of pain killers. It may also have something to do with the fact that I've been trying not to drink coffee for awhile. I gave in this morning, though, and feel just great. To quote Airplane, "I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue."
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Another exciting post-Christmas day
December 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Another exciting post-Christmas day. We had Sadie, my mom, and Dick over for dinner and more presents to open. Jamie fixed up a great meal, with lots of atmosphere to boot. The most memorable gift was a massage chair, which Sam immediately decided was his personal rocket ship. Sam got lots of goodies too - books, Legos, story blocks, and much more. I think this is the last of the gift exchanges. We hit a new record this year at five, including a minor work one.
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Merry Christmas! We're back in town, to a cl...
December 25, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Merry Christmas! We're back in town, to a clean house and happy dog. Soon, we head off to my dad's house for more merriment and presents. Lots of unpacking to do still.
Sam and I went over to OMSI while we were in Portland. He thought it was great, even though this is his second trip. He loved the various ball games, as well as the space capsule. In this picture, he's playing with the Brio boats.
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It's Christmas Eve and we're still up in Portland
December 24, 2000 by Adam in Family
 It's Christmas Eve and we're still up in Portland. Our days have been pretty wonderful, with Jim and Judy watching Sam most of the day. Jamie's been knitting up a frenzy and I've been doing the things I never get a chance to do. I finished watching all 6 hours of the Dune special. I read 2 1/2 books. I even got pretty far into Escape from Monkey Island.
Today, we eat ourselves silly starting at 2 PM, then open presents later in the day. Should be gobs of fun - hope to see all you Eugene people Christmas day!
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Well, we're up in Portland
December 22, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're up in Portland. It's wonderful having Jim and Judy to dote over Sam while we relax away. I've been playing Escape from Monkey Island, which Jason gave to me today. They came over to visit. Sam probably enjoyed their presence the most, as they had him laughing hysterically at their antics. Tomorrow we might visit OMSI or just putter around. Great fun!
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Yesterday was my last day at work for awhile
December 21, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was my last day at work for awhile. We all went over to dinner so that Sadie could see us all before Christmas. It was a bit of a mad house, taking an hour before we were seated and served. Still, it was great to see Sadie and see her in person. Sam was especially attached to her, wanting to sit on her lap and visit.
Today, I'm off to Portland with Sam and Jamie. We're going to open our Christmas presents this morning (mostly because Jamie can't wait), visit with Jason and Colin, then hop in the car. Merry Christmas to everyone!
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We went over to the boys' house last night, a...
December 19, 2000 by Adam in Family
 We went over to the boys' house last night, as Ray had come down to pass out gifts and cheer. Sam was pretty excited, and even I got some good loot. I'm at work for a few more days, then we're off to Portland on Thursday. An exciting Christmas awaits!
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Another day with just Sam and I
December 17, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Another day with just Sam and I. We had a hearty breakfast of waffles and bacon, then headed off to the grocery store for vittles. This afternoon, we stopped by Grandma Sue's house to help decorate their tree. Now we're back at home, playing in Sam's giant tent (it practically fills the entire playroom). Ah, the joys of being two.
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Well, Jamie's off to Portland for the weekend...
December 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jamie's off to Portland for the weekend and Sam and I are by ourselves. Well, we haven't really been by ourselves. We had breakfast with Seraph, Robbie, mom and Dick. Seraph is looking very pregant - her last day at work is this Tuesday. Robbie broke his toe (ouch), but is doing relatively well with it. Mom and Dick finally have their house back to themselves after having Baba as a guest for several weeks.
Dave and Josh should be over shortly. The excitement never stops here at the Miller household.
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Well, Jenny called to let us know that there'...
December 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jenny called to let us know that there's a new baby on the way. Congratulations Jenny! ETA is sometime in August.
Sam is evidently quite into rockets. Today in the car, Sam said "let me tell you about rockets." He then proceeded to explain how they'd blast off, the parachute would come out, it would splash into the ocean and the boat would get it. All things that I've told him, but having him actually remember it all was fairly amazing.
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I've been sick, sick, sick
December 12, 2000 by Adam in Family
 I've been sick, sick, sick. I took so many cough drops today that I started overdosing on menthol. Still went to work, trying to keep my backlog down and my PTO up.
I'm rushing around like a maniac trying to get ready for Christmas. I'm doing my typical "make all my presents myself" routine. Probably no soap or jam this year, but expect something else hand made. Might be a little late, though. Jamie's going to be gone this weekend, so I'm watching Sam by myself for 48 hours straight. Woo hoo!
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Sam and Jamie took me out to lunch today
December 09, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and Jamie took me out to lunch today. Sam's smiles are becoming somewhat staged these days, as is evident by this photo. I'm sniffly today - the cold that went from Sam to Jamie finally made it to me. Not as bad as the last one, I'll probably survive.
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What Adam neglected to note was my cell phone...
December 07, 2000 by Jamie in Family
 What Adam neglected to note was my cell phone NUMBER. It is 541-954-2616. (Don't give this to any telemarketers!!!)
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Well, Sam seems to enjoy having his tummy zer...
December 07, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Sam seems to enjoy having his tummy zerbited. I got him laughing really hard for awhile. Jamie and Sam have both been sick, though I think Jamie was hit pretty hard today. I'm feeling okay now, and I think Sam's on the mend.
The funny story of the week involves the present I got for Jamie. There was a great deal on a Nokia cell phone. After all the coupons and rebates, they'd give us $50 back. Well, after all of 12 hours after buying it, I fessed up and she found out what I got. Silly me.
We got it today, though, and it's pretty cool. Very small. Good sound quality. Great fun.
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Dave, Josh, Sam, Jamie, and I all trekked out...
December 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Dave, Josh, Sam, Jamie, and I all trekked out to my mom's farm to pick up a Christmas tree. We had fun navigating through the horse manure and electric fences to get the perfect tree. It's a small one, but since we're still a fairly new family, our extent of ornaments is small.
Sam's really getting into Christmas this year. He helped decorate the tree and has been asking lots of questions. His skills at identifying Santas and snow men have increased dramatically.
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Sam, Jamie, and I all visited Dr
December 02, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam, Jamie, and I all visited Dr. Jimmy, Sam's pediatrician. He was amazed at Sam's verbal skills, which are up there with 4-year-olds. He's also gained a bunch of weight and is in the 50th percentile (up from 25% or so). He's also a bit tall for his age, around the 70th percentile. My guess is that he'll be tall and skinny like his dad.
This morning, we helped move all the toys from Tiny Tots, the kids play center cooperative that we belong to. It's was quite exciting, with six vehicles packed with toys moving along in a caravan. To top it off, we set off the alarm at my mom's office, where we were storing them all. Fortunately, I knew the code and they hadn't changed it in four years. Unfortunately, I didn't get to it fast enough and I got to visit with a police officer that decided to see what we were up to.
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Sam and Jamie visited me at work today
December 01, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and Jamie visited me at work today. He had a great time visiting with my coworkers and it gave Jamie and I some breathing room. The only touch-and-go part was when he discovered the tub of peanuts in my drawer. The first few were fun, but then he started scooping them in his mouth by the fistfull. Soon he announced that he had too much in his mouth and it quickly came out. Sigh - the tee shirt says it all.
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Sam continues to play with his birthday toys
November 28, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam continues to play with his birthday toys. He's been having a great time with his train, though not exactly as it was designed.
Today, Sam walked up to me, pointed the train controller at me and said, "I'm making you go." I was then required to run around the play room while he pushed buttons.
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Well, today was Sam's birthday
November 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, today was Sam's birthday. With Tracie and Angie's help, I made enough french toast, pancakes, waffles, orange rolls, and other scrumptious treats to feed an army. That's about what descended on our house a few minutes later, as 20+ people helped celebrate Sam's second birthday.
It was quite the party and Sam loved all the toys. Recently, he's been playing with the train. While he liked the normal barrel-dumping action the train will do, there was alternative play methods. He'd put Big Bird on the tracks and run the train into him, then say "Oh no! I'm sorry."
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Quite the packe...
November 24, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Quite the packed day. I started off by baking the bread and cinnamon rolls that I prepared yesterday. Next we went over to Brant and David's for an impromptu Thanksgiving lunch. Kudos to Wendy for throwing together much of the food, especially as she had to scarf it down before she left at 2 pm.
 After a brief rest at home where Sam didn't really rest, we left for my sister's house. It was a bit cozy, but we managed to fit 14 people in her living room. The food was quite tasty. Seraph is also getting quite pregnant, with only two months to go. Little does she know how much her life is going to change.
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First full day back from vacation
November 23, 2000 by Adam in Family
 First full day back from vacation. I was up at 4 am, not quite adjusted to the time difference yet. It was very nice to sleep in our quiet house again. I think Jamie slept well for the first time in a week.
I took Sam to preschool today and he showed me the ropes. It was fun watching him with the other kids. He doesn't interact too well with others in his class, though he's very verbal with me. We made "flubber", played outside, and had story time. Ah, if life were that simple again for me . . .
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Well, we've returned from our grand Nebraska trip
November 21, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we've returned from our grand Nebraska trip. The plane rides were long, the weather was cold, and the people were friendly. Our itinerary was packed and we ate and entertained our way around Broken Bow. The culmination was a birthday party for Grandma Lynn, who turned 90 while we were there. Great fun, though it's nice to be back home.
 Sam absolutely loved the snow. He'd play outside as long as we let him, oblivious to the cold. He liked to move the snow about, either throwing hunks of frozen snow or plowing through loose drifts. Sam also enjoyed the plane. It became a tradition to count down and yell "blast off" when we took off. I was amazed at how good Sam was for the whole trip, only rarely getting tired and grumpy.
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I've created a monster
November 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 I've created a monster. Sam and I picked up some Star Wars Legos yesterday. The last thing he wanted to do before he went to bed was to play with the Legos. The first thing this morning he wanted to play with the Legos. At breakfast, Sam wanted to feed the pilot of his Lego spaceship. I suspect at least some of them will make the trip with us.
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My last day at work for some time
November 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 My last day at work for some time. Crazy day, full of interruptions. Tomorrow we're off on our exciting journey to Nebraska. Corn and cows for miles around.
Got some Legos for Sam today - a Star Wars B-wing. I didn't quite realize how much assembly was required. Evidently, the whole thing!
Oh - Sam finally got a hair cut. Jamie said he was really good.
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Last night was Seraph's birthday
November 13, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Last night was Seraph's birthday. It was a bit of a madhouse, with four generations and assorted in-laws at my mom's tiny house. Still, everyone had a good time, with apple perogies and mashed potatos enough for everyone. Sam loves Legos, and he spent most of the night playing with them.
Sam's new trick was to put a Lego guy on one end of a spoon while he whacks the other. The Lego guy would fly into the air and I'd try to catch it in my cup. Jamie rolled her eyes, but I think she was secretly amused.
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Sam and I met Jenny and Destin at the duck pond
November 12, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and I met Jenny and Destin at the duck pond. We fed dozens of squacking geese, ducks, seagulls, and some Canadian geese that decided to spend the winter in Eugene. Sam was pretty quiet at first, just watching Destin on his bicycle. Later, he discovered the waterfall and watched the leaves go over. He made me repeat over and over things like "Hi. I'm a leaf on the water. La la la. Sure hope there isn't a waterfall ahead. Ahhhhhhh! (splash)"
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Well, Sam and I went to the mall today
November 11, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Sam and I went to the mall today. I was trying to get something for Jamie for Christmas, but nothing came to mind. Instead, I ended up getting goodies for Sam and myself. Sam got a train expansion set (he loves the Brio and Thomas trains - hint, hint). I got myself a new computer game.
Of course, Jamie did get a couple hours of what she wants the most - time to herself. I came back and she'd come up with two ideas for her Christmas present-making project that she's coordinating at the preschool. I got the impression, though, that she might have gone a bit mad if I'd left her alone any more. She's not used to too much free time.
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New digital camera! Also, Dave came by to wa...
November 09, 2000 by Adam in Family
 New digital camera! Also, Dave came by to watch Sam for a few hours. Today was insane - the election being so close, issues at work, and Sam bouncing off the walls. Still, I have a lot of great things going my way. I feel grateful to all my family. Thank you everyone - to those of you in Vermont, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Washington, or just in the next room.
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Whew! Another busy day
November 07, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Whew! Another busy day. As soon as I came home, we took Jamie to her aerobics class and Sam and I ran around Amazon park. Sam had a great time jumping into the leaves over and over. Afterwards, we picked up Jamie and went to her brother's house. Sam collapsed in the car and woke up halfway through dinner. Sam had a great time taunting Toshi with the stuffed Pikachu.
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We tried going out to breakfast this morning ...
November 05, 2000 by Adam in Family
 We tried going out to breakfast this morning at the Glenwood. We had a 45 minute wait but boy was the food good. Now the gang is over, with Sam and Josh playing with blocks and everyone else watching videos on the t.v.
Our Borkholder coffee table should be finally arriving. Jamie got it for my birthday present back in July. Those Amish sure make nice furniture, but they're not big on power tools.
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Well, I think Sam is slowly getting better
November 04, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, I think Sam is slowly getting better. He mostly slept in his own bed last night. Today he's been in a better mood and he's been eating normally again. Josh and Grandpaw Ray are down from Portland, so we'll probably spend some time with them this weekend. Ray got us a Costco membership, which isn't going to help my addiction to cool techno toys.
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Well, it appears as if Sam may have Hand-foot...
November 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, it appears as if Sam may have Hand-foot-mouth disease. Jamie saw a flier at Tiny Tots saying that it was going around, and Sam has some of the symptoms (spots in mouth and on his face). No treatment or good test for it, as it's viral. Fortunately, it supposedly only lasts a few days. Hopefully he'll be better by the end of the weekend. We probably won't see people too much this weekend as we try to minimize contact with everyone. Wish us well!
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Sam had another rough night last night
November 02, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam had another rough night last night. We tried all sorts of pain medication and topical anesthetic, though it was close to impossible to give him either. We gave up and just brought him to bed with us, and he was tossing and turning all night. Poor guy.
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Well, we survived Halloween
November 01, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we survived Halloween. Sam wasn't feeling well, and hadn't been for a couple days. He was exceptionally quiet and would start crying easily. We went to the neighbors and parents, and Jenny dropped by with Destin in a snake outfit. Sam got to give out some candy to the kids that came by.
Sam has had a hard time sleeping the last couple nights. He'd wake up crying 4 or 5 times, which is pretty unusual these days. We think he's teething, as massive amounts of saliva is coming out of his mouth. I stayed with him most of last night and he'd soaked his pillow through. Poor lil' dude.
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Sam and I went out this morning and played at...
October 29, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and I went out this morning and played at Amazon park. He's a swell kid. We played in the leaves, went to Humble Bagel for a snack, then went to Barnes & Noble for some reading fun. Tonight we're having some friends over for dinner, and hopefully relax for a little before then. It's been a busy weekend, hopefully things will slow down a bit.
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We're off to a Halloween party at Sam's presc...
October 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
 We're off to a Halloween party at Sam's preschool tonight. Sam's going to be a Leopard and we're the zoo keepers. It seemed like a good analogy. The next few days will be quite busy. Saturday is a dinner with my mom. Sunday is dinner with friends. Halloween will probably be a visit to various family and neighbors showing off Sam. Great fun.
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Well, we're gearing up for Halloween
October 26, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're gearing up for Halloween. Judy got Sam this in the mail today - a pumpkin bag for Halloween with his name on it. Jamie and Sam went to a pumpkin patch with his preschool. He was a little scared of the tractor at first, but it was pretty cool by the end of the trip.
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Well, I made it back safe and sound from the ...
October 23, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, I made it back safe and sound from the coast. The dog was still alive. Serena had come and cleaned the house - no evidence of teenage parties. All seems quiet and good.
The coast itself was good fun. We packed a ton of people in the place. Most of our time outside the apartment was either at the beach or the outlet mall. There was quite a bit of loot that we brought back with us. Hanging out with the Mellors is always lots of subdued entertainment.
 Still, it's nice to be back home. Sleeping was a bit cramped. I remembered why we have Sam in his own bed. There was also an awful lot of crab, clams, and oysters for dinner last night. I ended up scrounging up some garden burgers. Jamie's back tomorrow. I'm hoping to clean up a bit of my bachelor mess before she arrives. We'll see how it goes . . .
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Well, Dave's going to pick me up after work t...
October 20, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Dave's going to pick me up after work today and we're heading to the coast. I'm not very prepared - I packed a little this morning, but I've still got to get some clothes together. I also need to get my keys to Serena so she can clean. Oh, the pressure! Hopefully we'll have some good movies and photos to bring back from the beach.
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Well, Jamie and Sam head to the coast tomorrow
October 19, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jamie and Sam head to the coast tomorrow. I'll be a bachelor for at least a day. There's going to be a huge number of Mellors and assorted cohorts descending on Depot Bay. I count 10 people in a three bedroom house. Crazy.
We also visited Seraph and Robbie this evening. We installed Sam's old crib and I installed a new CD ROM drive in their computer. The power to the front of their house is out, so I think they're a big haggard.
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Well, poor Lisa passed away today
October 17, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, poor Lisa passed away today. We'd only had him for a week, so we weren't too attached to him. Sam and I made playdough horns and played Taps while Jamie quietly buried the fish at sea (down the toilet).
I think we might try another run at fish later this year, this time with slightly better equipment and hardier fish. For now, it's best that no one mention the "fish" word around Sam.
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I put up a new movie section (look to the lef...
October 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 I put up a new movie section (look to the left under Family). It's still work in progress, especially the high-bandwidth movies. I don't think this poor server can keep up with the bandwidth requirements, so I may end up taking down the quality a notch. The low-bandwidth versions should be fine and even work over the modem, so try it out and let me know!
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Well, Lisa the fish is having a hard time of it
October 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Lisa the fish is having a hard time of it. He started getting pretty sluggish and sitting at the bottom. There also appeared to be a thin film of goop covering it. We took out the plant and got some "anti-ick" medicine. Hopefully he'll pull through.
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Sam and I went to the bookstore and got a tra...
October 15, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and I went to the bookstore and got a tractor book (as shown in the picture) and went to Amazon park to play. Sam had a great time, and it's always a treat to go out somewhere with just the two of us. Sam's also turning into quite a mimic. This morning, I quoted Yoda "Eat it I will", and Sam's been saying it over and over. He's also started to really like music, especially "Mombo Number 5".
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Sam, Jamie, and I went out to tea today
October 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam, Jamie, and I went out to tea today. I took a break at work and we headed to the corner Starbucks. A little hot chai, some assorted goodies, and we were good to go. The only sad part was when I told Sam it was time for me to go back to work. "No goin' to work dad!" he'd say, "Go to Sam's house!" Then he'd cry. Sure makes work even tougher.
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We've all been sick the last few days
October 10, 2000 by Adam in Family
 We've all been sick the last few days. Both Sam and I have copious amounts of goo coming out our noses. I made it through work today through a combination of nasal spray and caffiene. Still, it's pretty rough around here - fortunately, Jamie seems fairly unaffected, she already had it last week.
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The whole crew was here for dinner tonight
October 08, 2000 by Adam in Family
 The whole crew was here for dinner tonight. Darrell and Ray came down and we had a massive spaghetti dinner with Josh, Dave, Darrell, Ray, Sam, Jamie, and I. Whew!
Darell is his usual self, asking about trade tarrifs and the ethics of Napster. Always trying to drum up a philosophical conversation. We celebrated his birthday and Sam really liked singing the song.
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Sam's becoming more of a character every day
October 06, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam's becoming more of a character every day. We added a new member to our family - a Beta fish. Sam named him Lisa (he's still unclear on the fish gender concept). Sam is pretty fascinated with the fish, wanting us to "speak" for the fish.
Sam's putting together weird connections in his mind. Last night, he saw the reflection of our dog Guy in a window. Sam promptly started singing "how much is that doggie in the window." Too funny.
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Well, I completely revamped the site
September 28, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I completely revamped the site. I now have the navigation on the left and rewrote parts of the database. It's all to support more people who want to post on the site.
Initially, this was just for Sam, Jamie, and I. Later, I included my siblings. Now, it looks like I'll be "web hosting" for at least my parents, and who knows who else.
Anyone else out there who wants their own page, let me know. I'll accept chocolate as bribes . . .
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I'm sick, sick, sick
September 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
I'm sick, sick, sick. It started Saturday, a little sniffle and head ache. Unfortunately, it never went away. With a magical combination of caffiene and advil, I've made it through work on a regular basis.
Serina's over watching Sam as I type. "What's that Serina" is repeated over and over. Jamie and I are going to make dinner together just like the old days.
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Well, DSL has been working great for me
September 21, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, DSL has been working great for me. Read all about surfing the net at warp speed here.
I've also written up a little piece on my computer case modifications and the woes associated with pushing the computer style boundaries.
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Yesterday was a very good day
September 19, 2000 by Adam in Family
Yesterday was a very good day. We got a bonus at work, the new D&D book arrived, and I got fast Internet access at home. The difference is pretty amazing - it's faster than what I have at work. There are still some fiddling things that I need to do. Only one of my computers is set up, and I've got some security things to tighten up. Still, it's impressively fast.
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Jamie's birthday weekend went well
September 18, 2000 by Adam in Family
Jamie's birthday weekend went well. Her official birthday is tomorrow, but we got a bunch of family together to celebrate. Brant and Jim were teaching Sam how to put the cap back on beer bottles. Seraph and Robbie were getting ready for their house warming party next weekend. Jenny, Darren, and Destin were heading out to a monster truck rally that night.
The Eugene Celebration was this weekend too. Sam and I went to see the parade, which utterly fascinated him. Anything with drums or trucks was amazing in his eyes.
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Life is frantically moving along
September 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
Life is frantically moving along. Our water heater is dying, so we quickly went out to replace it. We gave Sam too much sugar yesterday and he was bouncing off the walls. He survived a second time at preschool. I think he really likes it - he's been talking about it to me in the evenings. The new case mod is being flaky - not enough time to dedicate to it.
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Sam's starting preschool today
September 11, 2000 by Adam in Family
Sam's starting preschool today. We're a little nervous, but I'm sure it will work out. It's a parent-teacher coop. Sam will be going for 2 1/2 hours twice a week and Jamie's going to be peeking in the first few times. It'll be good for him to hang out with other kids.
I'm working on another computer case mod, this time putting everything inside a computer case. After several fits and starts, I have it up and running. A friend gave me an old sound card (I hope it fits) to finish it up. Unfortunately, the Legos are too fragile and Sam has demonstrated he can easily tear it apart. I'll keep everyone posted on the results.
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Lots of excitement yesterday
September 07, 2000 by Adam in Family
Lots of excitement yesterday. Seraph called. They're 85% sure that the baby's going to be a girl. The next ultrasound might tell a bit better, which is happening in a month or so.
Also, I checked to see if DSL works for my house, and it seems to work. I tried it four times in a row successfully and spoke to a human being who said it should work. I'm checking in with my ISP, but with luck I'll be surfing the web turbo style!
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Pretty quiet Labor Day weekend
September 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
Pretty quiet Labor Day weekend. I drank way too much coffee yesterday. Jamie made it extra strong (unknown to me) and I zipped around for a couple hours then collapsed like a wind up toy.
Sadie posted a bit about her new life. We're shopping around for preschools for Sam. Got a new dryer. I'm off to Home Depot to buy stuff to fix our leaky toilet. Ah, life.
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Busy weekend
August 21, 2000 by Adam in Family
Busy weekend. I helped move Seraph and Robbie to their new house, saw the X-Men movie, and went crazy modifying my computer case. Jamie and Sam should be back tomorrow. Tonight I've got to finish up my computer case, clean the house, and hopefully not get too sick. I think I'm finally catching what Jamie and Sam had. Sniff.
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Sadie has gone back to school
August 17, 2000 by Adam in Family
Sadie has gone back to school. Evidently she missed her flight, so she spent the night somewhere in the middle of the USA. Sam and Jamie are going to Portland this weekend, leaving me all to my lonesome. I have an immense amount of work to do, from helping move Seraph and Robbie to oodles of yardwork.
Oh, I also put up some new photos. There's also less dorky ones for Sadie and the Cortezes
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Seraph and Robbie finally posted some news
August 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
Seraph and Robbie finally posted some news. Good for them!
Another exciting weekend for our family. Took a trip up to Portland yesterday to BBQ with Grandpaw Ray. The 1 1/2 hour drive in the car went pretty well, with Sam awake the entire time. The only down side was that my throat got a little sore from doing the voice of Sam's stuffed kangaroo.
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Well, I completely revamped the photo album
August 08, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I completely revamped the photo album. It's now database driven and has lots more search features. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see added.
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I posted some new phrases from that lovable b...
August 04, 2000 by Adam in Family
I posted some new phrases from that lovable boy on Sam's first words page. This includes the long awaited "Soylent Green is people".
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Poor Jamie has been sick the last couple days
August 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
Poor Jamie has been sick the last couple days. I've been pulling double Sam duty and trying to let her rest some.
We got a new driveway yesterday. I came home to find our old grungy gravel driveway hauled away and new gravel layed down. It looks tons better.
I also finished putting together my new computer. I didn't have the overclocking luck this time around, but it's still a pretty good, cheap computer. Read all about it on my projects page.
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Well, the grand wedding between Jenny and Dar...
July 31, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, the grand wedding between Jenny and Darren Banks happened today! There was a huge amount of family there. I was the official videographer, and took some quick stills:
The Banks are off to Vegas for a few days, promising to sleep in until noon each day.
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Well, I added a new area to the web site: "Th...
July 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I added a new area to the web site: "The Clan". I e-mailed the various people involved, so I'm hoping that I get responses fairly soon. Ideally, we'll get news about Jenny and Darren's wedding as well as the baby on the way for Seraph and Robbie!
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Looks like this web site is actually getting ...
July 24, 2000 by Adam in Family
Looks like this web site is actually getting some use. My cousin Mikayla dropped me a note after noticing my interest in computer games. Hello Mikayla!
Busy weekend. We finished the long-running gate project. We now have a nice white gate to replace the old ratty one. There was also assorted cleaning, lawn care, and family celebrations. Jamie's dad came down to visit and my mom had her birthday.
Sam is cute as ever. He's started getting into singing. He'll give the "ABC" song a periodic try, though his favorite is "Don't put your finger up your nose." With luck, I'll record a duet and put it up on the site.
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We went over to see Seraph and Robbie's new house
July 15, 2000 by Adam in Family
We went over to see Seraph and Robbie's new house. They took us around to the various rooms. When they got to the smaller corner bedroom, they announced "and this will be the baby's room". It surprised all of us - we'll be expecting little baby Cortez sometime in January. We wish them the very best.
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Well, we're up in Portland at Jamie's mom's house
July 11, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, we're up in Portland at Jamie's mom's house. The new web site allows me to post news items from anywhere, which is great.
We spent yesterday at OMSI, mostly in the toddler section. Sam spent hours stacking blocks, blowing balls around through tubes, and digging in the sand. Unfortunately, the robot exhibit wasn't there, so we had to explain to Sam that the robots had "gone home". Still, it was a big success and I can see it being a common event when we visit.
Today is the zoo, though Sam doesn't know what's in store for him. We've talked a little about how we're going to be seeing elephants, giraffes, and tigers. Little does he know . . .
We're probably going to be back in town late tonight. Hopefully Sadie has taken good care of the place.
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Well, we're about to head off to Portland for...
July 06, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, we're about to head off to Portland for a few days for our anniversary. We're hauling Sam along with us, and we'll probably leave him with grandmaw for a day. Actually spending an entire, uninterrupted, day with Jamie is pretty exciting. Perhaps a lazy day visiting coffee houses and browsing books at Powells. Pretty cool!
Sam's sleeping habits are starting to mellow out again. He still goes to bed around 9 pm now, but at least he's fighting it less. We're missing the lost couple hours in the evening still. The joys of parenthood . . .
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I broke out the microphone and recorded some ...
July 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
I broke out the microphone and recorded some new words from Sam. Sam also went to see Chicken Run, his first time in a big movie theater. He did really well, though we left after an hour. He kept saying things like "wow!" and "big, big movie!".
We also managed to do some serious gardening this weekend - mowing, watering, laying paths, and getting ready to regravel the driveway. Ah, the joys of home ownership.
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We're finally up and running with our new dom...
June 28, 2000 by Adam in Family
We're finally up and running with our new domain name, server, and news script. This should hopefully make life easier (before we had to break out various programs and be connected from home in order to post).
The funny story of the month involves a strange smell that came from our back yard. It was vaguely dead-animal like, so we hoped it would just go away. After another week, a plumber was summoned, who took a look under our porch and announced we had a "geyser of sewage". Evidently the previous owners had constructed a clean out plug out of an orange traffic cone, a wooden board, and some gravel. We happily shelled out $450 to get it fixed (we weren't too keen on wading around in raw sewage). The good news is that we had the best cherry crop we've ever had. Just doing my little part for recycling, I suppose.
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Well, I finally purchased a domain name for o...
June 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I finally purchased a domain name for our site: www.adamandjamie.com. It's not actually hooked to anything, but eventually you'll be able to just remember that instead of the long weird one I now have. I'm also looking in to having a friend host our site. Should have lots more room.
Jamie's got her whole family here it seems. Darrel and her dad are over, as well as both her brothers and nephew. Fortunately, it coincides with Jamie's great gate building project, so it's working out fairly well for her.
Sam's doing well as always. He almost always talks in sentences now. A couple weeks ago he stuck his finger in the wading pool and said "gross dead fly". Too funny.
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As I type, I'm sitting in front of my new com...
May 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
As I type, I'm sitting in front of my new computer. It's taken awhile to get things transferred over and ready to go. If you're interested in the details, check out my projects page.
Today is mother's day. I put together a little video for Jamie of Sam's first year and a half. My camcorder came and I'm actually doing some digital editing. It's tricky and I can definately tell I'm pushing the limits of my computer, but the quality is great. I taught Sam to say "Happy Mother's Day!" His verbal skills are pretty amazing. He's putting together multiple-word sentences, as well as using things like "and", "my", and plurals. What a super genius boy.
I think Sam and I will head out to the mall to pick up a present for Jamie this afternoon. We're all getting over being sick, so I'm trying to take it easy. Work is getting exciting - big projects are in the work. Life at home is good. I think Jamie and I are getting the hang of raising a kid. Maybe in a couple more years we'll start thinking about another.
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Well, we finally did our taxes and were very ...
April 09, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, we finally did our taxes and were very excited to find that we were going to get some money back. Yea! I ordered a digital camcorder, and it should show up in a week or so. Hopefully I'll have better luck editing a movie of Sam for next Christmas.
Sam's got quite the personality these days. He's a big fan of balls, especially throwing them into his new basketball hoop. He also loves being outside and running around. I think he got a little stir crazy being inside all winter.
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Well, I think that everyone is finally over b...
March 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I think that everyone is finally over being sick. My ears are finally unplugged (I had ear infections). To top it off, the sun came out this weekend and I got to do a little gardening.
Sam's teeth continue to pop in left and right. I was holding him upside down in front of the mirror (don't ask) and noticed his upper molars are coming in. That will come in handy when he's eating. Sam turned 16 months old yesterday. He seems so big and active, I forget that he was just born a little over a year ago. Pretty amazing.
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Sam's getting over being really sick
March 11, 2000 by Adam in Family
Sam's getting over being really sick. He was so miserable for a couple days there. He'd cough and cough, then look at us pitifully and say "ouch". Poor kid. He's getting better though - last night he felt good enough to take to the Home and Garden show. Sam wasn't too impressed with the displays, but he really liked the horses in the parking lot (the show was at the fairgrounds).
Jamie's leaving for her mother's on Wednesday (nothing I did, honest!). It will be strange being by myself for a few days. I suspect I'll miss them terribly. I'm going to try to garden like a maniac while everyone is gone. As the flowers pop up, that annual frezy to prune and pluck comes over me.
I ordered fast Internet access last week, at the same time cancelled our newspaper. I'm trying hard to bring us into the great electronic future. We'll see how it pans out. If this goes well, I may try to set up my own web server and domain name (how does www.adamandjamie.com sound?). Still a few months in the future, though.
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Sam cut his third tooth on his 15 month birthday
February 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
Sam cut his third tooth on his 15 month birthday. It's the upper left front tooth. Hopefully it will help him with chewing, as he's been working with just the lower two. It should hopefully make certain sounds easier to say - like "f" and "s", which rely pretty heavily on those upper teeth.
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Not much has been going on in the Miller hous...
February 05, 2000 by Adam in Family
Not much has been going on in the Miller household over the last month. Sam continues to grow - he's probably up to 100 words that he knows now. You'll see a few additions on the Sam's First Words page. You can have simple conversations with him. He's especially good with food things, such as "What do you want, Sam?" "More bread." He's also very active, and started to get a few scrapes and bruises that come with the territory. He's also fascinated by drawing. Sam likes to draw and identify things that others draw.
It's hard finding the time for projects these days. This Summer, Jamie wants to pave the driveway and possibly put in a porch. I picked up a really cheap scanner and CD writer (more on my page). Sam's sleep schedule has been weird. He's going to bed late and I'm getting up early. Doesn't leave much time in the evening for anything.
I'm looking forward to Spring. Just a few more months and all the plants will be coming back to life again. Hopefully, Sam will be able to "help" (or at least entertain himself digging in dirt).
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New Years Day came and went
January 04, 2000 by Adam in Family
New Years Day came and went. Pretty boring altogether. Since I work in the world of computers, I was on call and everyone was on their toes. Nothing happened.
Sam's been growing by the minute. What use to be "ein" is now "I dn know". He's also developed quite a hunkering for tofu pate (which he calls "dip"). The other morning, he crawled out of bed, on to the couch at the base of the bed, down to the floor, down the stairs, and walked into the kitchen. He pointed at the refrigerator and asked "dip?" It's probably a bad sign when the first thing he wants in the morning is tofu pate.
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