It was a funny night last night

December 31, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a funny night last night. Brant and Josh came over to watch Sam around noon (though actually Brant came for the game). When I arrived, Sam was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. Kirsten and Dave had arrived by then, and Sadie showed up as well. It was quite the little party, and Jamie had even made lentil soup from a Marth Stewart magazine.

Sadie and I chatted and helped put together a CD for Anna. I showed her some of the Neverwinter Nights modules I've been putting together and she politely refrained from running away screaming, "Nerd! Nerd!" We also chatted about her upcoming graduation and all the fun that implies.

Sam finally wandered down and sat in my lap, barely saying a word. After everyone left, he conked out on the couch around 6:30, fast asleep. We let him lay there for a bit, then took him up to bed. He looked so pitiful - all the running around must have tired him right out.

The weekend is over and I'm back at work

December 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

The weekend is over and I'm back at work. The sun peeked out for awhile yesterday, prompting Jamie, Sam, and I to make an expedition to the bike path by the river. Sam geared up and rode his bike along, laughing as he went. He learned a new phrase, "on your left", that he called out every time he passed someone. He even tried it out on Jamie when he was trying to climb over her in bed last night.

We're slowly taking down the Christmas ornaments and getting ready for the new year. It's a long time until Spring, so Jamie bought herself some daisies to tide her over for awhile.

It was quite the day today

December 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was quite the day today. Work seems relaxing by comparison. Sam wandered down early this morning and we played a bit before breakfast. His latest favorite game is having me pull him up and down the stairs in a sleeping bag, so I'm getting lots of exercise. After breakfast, we went to Karate, which is hard for him but enjoyable. Then we puttered around the house and went to the new library in the early afternoon.

The new library has great potential, with beautiful architecture and lots of space for everyone. I love the coffee place in front - I suspect it will get much of my patronage. The downside is that it was extremely busy and we ended up waiting in line to get a new library card. Fortunately, Sam was very patient as long as I kept reading to him.

I'm not sure exactly what Jamie did all day, though my guess is that it was a bit more relaxing than my activities. She did a little work on her scrapbook and I caught her writing in her pregnancy journal. She also managed a nap in there too, which will hopefully help with her fatigue. I suppose no matter how hard my day seemed, growing a baby from scratch is always going to be harder.

Good news on the baby front

December 28, 2002 by Adam in Family

Good news on the baby front. You can read all about it on Emma's page.

It's officially the day after Christmas, wher...

December 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's officially the day after Christmas, where piles of presents and wrapping paper are shuffled off to their respective piles and shelves. We spent most of the day trying to do normal things, like going grocery shopping and doing laundry. We've been trying to calm Sam down and get him back into the routine, though he did manage to bop me in the nose at least once.

It seemed like a whirlwind Christmas, traveling from place to place. It felt like we didn't really get to see people very much at all. Poor Jamie couldn't manage to make it through Christmas celebrations at my mom's, so she ducked out early while I got to drink wine and chat it up with my family.

I'm going to try to dutifully send out thank you cards, though I'm a little nervous that I'll be able to actually deliver. Here's a little preemptive thanks to everyone who sent along such wonderful gifts.

Merry Christmas to all

December 25, 2002 by Adam in Family

Merry Christmas to all. We had quite the gathering last night, with large groups of Jamie's family coming over to eat and open presents. My figgy pudding actually turned out well. I'll be bringing what remains back to Eugene so that the brave can give it a try too.

I expect Sam and Jamie will be waking up shortly, then we'll head back to town after a little breakfast. I'm not sure when the gathering at my mom's is happening - probably a bit after noon. Then, perhaps, our little family will have some quiet time together.

We're up in Portland, taking it easy for a co...

December 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

We're up in Portland, taking it easy for a couple days before Christmas. Sam's being highly entertained by Jim and Judy, giving Jamie and I a chance to rest a bit. I finished up one book yesterday, and I'm hoping to make some Figgy Pudding today or tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

It was a fairly exciting day today

December 22, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a fairly exciting day today. Jamie woke me up this morning by poking at my head. Evidently she was trapped between Sam and I and had to go to the bathroom. I had a couple hours of computer play time, then a hearty breakfast. Sam and I went over to my mom's for breakfast where I had a great time visiting with Sadie while Sam played with Destin. Then it was back to our house around 1 pm for general hanging out time. Dad and Yayoe came by later that afternoon to drop off presents and visit.

I'm hoping to take it easy for the rest of the day. That and get ready for our trip to Portland. We may leave tomorrow, depending on how we feel.

It's Friday, which I am thankful for

December 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's Friday, which I am thankful for. I'll be taking most of next week off, so I'll hopefully have a fair amount of time to rest. It does look as if the next few days will be busy, with traveling and events galore.

Grandpa Bill came over last night, entertaining us with tales from the thirties. I think Sam would have preferred a few more terrible stories, especially those involving accidents and such. Still, it went well and it was nice to visit with him for a time.

I'm bleary-eyed this morning, a mocha by my s...

December 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

I'm bleary-eyed this morning, a mocha by my side as I try to wake up. I saw the Two Towers last night, the second of the Lord of the Rings movies. Extremely well done - almost nothing bad to say about it. I only waited in line for about an hour before the movie, then another three in the theater. I think I managed to get to bed a bit before eleven.

The only odd thing about the movie was that Sam's karate instructor was there (his picture is the one a few posts down). I couldn't remember his name, so I opted against the social embarrassment of saying hello.

I think Sam and Jamie survived without me for a night. I always feel vaguely bad taking off for an evening, knowing the Jamie doesn't really get much of a break. At least I'll be taking a few days off around Christmas.

I traded a run to pick up burritos for dinner...

December 18, 2002 by Adam in Family

I traded a run to pick up burritos for dinner last night with Jamie. She's now going to mail all my Christmas presents to relatives, which has been taking me forever to do. I was up at 3:30 yesterday morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I could feel it all day, and kept making dumb mistakes. Unfortunately, this resulted in some computer downtime, so I swore off touching computers for the rest of the day.

I'm feeling better this morning and got plenty of sleep. This is a good thing, as I'm going to see The Two Towers tonight with work friends. It'll be a long haul, getting there at 6 pm and staying until 10 pm. I'm getting too old for these sorts of things.

We spent a rainy weekend mostly at home

December 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

We spent a rainy weekend mostly at home. Sunday was spent decorating the tree, wrapping presents, and watching E.T. with Sam. We didn't even step out of the house as it was pouring for most of the day. I have one major set of Christmas projects to wrap and send, which I better finish soon with the magic day coming up.

It's a rainy weekend, one of the last before ...

December 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's a rainy weekend, one of the last before Christmas. Sam and I hit the mall early this morning, getting the last of the Christmas presents. I've got much wrapping to do, though I'm hoping to press Jamie into service. You'll know if she wrapped your present, for obvious reasons.

I've been keeping an eye on Sam for most of the day, giving Jamie a chance to go visit her friend Victoria. We're supposedly getting our Christmas tree today, generously donated by mom and Dick. Angie may come over later to help us decorate, getting us into the Christmas spirit.

Thursday already

December 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

Thursday already. Where does the week go? I've been trying hard to finish buying and making all my Christmas presents. I've got one more to buy, and a bunch to make. Plus there's the figs that I've dried and are now compelling me further to make that promised figgy pudding. When you all are forced to eat it for Christmas gatherings, please smile and say you like it.

On an up note, Jamie's been feeling better these days. I'm not sure if it's the flu shot that has run its course, or if she's finally getting out of the first trimester blahs. Here's hoping for the best.

We've been chugging along this week, getting ...

December 10, 2002 by Adam in Family

We've been chugging along this week, getting ready for the holidays. I did a little more Christmas shopping yesterday as opportunities come to me. Sam went to another Karate class yesterday. I think he's enjoying it, though he is one of the younger kids. Having some structure and discipline is good for him, and he seems to have fun too.

It's been a pretty quiet day so far

December 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been a pretty quiet day so far. Jamie's not feeling well and Sam just wants to play with the computer. I managed to sneak in a little Christmas shopping yesterday, and I think we'll put up some decorations this afternoon. My fig experiments are going well, as we are currently in the drying process.

I did manage to get Sam outside for a few minutes today. We went to the park where Sam played around until his hands froze, then we ran back home and played with playdough. Sam got a robot for his birthday that says "Hello. You are my friend. Let's play." Now he wants me to chase him around with it, pretending it malfunctioned and is trying to get him. Ah, the joys of parenthood.

We took Sam to his Karate class this morning

December 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

We took Sam to his Karate class this morning. He did pretty well, though he was clearly tired at the end. He was the youngest kid there, I think, and it was a huge class. Still, he seemed enthusiastic and Jamie'll take him again next week. It turns out I went to high school with the instructor many years ago.

No plans for the day. I'm trying to get things done while Sam plays Star Wars. Not sure how much longer I'll be able to run about, as he really wants me to play with him.

It's mocha Friday, and a rather pleasant day ...

December 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's mocha Friday, and a rather pleasant day indeed. Sam's signed up for his martial arts class at a place on 12th and Willamette that Jamie scoped out. It seemed to have better hours and was more "gym like" which appealed to Jamie. His first class is Saturday morning. I think he'll be excited to start going.

I've been putting of Christmas presents for awhile, and I think I've got to start getting that in gear. I'm starting to have some ideas, so hopefully everyone will be pleasantly surprised.

No exciting plans this weekend. Jamie may go to a Christmas party Saturday night, but I think we'll mostly stick around home. I'd like to do some experiments with all the figs I picked over the summer. Hopefully they won't go terribly wrong.

Sam went to Tae Quan Do tonight

December 05, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam went to Tae Quan Do tonight. Here's a picture of him being taught by Anthony. It was just an initial test class, about five minutes long, but it was lots of fun to watch him and I think he had a good time. He's been very interested in martial arts after seeing some people practicing at the park a few months ago.

I think he'll check out another place and then we'll decide which one is best for him. Jamie's secret plan is to get him signed up for something that'll tire him right out.

Well, my car didn't start yesterday

December 03, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, my car didn't start yesterday. I walked the rest of the way home, about 20 minutes total. After dinner we recovered it and drove it home. I'll probably get a new battery over the weekend, though it's only a couple years old. It's probably a combination of age, the cold, and not driving it much that is causing the problems. Sigh.

I have a bit of a headache today. The end of the cold that I've had the last week or so. I'm going for my normal fix - coffee and Advil. A winning combination.

December just snuck right up on me

December 02, 2002 by Adam in Family

December just snuck right up on me. I drove in today, realizing that the car should be driven at least once every couple weeks. I had to jump it, as the battery had died. Hopefully it'll start this afternoon.

Sam had a great birthday party on Sunday. Endless cousins, aunts, and uncles arrived bearing assorted gifts. We zipped through lunch, cake, and present opening, then settled down for some Star Wars watching towards the end. People slowly filtered away as nap times arrived. Sam and Grandpa Lohring were the only ones who made it until the end.

Jamie arrived, tired, towards the end of the day. We wound down and put Sam to sleep, then all went to bed ourselves.

Jamie's off at the coast today

November 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie's off at the coast today. Judy drove in after breakfast to take her there, leaving Sam and I to fend for ourselves. So far, so good. We took a long hike at Hendrick's park, getting our exercise for the day. Now I'm trying to get lunch in him, and do some quiet at home activities. We might take a trip to the library later if it's open, or maybe a visit to the movie store. Mostly I just want to take it easy for awhile.

Sam got a chair and desk, kid sized, from Jim and Judy. We've put it up in his room for now. He had a dream where he was playing on a computer in his room, so I suggested that we put the Lego computer up there. "If I follow my dreams," said Sam. Well, we certainly want him to follow his dreams, so we'll try to make it happen today.

I'm slowly recovering from my cold

November 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

I'm slowly recovering from my cold. Yesterday was an amusing blur of endless tissues. Today I woke up with lots of energy, trying to entertain Sam with something other than computer games. We played with toy cars, ran around chasing each other with cardboard swords, and generally whooped it up.

Jamie's dad, uncle, and Josh came over around noon for lunch and football watching. Josh did a pretty good job with watching Sam, though his teenage brain gave out after a couple hours and I ended up rescuing Sam. I pushed him down the stairs in an impromptu cardboard "car", hung a string of Christmas lights, and did my best until dinnertime. Then, I collapsed, took a bath, fiddled on my computer, and find myself now completely exhausted.

Hopefully I'll have a little energy left over for tomorrow as I watch Sam by myself and get ready for his birthday party Sunday. Even though it'll just be us guys, I'm going to try to get out of the house and get a little exercise.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

November 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I spent most of the day with a tissue at my nose, as I now seem to have a cold that won't stop. It took awhile for things to get moving around here. Sam was in a bit of a mood, so Grandma Sue walked around the neighborhood with us for a bit. It was good to get out of the house, even though my nose seemed to drip endlessly. I think I went through an entire roll of toilet paper, a box of kleenex, and several sheets of paper towels.

The food part itself was great fun. Sam got some extra presents, including a toy salamander that he thought was great. We had Ray, Dave, Josh, Darrel, Kirsten, Brant, and a friend named Joe. I'm still pretty stuffed.

It's Sam's birthday today

November 26, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's Sam's birthday today. He's at preschool, where they're having a small party for him. I think we'll do a quiet little event for Sam tonight, then more extensive ones this Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. With big families, these events can be fairly drawn out affairs.

My stomach feels better, though it isn't quite perfect yet. Jamie's also much improved, though she's starting to feel a bit ungainly.

I'm very much looking forward to a long weekend of eating, hanging out, and playing with Sam. Though I've been trying hard to save up PTO for the new baby, spending a little seems A-okay with me.

The stomach flu hit me pretty bad yesterday, ...

November 24, 2002 by Adam in Family

The stomach flu hit me pretty bad yesterday, and I mostly sat quietly as much as possible. Jamie was pretty beat, so I watched Sam much of the day. We ended up playing lots on the computer, except for a short while when Sam went to John's birthday party.

I'm feeling better today, though I had some problems getting to sleep. We had our normal hearty breakfast this morning, which always makes the day seem better. I think we're going to get our hair cut (both Sam and I), and generally take it easy.

A couple nights ago, Sam reported that he had...

November 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

A couple nights ago, Sam reported that he had a dream where a creature was poking him in the stomach and that it really hurt. He's also been eating less and complaining of stomach pains. Well, today he seems better, but I've definately got some sort of stomach ailment. My guess is that it's a mild flu. It doesn't really hurt, and I don't feel nauseous. Basically it feels like I've just done a bunch of sit ups and my muscles are really tight.

Jamie's out for a walk with Angie, and we're going to a birthday party for one of Sam's friends around lunchtime. I think we're going to generally take it easy today. Jamie, on the other hand, seems to be much improved. This morning at breakfast she told me that Friday she felt almost normal again.

I had another beautiful sight riding in to wo...

November 21, 2002 by Adam in Family

I had another beautiful sight riding in to work this morning. There was a heavy fog through the valley and the sunrise began to peek over the hills. The trees on the eastern ridgeline were silhouetted against a misty pink background. That was worth the price of admission right there.

I had a massive headache yesterday that started in the afternoon and continued until the evening. Jamie sent me out for Chinese food, and I had a miserable half hour waiting for them to get it together. I finally hid in the basement, ate three bowls of cereal, and felt better.

I'm going to be taking down the web site at 8:30 tonight. I've got a bunch of friends from work connecting to my computer and playing games. We're repeating it again tomorrow. Should be lots of fun.

Sadie made a woodcut of Jamie and sent it alo...

November 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sadie made a woodcut of Jamie and sent it along to us. That girl is quite artistic.

Plans for Sam's birthday are shaping up. I'm looking at having people over the Sunday after Thanksgiving for lunch, so mark your calendars. It'll probably start around noon and go for an hour or two. That should give Sam and I enough time to clean up before Jamie arrives, since she's gone that day.

Sam was busy entertaining us at dinner today. He's a surprisingly funny kid, both from the usual innocence of a kid, as well as trying to deliberately make us laugh. I asked him how I could be a better dad today and he told me, "If you played Star Wars with me more often."

Josh comes over to our house after school eac...

November 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

Josh comes over to our house after school each day, spending an hour or so with us until his dad picks him up. Yesterday, he and Sam were playing "mummy".

This cold has still got me down a bit. My throat is sore and my nose is runny. Just loads of fun. Still, it's not bad enough to actually stop working. I've been drinking lots of fluids and pushing through.

We were eating dinner last night and we were trying to get Sam to finish his soup. "Just one more chicken piece," he said. "One chicken to rule them all." Perhaps we've been watching a bit too much Lord of the Rings.

Sam and I are having a Lord of the Rings mara...

November 17, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam and I are having a Lord of the Rings marathon today. I picked up the extended version when it came out, which is 3 1/2 hours long. We're currently going through the mines of Moria, after many breaks for lunch, running around, and reinacting scenes. This particular picture is of Sam pretending to be Sauron, complete with magical ring and mace.

Jamie's feeling better today, though not completely perfect. The morning sickness is much improved and this cold is finally fading away. This morning she was convinced the baby was moving around and had me press my ear to her belly. I heard much gurgling, but I'm think that it's mostly digestion at this point.

It's a Mocha Friday and I'm looking forward t...

November 15, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's a Mocha Friday and I'm looking forward to the end of the work week. I've been waking up early all week and today was no exception. I arose around 5 am, though that didn't beat my 4 am wakeup yesterday. Strangely, I don't feel very tired, though I do still have my lingering cold.

I'm not sure if we have any exciting weekend plans. I picked up the extended version of the Lord of the Rings, so Sam and I may sit down and watch that. Feel free to come on over if you want a long day of eating popcorn and sitting by the fire while watching Black Riders chase hobbits.

It's been quite the week

November 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been quite the week. I think we're all on the mend, though this cold has really bogged us down. My ears were plugged up yesterday and I was a little achy. I'm mostly better, though my throat's a bit sore. I may make a mocha run early, as it does tend to help my throat and improve my mood.

Sam's birthday is coming up, as is Thanksgiving. I haven't heard what anyone's plans are yet. Jamie's family is descending on our house at some point, though I'd certainly like to see my family too. We'll play it by ear, as always, I suppose.

We've been slogging through the last couple days

November 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

We've been slogging through the last couple days. Jamie finally went to the doctor and it turned out she had both ear and nasal infections. So, she's on antibiotics and slowly getting better. Sam and I have the same cold, and have been feeling marginal.

I got really wet coming to work today. I think my coworkers secretly called me "Mr. Soggybottom". Need rain pants.

Sam's birthday is coming up, and for those of...

November 11, 2002 by Jamie in Family

Sam's birthday is coming up, and for those of you who rely on the website for gift ideas, I have some changes to his vital statistics. Found out yesterday that Sam's shoe size is 11, and I've been squeezing him into 9s! We also discovered that size 5 pants actually cover his legs, though he's technically size 4 :-)
He and Adam really like going swimming (gift pass to the Y?) and of course Legos never miss. We are running out of fresh Play-dough, which is great for quiet time.

Jamie just called from home

November 11, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie just called from home. She's feeling sick again and is heading into the doctor in a few hours. I slept poorly as well, with a dry throat and much tossing and turning. I'm doing okay now, though I can definately feel a touch of the cold.

Well, we've returned from far off Portland

November 11, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, we've returned from far off Portland. Though we all have colds now, we had a pretty good time. Having the grandparents watch Sam a fair amount was nice, though Jamie was still feeling that resting on the couch was best for her. We hit the outlet mall on the way back and I picked up some rain gear. I'll write more later. We're all pretty beat now. Happy birthday, Seraph.

Sam called me here at work a few minutes ago

November 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam called me here at work a few minutes ago. According to him, he's feeling better, though Jamie reported that his eyes are still a bit red. At least his eyes weren't glued together this morning. She's waiting for a call back from the clinic and they'll probably go in today.

The rain is pouring down today

November 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

The rain is pouring down today. I got a little soggy on my bike ride in, but nothing too bad. Poor Sam has an eye infection and was up several times last night. I think he feels pretty bad, and there was lots of mucus coming out of his eyes. Poor kid. Jamie will probably take Sam to the doctor this morning. Antibiotics should do the trick.

We're still hoping on going to Portland this weekend, though we're playing it a bit by ear. It would be nice to get away for a little while. It feels like we've been cooped up at our house for months. I think Jamie is finally improving, with just a nagging headache left. She's starting to show a little too, as there's a cute little tummy bump sticking out there.

I must have been quite the tempest last night

November 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

I must have been quite the tempest last night. My internet connection was down, though who knows if it was the storm. Riding my bike in to work, I first noticed all the garbage strewn across the roads. Willamette was blocked off by a fire truck and flares. EWEB was out working on a transformer. To top it off, two of the intersections on the way had lost power. Fortunately, I made it in safe and sound and it appears my internet connection is up and running again.

I took Sam swimming last night. He had way too much fun, as usual. He's a maniac in the pool, diving and jumping and doing all sorts of tricks. He kept choking himself, though that didn't seem to stop him much. The only bad thing was that the chlorine hurt his eyes pretty bad as he didn't like to wear his goggles.

It looks like we're doing a Portland trip this weekend. I've got the laptop charged and ready for some in-car entertainment. I taped a Justice League episode on the camcorder, which is worth one hour of Sam entertainment. I think we're good to go.

It was beautiful riding my bike to work this ...

November 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was beautiful riding my bike to work this morning. The sunrise filled the sky with reds and golds. The color was reflected in the falling leaves, and the smell of rain was on the air. One of those mornings when it's good to be alive.

They continue to clean up the building they tore down yesterday. They've got heavy equipment moving and hauling it away. Of course, the view out my window is quite nice now, so it makes up for the noise.

Jamie's morning sickness seems much improved, but this cold has hit her hard. She's been moping around on the couch or in the bath most evenings. Hopefully she'll return to normal soon.

I've been a very good husband these last few days

November 04, 2002 by Adam in Family

I've been a very good husband these last few days. We all caught colds, so I've tried to be extra nice to everyone. Jamie actually feels decent except for the cold. She's been napping in the afternoons when she's able.

We picked up some new roses for our front this morning. I've been missing the yard at our old house, so it's nice to start the transformation here. We won't really see much until Spring, though. All the flowers have lost their blooms, and we're cutting everything back.

It seems to be the norm these days that our w...

November 03, 2002 by Adam in Family

It seems to be the norm these days that our weekends tend to be pretty quiet. Everyone seemed to have a touch of the sniffles, so we mostly stayed indoors and hung out. We made a library/Metropol/video store run, watched Beauty and the Beast, and played a fair amount of computer games. Jamie actually took a nap this afternoon, a sure indication of how tired she's been.

It's Halloween night, and I just returned fro...

November 01, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's Halloween night, and I just returned from trick or treating with Sam and Josh. It was really cold and Sam froze the second he got outside. We made it to three houses before we turned back to get warm again. Still, they returned with quite a bit of loot. I guess our neighborhood has high-quality candy output.

We've only had a few trick-or-treaters so far. It may be the cold, or just changing times. We had one huge pack that hit our house a few minutes ago. I also expect our neighbors Ben and Sebastian to come over in a bit.

Just a quick update - my e-mail seems to be w...

October 31, 2002 by Adam in Family

Just a quick update - my e-mail seems to be working too. You can send e-mail to either amiller@peacehealth.org or adam@adamandjamie.com and it'll magically appear here at work.

Happy Halloween! Well, it seems to be done

October 31, 2002 by Adam in Family

Happy Halloween!

Well, it seems to be done. The web server you're connected to right now is sitting in a closet in my basement. It seems to be working fairly well, though I'm having a bit of problems with my e-mail address. If you have to send me something, try amiller@peacehealth.org for the time being. I'll try to get the rest fixed up today.

I was exhausted yesterday, and I think everyone else was too. We'll probably hang out at home and say hello to trick-or-treaters. Great fun.

I've got tinboy

October 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

I've got tinboy.com up and running at home, so you can actually go there and see a copy of what's here. Fortunately, I had planned for the contingency some time ago. I'm doing some behind the scenes technical things so that it goes smoothly, but it's hard to say for sure. The only remaining question is e-mail. I'm going to try to get an e-mail server set up at home so that I can still get things at adam@adamandjamie.com.

The rest of our life is chugging along. Sam's been lots of fun these days, though perhaps a bit too much into playing his Star Wars computer game. Jamie had a bit of a setback and was really sick again yesterday. Hopefully that won't last much longer.

Just so that everyone knows - I just got a ca...

October 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

Just so that everyone knows - I just got a call that exciting server things may be happening to adamandjamie.com.

Worst case scenario - I have to redirect everything to my computer at home, though I'm not sure how we'll manage e-mail. You can try amiller@pacinfo.com, though I'm not sure it'll come to that.

You could also try tinboy.com, where I'll try to make a copy of everything.

I'll hopefully find out more in a few days.

It's Monday again, and an hour later

October 28, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's Monday again, and an hour later. I think I finally caught up with all my sleep, though it took awhile.

The weekend was pleasant, though low-key. We went for a long hike on Ridgeline Trail Sunday, tromping through the beautiful leaves and admiring the smell of the woods. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, and we spent time doing seasonal things. Sam and I carved our pumpkins and roasted the seeds, which ended up a bit too salty for my taste (Sam was the salter). The only other high note is that Sam finished the single player game of Jedi Outcast, then promptly wanted to play through again.

This week promises to be full of Halloween events. We've got some preschool activities, then manning the door Thursday night. Gobs of Reeses peanut butter cups await those brave enough to come to the door.

I think my body's a little confused by Daylig...

October 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

I think my body's a little confused by Daylight Savings time. I've been sleeping poorly, and at strange hours. Friday was fun-filled. Sam and I went to the Easter Seals pool, which I found out was closing. We hadn't really been there since his surgery, so he had a really good time. We've got to find another pool after it closes down as he has way too fun a time.

Saturday was uneventful. Sam and I played way too much on the computer, hung out at the house, and decorated Halloween cookies. I also snuck a Costco run in there, and we now have way too much cereal. I'm going to try to get my family out of the house today - get the stink blowed off of us and all.

Somehow Thursday has snuck up on me

October 24, 2002 by Adam in Family

Somehow Thursday has snuck up on me. I'm feeling a tiny bit under the weather today, possibly due to the flu shot I got yesterday. Nothing a little tea won't fix. Jamie was pretty sick Tuesday, though appeared to be in a better mood yesterday. Sam's been great - very funny to be around and generally in a good mood.

While there are lots of Halloween parties to go to this weekend, we may just take it easy instead. I think we'll have the neighbors over for a cookie decorating event. Josh is also spending the night Saturday - hopefully that will be fun for all.

A quiet Monday came and went

October 22, 2002 by Adam in Family

A quiet Monday came and went. Jamie was feeling marginal most of the evening, leaving Sam and I to play. She also had an evening meeting with the preschool. Evidently there's a fairly new state law that may result in them closing down the two's class, or otherwise changing things. I think it's got Jamie a bit pumped up, as she enjoys those sort of challenges.

It promises to be a quiet day at work as well. Not sure who on my team is actually showing up today.

Jamie's up and about these days, mostly norma...

October 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie's up and about these days, mostly normal except for continuous low-level nausea. Jamie's dad is in town, watching the dogs while the boys are at the beach. We just got back from Mt. Pisgah where we ran through the dry leaves until Sam collapsed from exhaustion.

It's another low-key day so far. Sam and I spent a fair amount of time on our respective computers this morning. I'd like to pick up some roses at Gray's, but I'm not sure if we'll get around to it.

Tomorrow is another work day for me. I'll miss these last few days with Sam and I hanging out so much. Lots of play time together.

Jamie seems much improved

October 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie seems much improved. I'm not sure if we'll ever be sure if it was the flu or just really bad morning sickness. She's still a little tired, but showing signs of life again. Jamie even managed to vaccuum and generally clean up, which is one of those signs that she's up and alive.

Jamie's dad is in town today. We may end up doing a run to Johnson Brother's and pick up some new roses. I transplanted some blueberries that weren't doing well where they were. I'm hopeful that they'll become quite prolific over the years. I'm a big fan of blueberries.

Sam and I had some wet playtime after the blueberries were moved over. I had to soak the roots, so I broke out the hose and began spraying. Sam took advantage of the situation and ended up soaked, blue, and shivering. It took a warm shower, warm clothes, and some time under a blanket before his cheeks turned rosy pink again.

Well, we decided not to go to the beach

October 18, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, we decided not to go to the beach. I've been watching Sam all day while Jamie has been resting on the couch. I think she's slowly on the mend - it may have been the flu after all. Now she's dreading that we'll get sick next. At the moment, we're doing great. Sam and I played with Legos, fiddled with our computers, and spent a couple hours at the park. Now we're getting ready for dinner and a quiet evening.

Ah, the joys of parenthood.

It was an odd evening last night

October 17, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was an odd evening last night. Sam went off to my mom and Dick's house last night, giving Jamie and I a night off. Of course, Jamie mostly wanted to rest on the couch and sip Ginger tea. She's had morning sickness pretty bad the last couple weeks.

What? Morning sickness? Well, we decided to tell everyone last night. For those of you diligent enough to check the web site hourly, I posted an update on the New Baby page. Jamie's pregnant.

Here are the answers to the most common questions:

• When is she due?á Late May.


• How is she doing?á She's been feeling the morning sickness pretty badly, and is tired a lot.


• How are you doing?á I'm excited, worried, and hopeful, as well as feeling sorry for Jamie.


• How's Sam doing?á Sam seems to think that the baby just stopped growing last time. He'd sometimes come up to pat Jamie's stomach and say, "Start growing baby." We'll probably start explaining in greater detail as the time goes on.

I'm back at work, somewhat reluctantly

October 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

I'm back at work, somewhat reluctantly. It was difficult leaving the computer-warmed nerd cave and heading out on my bike through the cold and the wind. I somehow made it here, remembering to wear gloves this time.

The weekend came and went, with very little happening to separate it from other weekends. Sam and I spent a lot of time indoors on the computer, and Jamie read a bunch. I think everyone got a bit bored at the end, except for Sam who was content to make his character in Jedi Outcast jump around the screen.

It's looking like we're going to the beach next weekend, assuming everyone's up for it. It'll be nice to get away for awhile and have some distractions. Sam seems to have a great time playing in the sand and running with the wind.

We had a nice, low-key Saturday

October 13, 2002 by Adam in Family

We had a nice, low-key Saturday. Sam and I played together most of the day, while Jamie relaxed a bit. Sam entertained himself for a long while doing "experiments". I sat him at the table, and we played with ice, water (hot and cold), food coloring, oil, and a few choice Legos. We did a park run, made cookies, and generally had an enjoyable day.

Another pleasant Friday, a mocha settling in ...

October 11, 2002 by Adam in Family

Another pleasant Friday, a mocha settling in my belly and a crisp Fall day outside my window. My fingers almost froze off riding my bike to work today. It promises to be a quiet Friday here at work, with a couple people on my team away for the day.

Sam was in a bit of a mood last night. I didn't quite get him to a bath, and he stayed up a bit late. Last night, I woke up when Jamie was returning to bed. A little later, we found Sam standing in our doorway just staring at us. I got out of bed, scooped him up, and plunked him down between us. Funny kid.

We're well into the week, another gray day ou...

October 09, 2002 by Adam in Family

We're well into the week, another gray day outside my office window. Dad and Yayoe came over for dinner on Monday, which was nice. Sam's been sick the last couple days - runny nose and a little groggy. He was bouncing off the walls when I came home last night, so I think he's mostly recovered.

A laid-back Sunday came and went

October 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

A laid-back Sunday came and went. Seraph and Robbie's old computer is working again - Sam wandered down in the morning to help me out. We hung out at the house for a bit, then went off to Circut City with Seraph and Robbie to return their laptop. It was a short trip and I was mostly there for moral support. Sam and I hung around afterwards to play with the assorted video games, then it was off to the library to pick up books.

After convincing Sam that we couldn't check out every book from the library, we picked up Willy Wonka at the video store, then headed back home. Jamie and Sam watched it together, and he came down later raving about how good it was. I quizzed Jamie on what she wanted for dinner, which resulted in us going to the Glenwood and postponing the decision.

It's been a somewhat lazy Saturday, full of m...

October 05, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been a somewhat lazy Saturday, full of much playing with Sam. Jamie has been out and about most of the day, and she's taken Sam to the park while I have a few moments to myself. Sam and I did a hike in Hendrick's park, then lots of computer game playing, then a trip to the store. I did a mini version of my big pre-cooking thing I did a few weeks ago. I made some lasagna and pizza, then put them in the freezer. Soon, I'll start in on the real dinner for the evening.

Seraph and Robbie were over for dinner last night

October 04, 2002 by Adam in Family

Seraph and Robbie were over for dinner last night. It was quite the spread and I was extremely stuffed towards the end. Kudos to Jamie for getting everything ready, especially while watching the boy the whole time.

I picked up Seraph and Robbie's old Pentium II 300, which I'm going to try to turn into a PVR (like a VCR, except on a computer). Not sure it's hefty enough, but I'll give it a try. I also tried to fix the touch pad on their laptop, but I think it's just plain broken.

I'm sipping down a mocha here at work, looking out on the dim, wet street. It promises to be another fairly low-key weekend. I'm sure Sam will want to play a ton of computer games, but I'm going to try to get him out hiking with me. Chip off the ol' block.

October already! The weather appears to have...

October 01, 2002 by Adam in Family

October already! The weather appears to have synchronized with the date, as it's been cold and dreary the last couple days. Over the weekend we "battened down the hatches", moving a lot of outdoor things inside, and it seems like our timing was good. It is also a test of my will to bike to work each time the temperature drops. So far so good.

And so ends another quirky weekend

September 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

And so ends another quirky weekend. I spent a lot of time at home watching Sam, which was both wonderful and tedious. He got a bee sting on the bottom of his foot, and was limping around like Quasimodo much of the time. Since we couldn't really run around outside, we spent hours in front of the computer playing Alpha Team and Grand Theft Auto III. My mom and Dick came over Saturday night for dinner, and played with Sam for awhile. We all went out shopping Sunday afternoon and returned with a new Lego. I bought rain pants. I made pesto from scratch. That's about it.

The week continues to move along

September 26, 2002 by Adam in Family

The week continues to move along. Sam and Jamie went to the farm yesterday to pick up fresh produce and play with the goats. We all went for a walk to the ice cream store after dinner, much to Sam's delight. We got Sam to bed, then collapsed ourselves. Life moves on.

A quiet Monday came and went

September 24, 2002 by Adam in Family

A quiet Monday came and went. Jamie's cold is still lingering, though I think she's on the road to recovery. She and Angie went out to dinner last night, while Sam and I stayed home and watched Monsters, Inc.

The only moment of excitement was when Sam, Jamie, and I were playing "keep the balloon off the floor". Sam was laughing so hard that it was infectious, and we were soon all giggling hysterically and bonking a balloon around the living room. Good times.

We've returned from the beach, exhausted but ...

September 22, 2002 by Adam in Family

We've returned from the beach, exhausted but happy. We had a pretty good time, with Judy coming down Friday night, fresh from her trip to Europe. Dave and Josh appeared Saturday morning right before Judy left. I'm getting better at managing Sam for the two hour drive. I had a laptop with adventure games, as well as a couple cartoons on the video recorder.

The beach itself was great, with wonderful weather the whole time. Friday night was incredibly gusty again, much to Sam's delight. I carried him around with his arms outstretched, as he pretended to fly about in the wind. Other days we puttered in the sand or went for long walks. The beach house is slowly coming along. Once again, I brought my computer, which was fortunate. The only other form of entertainment is a collection of 70's board games. Either that or we'd have to - gasp - talk to each other. So, the computer was handy.

I think we'll spend the rest of the day recovering and unpacking. Sam's watching Monsters, Inc. while Jamie organizes the kitchen. I'll probably put on some shorts and relax as best I can.

Jamie just called me here at work

September 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie just called me here at work. She relayed a message, chatted for a bit, then asked me if there was anything I wanted to say to her. "Hmm. I already told you I love you . . . is there something I'm supposed to say?" She prompted me again, and I thought a bit harder. Finally, the caffiene worked it's magic and I remembered.

"Er! Ahgh! Happy birthday!"

Well, the cold that's been going around final...

September 18, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, the cold that's been going around finally hit me hard yesterday. I made it through the work day with Advil, then collapsed once I made it home. Fortunately Sam and Jamie were nice to me, drew me a bath, and let me take it easy for most of the evening. I did end up relieving Jamie after a half hour of trying to put Sam to bed. He was bouncing off the walls and didn't fall asleep until close to nine.

Putting Sam to bed has changed a bit. We now have a nice reading chair by his bed, and he's in his bed by himself. I read for awhile, occasionally wrangling him back on his mattress, and waited. Around nine, he climbed under his covers, pulled them up around his neck, rubbed his eyes a couple times, and fell asleep.

Well, the weekend's gone and I'm back at work

September 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, the weekend's gone and I'm back at work. It was less fun than previous weekends, though there were some highlights. Saturday morning found us taking Sam for a bike ride. My favorite part of the whole weekend was holding on to Sam's arm and running beside him as he pedaled along, laughing like a maniac. Jamie's family descended on our house soon afterwards, and I watched Josh and Sam for the rest of the day. Sunday was breakfast at a greasy spoon of Brant's choosing, then watching Sam for the rest of the day. I was pretty beat by the end of the weekend.

I think the cold that's been going around finally caught up to us. Sam was really sniffly Sunday, and tired and cranky the rest of the day. I've been stuffed up, but not too bad.

Another strange highlight of the weekend is that my stair stepper mysteriously fixed itself. I had taken it apart to try to fix it, then resigned myself to taking it into Sears to be fixed. When I took another look yesterday, it was working just fine. Perhaps the huge volumes of WD40 I sprayed around worked its magic.

It's a pleasant Friday, the morning mocha bub...

September 13, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's a pleasant Friday, the morning mocha bubbling through my veins. I don't think we have particularly big plans this weekend. I'm going to try to pick up a present for Jamie's birthday, get my stair stepper fixed, and hopefully spend some time with my wife. Oh, and finish painting the mantle somewhere along the way.

Our family's been well the last couple days. I haven't seen Jamie much, except at dinner. Sam's amazing as always. He spent about an hour playing Morrowind, running his character off cliffs, into the ocean, and finding other strange things for him to do. Then we wrestled for a half an hour. The wonders of childhood.

The terrorist attacks were a year ago today

September 11, 2002 by Adam in Family

The terrorist attacks were a year ago today. I read back through the old news items, trying to get a sense of what was going on with our family then. In contrast, these last few weeks have been quite wonderful. Sam's first day of preschool went well, with lots of play time with other kids. Jamie seems in a good mood. The only bad thing I can think of is that my stair-stepper broke last night, and I don't have a long enough screw driver to open it up.

Another fine weekend comes to an end

September 09, 2002 by Adam in Family

Another fine weekend comes to an end. There were a few exiting events, but for the most part it was fairly low-key. Sam was in a good mood for the most part, and we didn't want to jinx it.

We had Jason and Bridget over for dinner on Saturday. I hadn't seen them for a long time, and they'd recently gotten engaged. I've known Jason for fifteen years, probably the longest friend that I'm still in touch with (not that I really have friends I spend much time with these days). It was nice, chatting about marriage, kids, and what they were up to.

Today Sam and I went for a really long bike ride today. It had been awhile since he'd last gone for a bike ride, and he was a bit hesitant at first. After a few minutes, he was riding and laughing endlessly. He kept going into "crazy Sam" mode, biking as fast as he could. There was an international soccer match, with really good players, next to Roosevelt school. We had a snack and watched them play a bit before heading out again.

It's another Mocha Friday

September 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday. The week's been chugging along. Sam's basically recovered, back in pants again. Jamie went out to a preschool meeting last night, and Sam and I went to a Bar-B-Que with my coworkers. He was in good spirits, and I tucked him to bed as soon as we got home. We're trying to get him to be earlier, as preschool is starting up again.

Today is his first day in the three's class. His new teacher, Karen, came over and visited with him yesterday. We're all crossing his fingers hoping he enjoys school. He's been a bit skeptical, but it's probably good for his social skills to go.

It's been a good last few days

September 05, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been a good last few days. Monday night, we had Dave, Josh, and Kirsten over for dinner. Afterwards, they amused themselves for an hour playing with some flubber that Jamie mixed up. Josh hung out at our house Tuesday, as he had a short day at Roosevelt.

Sam's wearing pants again, which makes life easier. As well as being less embarrasing when taking him in public. I think he's mostly recovered from his surgery, though we're still slowly removing the surgical tape.

We had a good day yesterday

September 02, 2002 by Adam in Family

We had a good day yesterday. Sam and I went for a long bike ride to the mall, with Sam in the "batmobile" towed behind me. He had a pretty good time, dressed in a long shirt of mine so that he could go out in public. We puttered around the mall a bit, picked up a Lego computer game at Toys-R-Us, then biked on home. After a couple hours of playing the new game, Jamie arrived back from her shopping trip, then wisked him off to a baseball game.

I don't think we're up to anything particularly exciting this Labor Day weekend. Sam hasn't seen Josh in awhile, so we might call him up. I'd love to go for a family hike too. I suppose we'll decide these things over a yummy breakfast, as always.

A couple exiting events yesterday

September 01, 2002 by Adam in Family

A couple exiting events yesterday. At bedtime, Sam put on pull-ups, a milestone on the way to wearing pants. I'm hoping that we can get him fully dressed today and go out into the world again. It's been hard not being able to take him out into public much.

I also had some strange passion come into me yesterday. Like my mom used to do, I prepared a ton of meals for the week ahead. I think Jamie gets sick of planning, preparing, and cooking all the dinners during the week, so it's a mini-break for her. I ended up making two lasagnas, two sets of enchiladas, chili, soup, pizza, and some herb scones. They're all frozen and ready for use as needed.

Jamie and I also hopped on our bikes for the first time in a long while. Jamie took Sam for a bike ride with Victoria (the non-neighbor), and he amazingly fell asleep in the middle of the day. Since it's past 8:00 and he's still in bed, the boy must be tired. I even slept in until 7:00, probably because of my late night on Friday.

Soon the coffee and yummy breakfast will appear as if by magic. I can't wait.

It's Saturday morning, the last day of August

August 31, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's Saturday morning, the last day of August. Fall is sneaking up on us - t.v. shows start up again, Sam begins preschool, and Josh is here in town this year. Jamie has made an amazing breakfast that will soon be served - lemon ricotta pancakes. Sam and I are busy salivating.

It was a funny night last night. Jamie went off to her friend's birthday party, and didn't return until 10:30 (we'd expected her a little after 8:00). I had my gaming night, so Sam followed me down to the nerd cave around 8:30, where he watched me play on the computer with my friends for awhile. After about ten minutes, I pulled out the sleeping bag and he fell fast asleep. I finally made it to bed around midnight, having a lot of fun in the process.

Jamie and Sam had also made a bunch of "flubber", which Sam and I played with last night. We discovered that it did an excellent job turning us into creatures, which we had a good time doing.

Last night was fairly uneventful, which was n...

August 28, 2002 by Adam in Family

Last night was fairly uneventful, which was nice for a change. I'm itch-free today, with only normal lotion on my back. Sam seems to be in good health, other than collapsing into bed at 7 o'clock. I guess his 5:30 wake-up left him a bit tired. He's ran around yesterday just like his normal self. We ended up playing quite a bit of hide-and-seek, and watching some old cartoons.

Tonight we soak off his bandages in the tub. He still has the one from the IV taped to his arm, plus those around the surgical area. Hopefully he'll start to wear pants too, as keeping him inside the majority of the time is driving us all a bit stir-crazy.

It's been a rather exciting last day or so

August 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been a rather exciting last day or so. We got Sam home, who hung out watching shows for awhile. Without warning, my back began to itch uncontrollably. It was extraordinarily painful, probably due to my sunburn a few days ago. I rolled around on the floor moaning, took a bath for awhile, and ended up putting on hydrocortisone cream and rubbing my back against the chair. This morning, it's still a bit itchy, but manageable.

Dave, Kirsten, and Josh came over for pizza and checking up on Sam. Sam's been doing quite well. I think the Legos help considerably. He and Jamie didn't sleep well last night. I woke up at 5:30 to get going to work, when Jamie came down bleary eyed. Evidently Sam had a bad dream and Jamie begged me for a little sleep while he was up. So, I've put off work for a bit and I'm keeping an eye on the boy.

Well, we just came home after Sam's surgery

August 26, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, we just came home after Sam's surgery. All went well. We scooped him up at 6 o'clock in the morning, arriving at the hospital and having my mom visit with us for awhile. After Sam had his "cocktail" before surgery, he got quite wacky and tired. He'd press his face against the pillow and say things like "I see a purple house." He also explained how he wanted a brain transplant with a robot brain.

When he got out, his stomach hurt quite a bit, though it cleared up in ten minutes or so. Then it was a matter of feeling returning to his legs, which took until after noon. Now he's watching cartoons, and I've promised to make a run to pick up a new Lego, as he was very brave.

We just came back from a brunch at my mom's h...

August 25, 2002 by Adam in Family

We just came back from a brunch at my mom's house, in celebration of Sadie's return and soon departure. She and Anna are heading across the country on a week-long road trip, which is something that should only be attempted when you're young. The whole crew was there too, and it was nice to see everyone, especially my dad who I haven't seen in awhile.

It was a bit of an exciting day yesterday. Jamie had requested that I move a couple shrubs from the front of the house. Well, I started digging, and one came out relatively quickly. The second, however, was the Moby Dick of shrubs. I ended up cutting through the roots using a hammer and chisel, spending two hours in the hot sun. I burned by back pretty badly, and injured my arm. I moaned and groaned for the rest of the day, all through Jamie's brothers (and dad and girlfriend) arriving for the Nebraska game. Josh came too, and I supervised the boys through video games and science experiments.

Tomorrow's the big day for Sam's surgery. We're loading up on rented DVDs just to distract from any possible discomfort.

The week is slowly moving along, with promise...

August 22, 2002 by Adam in Family

The week is slowly moving along, with promises of a busy weekend ahead. Seraph and Isabell are coming over for dinner tonight, as Robbie is off being a camp councilor. Josh is back from California and spending the night at our house as well, as Dave is out late with friends. Sam should be greatly pleased, as Josh is one of his all-time favorite people.

We've got Jamie's dad in town this weekend, Sadie's brunch on Sunday, and Sam's surgery early Monday. We've been trying to relax while we can.

Jamie and I haven't been doing anything particularly exciting these days. We got Sam to bed around 8:30, so we actually had some time to visit last night. Sam and I went swimming yesterday, though the Easter Seals pool is raising the rates to $10 for 2-5 people, so we may have to find another place to go. It's kinda nice not to have anything too exciting for the last few days.

Sunday was great

August 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sunday was great. We did very little, just puttering and playing around the house. I'm slowly finishing the construction of Sam's blackboard, after a 6 month hiatus. Jamie got the matching ottoman for her new chair. We went for a family hike near Autzen stadium, and Sam and I played at the cheese park a bit. All quite nice.

A pleasant, quiet Saturday came and went

August 18, 2002 by Adam in Family

A pleasant, quiet Saturday came and went. Sam and I did a lot of "science experiments", from Cartesian divers to looking at insects under a microscope. He's on a science kick lately, though perhaps mostly because it's a new way to play together. I think he especially likes the kind he can eat, such as the sugar crystals we grew.

I finally used my gift certificates I got for my birthday, picking up a swimming suit with my dad and Yayoe's, and an apple pie at Marie Calendar's using Jennys. Very cool.

Dave stopped by last night. He had finally managed to grow back his toe nail from last year's canoe accident. Well, he did it again, dropping another canoe on his toe when pulling it out of the water. Sadly, it had to come off completely, so he's got another year to wait. We chastised him severely for lack of proper footwear.

It was Jordan's birthday and all the cousins ...

August 15, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was Jordan's birthday and all the cousins were together. There was cake, good vegitarian spaghetti, and lots of family. I think it was a bit overwhelming for Sam, as he was really quiet the whole time. He kept shrugging his shoulders and sighing. Of course, once he got over it, he had a good time.

It was a quiet evening last night, which was ...

August 13, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a quiet evening last night, which was a nice contrast to the weekend. Sam ran through the sprinklers in the back yard, while I jumped up and down trying to get all the ripe figs off the tree. The downstairs freezer is getting pretty full of figs. I'm going to try to make figgy pudding for Christmas, though others may think me mad. Ahahaha! Figgy pudding!

Well, we arrived safe and sound from the coast

August 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, we arrived safe and sound from the coast. We had a pretty good time, spending the weekend with Dave and Kirsten, which took a bit off the Sam-watching load. Mostly we hung out at the house, which is still quite barren. Fortunately, I took my computer, which provided music, shows, and general entertainment for myself and others.

The coast was pretty windy the first night, and later the second day, though otherwise the weather was beautiful. It was fun actually seeing the new beach house, which is quite spacious. The ride was long, and we'll have to come up with a better way to entertain Sam for the two-hour ride, especially if I'm stuck in the back with him.

It's nice to be home. Soon I'll have to figure out what to make for dinner, as it's already past five.

There has evidently been some confusion about...

August 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

There has evidently been some confusion about what a "cheese park" is exactly. The cheese park is really Washington park, which is a couple blocks away from our house. It has a large yellow play structure that's riddled with holes, looking suspiciously like a big block of cheese.

The week's chugging along. Sam and I went swimming yesterday. He's slowly getting the hang of swimming and can move himself around the pool (with a life jacket on, of course). We might be headed to the coast this weekend, where Sam and I would finally get to see the beach house. It depends on the weather, of course, since there isn't much in the way of entertainment at the house itself. I may bring a computer and the microsope for Sam entertainment. We'll see.

Well, Jamie went to the coast today, leaving ...

August 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, Jamie went to the coast today, leaving Sam and I to fend for ourselves. Needless to say, we managed to stay out of really terrible trouble, while still having a great time.

We started with a hike of Ridgeline trail, walking the entire loop much to my surprise. We swung by the video store to rent Lord of the Rings, which we watched with frequent breaks over the next few hours. Finally, a trip to the cheese park where Sam discovered a mud puddle. Half the fun was coating his entire body in mud. The other half was spraying him down with a hose, cleaning all his clothes, giving him a bath, and cleaning the tub afterwards.

And so the weekend comes to a close

August 05, 2002 by Adam in Family

And so the weekend comes to a close. We mostly hung out, with few grand projects or trips. That was fine with us, as lazy Summer days should be treasured.

On Saturday, we started with breakfast on the patio, cleaned the living room, and then Sam and I went out to the farm to get blueberries and feed the goats. Today had another patio breakfast, jam making around noon, a fast and furious bike ride with Sam, and then Jamie and Sam went to baseball. All the things you're supposed to do on a warm Summer day.

Sam did great on his bike today, other than when he ran over my foot several times. I held on to his arm and we went blazing along the trail, Sam yelling "Full power!" at the top of his lungs. He got going pretty fast and I had to run along beside him.

The work week is almost over, and I am very m...

August 02, 2002 by Adam in Family

The work week is almost over, and I am very much looking forward to the weekend. Tonight we're going out to dinner with the neighbors, then it's the first round of Friday Night Fights at 8:30. For those of you not in the know, it's where a bunch of guys at work and I play multiplayer computer games together. Should be entertaining.

As for the weekend itself, I have but one goal: get blueberries. I'm thinking of taking Sam out to Lone Pine farms just for that . . .

It was a bit of an odd day yesterday

July 31, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a bit of an odd day yesterday. Jamie called a little after lunch, asking me to come home early. Evidently Sam was being wild and crazy, while Jamie didn't feel well. I got home around three, and everything seemed fine. It was going great until right after Sam's bath, when he had a complete meltdown. He calmed down after awhile, but we still didn't get him to bed until close to ten o'clock.

Another great weekend has come and gone

July 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

Another great weekend has come and gone. Sunday was another lazy morning, having breakfast together, doing a "Spring Cleaning" of an upstairs bathroom, then getting all our bikes cleaned and ready to ride. Our big event of the day was heading over to Washington park for a picinic with the neighborhood. We met up with the neighbors and played some games. There was a raffle too, and watching Jamie listen to the numbers was pretty funny. She was quite intense, even though they weren't raffling off anything exciting. I don't think a Vegas trip is in our future.

Fortunately, Sam won a couple prizes from his games. They kept him busy for most of the afternoon. I got to make dinner, play frisbee with Sam, and watch the last part of Cider House Rules with Jamie that night. Very nice.

It was one of those fine Saturday mornings

July 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was one of those fine Saturday mornings. I puttered around in the nerd cave, while Jamie and Sam slept in. Around 8:30, Sam wandered down, completely naked, and we played with Legos until Jamie called us up for breakfast. I got a good helping of eggs with spinach, tomato, and feta cheese, along with muffins, sausage, and fresh coffee. What a wonderful life I live.

We decided to go for a hike, so the family went up to Spencer's Butte. About a year ago, Sam and I went, barely made it a half mile up, when he fell and hurt his hand. This time was completely different. He climbed up the trail, mostly by himself, and made it to the top. It was quite exciting, and we were all in a great mood. Sam got pretty tired on the way down, so I carried him the last half mile. Still, quite impressive for our little boy.

Sam went to bed much better last night, after...

July 24, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam went to bed much better last night, after chewing through the last of his pacifiers a couple days ago. He was pretty exhausted all day, which probabably helped. Jamie also reported that he sang himself to sleep by singing, "Spiderman, Spiderman, friendly neighborhood Spiderman . . ."

Sam's surgery date is set. We'll be wringing our hands in the waiting room bright and early on the 26th of August. I'm taking the day off, though I'm not sure how long it's really going to take. We could be out in a few hours. Not sure.

Saturday was one of those great days that com...

July 21, 2002 by Adam in Family

Saturday was one of those great days that come along infrequently. If all my days were like Saturday, I would die a happy man. The odd thing is that there was nothing especially extraordinary about Saturday.

I woke up with my family, played with Sam, and had a hearty breakfast. We painted Sam's room and I entertained Sam with movie summaries of The Goonies and Raiders of the Lost Arc. I then took Sam over the hill to mom's house, leaving Jamie and I to finish painting, hang out, and eat lunch. The afternoon was a movie for Sam, having dinner, then playing with the neighbor kids. Jamie and I watched Kate and Leopold, then collapsed in bed around eleven.

It was just one of those very nice days where we didn't try to do too much, everyone was in a good mood, and we balanced accomplishing work with relaxing.

Well, as suspected, there was a birthday part...

July 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, as suspected, there was a birthday party for me last night. My whole family arrived and there was much libation. I must be getting old, as I mostly got gift certificates. Anyway, lots of excuses to buy things for myself. Not that I really need much excuse for that.

Sam's heading over to my mom's house for a little visit later this morning. Jamie and I are hoping to start prepping and painting Sam's room. We're doing pretty good with the house projects. We cleaned up the garage and it looks considerably better.

Angie has her house warming party tonight. Not sure if we'll make it, depending on our schedule. It's nice just to hang out as well, and we may do much of that today.

The week slowly meanders along

July 17, 2002 by Adam in Family

The week slowly meanders along. I'm mostly caught up with work, which began with a somewhat daunting 200 e-mails to respond to. I'm now down to a handful and a few projects to deal with.

Sam's still staying up really late, though it wasn't quite so bad last night. We took Sam over to the neigbor's house, where they ran around with Ben and Sabastian for a good hour. I think that tired him out enough so that he got to bed closer to nine than ten.

Going over to my mom's house after so many ye...

July 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

Going over to my mom's house after so many years was quite strange. I almost had a physical feeling going through the back door as I had so many times before and seeing all the furniture in the same place as it always was. Very odd. We wished Sadie a good trip in South Africa and sent her on her way.

My birthday is coming up, which I'm pretty excited about. I tried to prod Jamie into reveiling any birthday plans, but I didn't do a very good job. All I got was a "you're not supposed to ask questions like that."

Well, Josh had his birthday yesterday

July 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, Josh had his birthday yesterday. We all had a good time hanging out there, eating bar-b-que and playing with the dogs. Tracie came down, looking very tan from her time in California, spent the night and headed off with Josh to Portland this morning. We did have a weird and annoying thing happen - someone broke Tracie's side window of her car. Nothing was taken, but it did annoy me greatly.

I finished my birthday present that Jamie got for me. She picked up some unfinished CD boxes at Ikea in Seattle. I stained them and attached some antique drawer pulls. I asked if she wanted to wrap it, but she just gave me a funny look. I also completed painting the closet door, and it's now back up in our living room. Lots of things accomplished today.

Jamie just left for Angie's to look at her own house, leaving me with Sam. I'm sure we'll find something interesting to do.

It's nice to be back home

July 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's nice to be back home. Sam's watching t.v. in our newly arranged living room (complete with the new chair that Jamie ordered). Jamie's cooking up french toast, using the bread I made from scratch. It's all good.

We puttered around yesterday, doing errands, house projects, and trying to beat the heat. I had a great time spraying Sam with the hose as he ran around the back yard. One of those activities that's fun for both parent and child.

Josh has a Saturday birthday party at the boy's house, and I'm hoping to at least say "hello" to my family at some point. I'd like to see mom and Dick's house especially, now that they've moved over the hill. Maybe we can walk by some evening since they're so close.

Well, we're back in town, safe and sound

July 10, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, we're back in town, safe and sound. We came home a bit early, having done the highlights of Seattle. We had a good time at the Science Center, and Sam and I visited the aquarium as well. Jamie and Judy did a little shopping at Ikea, which is a huge furniture store. I also had coffee at one of the millions of Starbucks around town. All great fun.

I have a few more days before I head back to work. I'm hoping to do some of the long list of things on my to do list. I've still got to clean and paint the door, and Jamie's getting her new chair as I type. It's nice to have a little vacation, and it's equally nice to return to our home.

Well, I'm posting from the Pacific Science Ce...

July 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, I'm posting from the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. We've been doing well, hanging out in our hotel and wandering around downtown. Sam especially enjoyed the Pike Place Fish Market. They would throw fish around and yell, as well as having a nice assortment of live crayfish.

The Science Center has been fun too, with more exciting adventures on the way. We're spending another night in our current hotel, then off to another place further away from downtown. Great fun!

Today's the big day

July 05, 2002 by Adam in Family

Today's the big day. I'm busy packing and doing laundry while the sleepy heads stay in bed. Amazingly, I actually got to sleep around ten o'clock, even though it sounded like a war zone outside our house. We had fireworks on the other side of our hill, over the baseball stadium, so it was quite exciting.

The Bar-B-Que at Dave and Brant's house was fun. Sam had a good time hanging out with Josh. When we came home, Sam wanted to do some experiments. I broke out the corn starch and water mixture, which forms a nice goopy mess. For fun, I added food coloring. Evidently this also colors skin quite nicely, as Sam ended up with zombie-green hands.

Happy 4th of July to all! We're soon heading...

July 04, 2002 by Adam in Family

Happy 4th of July to all! We're soon heading over to Dave and Brant's for a Bar-B-Que. I'm also officially on vacation, which makes me very happy. I get to leave my pager at home and completely be free from work.

The big family news for the day appears to be that Josh's mom, Tracie, is getting married to a man in San Diego. They evidently asked Josh who he'd like to live with, and he decided to live with Dave. So, we'll be seeing a lot more of Josh, which makes Sam happy. Though it was a surprise to us, we also hope Tracie the best of wishes.

I've got short timer's syndrome here at work

July 01, 2002 by Adam in Family

I've got short timer's syndrome here at work. I'm leaving for vacation on Thursday, so I'm already thinking that I'm halfway out the door. Plus, my boss and coworker are gone, so it's very quiet here.

Sunday was nice, if uneventful. We had a nice hike out at Hendrick's park again. I'm slowly finishing my paint stripping project. I just need to sand up the door a bit, then it's ready for priming.

I'm looking forward to this vacation very much. It's been far too long since my last one. My PTO almost hit 200 hours last time I checked.

It was a quiet Saturday

June 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a quiet Saturday. Mostly, Sam and I hung out in the "nerd cave" playing with Legos. We headed over to our neighbors for a surprise birthday party. It was a fun little gathering, and Sam enjoyed playing with their kids. I've also been taping shows for Sam onto our camcorder. There's a tiny screen where you can watch tapes, so we'll be well prepared for our trip north.

Well, Jamie just called - the electrician jus...

June 26, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, Jamie just called - the electrician just left. I had been having computer problems and came the conclusion that an ungrounded outlet in the basement was giving me problem. So, that's fixed now, along with a light switch that was broken and some outlets upstairs. He also cleaned up a bunch of extraneous old wires down in the basement. Even though I haven't seen a bill yet, I'm pretty sure I'll be happy about it.

It's been a pleasant week so far, though admi...

June 25, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been a pleasant week so far, though admittedly it's only Tuesday. When I arrived home, Jamie was squirting Sam repeatedly with a squirt gun. The look on both their faces was priceless. Whenever Jamie stopped, Sam would ask her to squirt him again. I took over and gave Jamie a break. Sam seemed satisfied, as long as someone was hosing him down.

The weekend comes to a close

June 24, 2002 by Adam in Family

The weekend comes to a close. It's been quite wonderful, with jam making Saturday morning, and lots of family time. Sam and I played Legos until our eyes popped out. We also went for a hike this morning up at Hendrick's park. We must have ran through the paths for nearly two hours. Great fun.

Pretty soon, mom, Dick, and Sadie are visiting for dinner. Jamie's enjoyed setting an ambiance and preparing a yummy meal.

The only really frustrating parts of the weekend revolved around my computer. I've been having strange error messages and reboots. I think I figured it out, however, when I opened up my computer. I touched the case and was suddenly shocked. So, I've got a hot lead connected to the case somehow. I'm borrowing a power supply from a friend - hopefully that's all I need to fix it. Sigh.

For some reason, I was really happy last night

June 21, 2002 by Adam in Family

For some reason, I was really happy last night. It had been a busy day at work, non-stop coding and meetings. When I got home, all I wanted to do was hang out with my family. Everyone seemed in a good mood. Jamie and Sam picked strawberries. I'm hoping to make some jam this weekend. I may even try jelly, in the hopes that Sam would try it.

Another week zips along

June 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

Another week zips along. It's Wednesday already, and I'm doing a quick update from work. Monday night was a little tough, with Sam showing his three-year-oldness. We tried to do a timeout, which resulted in screaming and crying. Eventually we put him in the guest bedroom until he came out sniffling and saying, "I'm ready to be a big boy now." I suppose all kids need to go through this phase.

Last night, Jamie was off working out then out to dinner with her Tiny Tots group. Sam was great, and we played a ton with Legos. We did have an issue putting him to bed. He bit through the second to the last of his binkies. His remaining one was designated his "holding binkie". Sam was quite distraught, crying for a half an hour until he finally went to sleep. I think that once this last binkie is gone, he's officially weaned off pacifiers.

Happy Father's Day to all

June 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

Happy Father's Day to all. We had a great day yesterday. Sam slept in, so I spent a leisurely time waking up and puttering around. We all gathered together for a hearty breakfast, then sent Sam off to my mom's for a bit. In the afternoon, we had the neighbors over for tea. Sam's favorite part was having Ben chase him around with a squirt gun, soaking him through. We also spent a considerable amount of time playing with Legos. Great fun.

I can't believe how hot it's getting these days

June 13, 2002 by Adam in Family

I can't believe how hot it's getting these days. I walked to my car from work, about six blocks, and by the time I got there my shirt was soaked through. Bleah.

It's Thursday already. I'm amazed at how quickly the week has gone by. Father's day is coming up this weekend, and I'm feeling utterly unprepared. Sam has another doctor's appointment in a couple hours. We've been pretty happy with how things have been going so far. I'm looking forward to having a few hours to relax - maybe I'll get a chance this weekend.

It was a pretty nutty day today

June 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a pretty nutty day today. Jamie called around 11 this morning, indicating that Sam was being wild and she wanted me to come home. I finished up with work and made it there around noon. By this point, Sam was doing quite well, so I ended up watching him until a bit after seven. So, it was a long day.

We all went out for Sadie's 21st birthday las...

June 11, 2002 by Adam in Family

We all went out for Sadie's 21st birthday last night. The whole crew was there, with endless small children encircling us in a vortex of chaos. It was nice to see everyone, and Sadie was elegant as always.

The only catastrophe was one I didn't find out until later. When I went to work the next day, I couldn't find the wallet. As the day went on, I got more and more worried. Jamie called our credit card folks and had the cards cancelled. Fortunately, it turns out my wallet had dropped out in Yayoe's car when they took me back home. I'm going to go pick it up pretty soon.

I was in the basement last night and heard mo...

June 09, 2002 by Adam in Family

I was in the basement last night and heard movement upstairs. Suspecting the worse, I hurried up the stairs to see what the matter was. My fears were confirmed: Jamie and Sam had returned home early.

It's actually quite nice having them around, though I never really had much quiet time this weekend. Friday night, I mowed the yard, and got a surprise guest. Jamie's uncle Darryl was heading through town and the boy's house didn't have a spare bedroom. So, I made him breakfast and we talked about computers.

I also accomplished a ton of things around here. I did the simple stuff, like mowing the law, doing the dishes, and the laundry. I had breakfast with my mom, Dick, Sadie and Isabell Saturday morning, then took off with Sadie to Costco, Home Depot, and the library. I weeded the back yard and put in a vegitable bed. It's amazing how productive I can be when I'm not chasing after a three-year-old.

Jamie and Sam are headed East as I type this

June 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie and Sam are headed East as I type this. It was touch-and-go whether or not they'd go, as John (one of Sharon's kids) was sporting a fever last night. This morning, everyone's fine, so it's solitude and yardwork for me all weekend. Jamie tried to call on her way out, but the reception was terrible and cut out after a few minutes.

I have a couple more hours of work. I may try to do some painting tonight while the weather holds. According to the forecast, it may rain tomorrow.

Sam got a new pair of pajamas today, which he...

June 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam got a new pair of pajamas today, which he proudly wore to the park at lunch today. We played a little game where we couldn't figure out who he was. I'd ask questions like "Uh, are you Aquaman?" And he'd say "No, I can't talk to fish." Sam was also in a much better mood that he's been all week. It makes life easier for all.

Jamie and Sam head out tomorrow. I've got my to do list growing ever longer. Let's hope for a productive weekend.

The week moves along

June 05, 2002 by Adam in Family

The week moves along. Nothing big or exciting happening these days. Sam's getting out of a funk that he's been in for the last few days. We had a good time last night hanging out and playing with Legos.

This weekend, Jamie and Sam head to Sunriver with a friend, leaving me alone at the house. As usual, I have a huge list of things that I'd like to get done. There are painting projects, gardening, yardwork, and maybe even some jam making if blueberries are in season. We'll see.

Man

June 02, 2002 by Adam in Family

Man. June already.

My allergies continue, if a little milder than they've been this last week. Our big Saturday treat was going out with the neighbors, Todd and Victoria, minus the kids. They're both science nerds, so we got to chat about parenthood, life, and research. Plus great food at Cafe Sorias.

Jamie's brothers and their respective attachments come over tonight for dinner. I think Sam will have a good time with Josh. Ah, the joys of Summer.

Sam was in a terrible mood yesterday

May 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam was in a terrible mood yesterday. He spent much of the day crying and driving Jamie a bit wacky. I had ordered a couple new Legos (Spiderman and Harry Potter) from amazon.com, with strict instructions to Jamie that they should only be opened in case of emergency. Well, they were opened right away, which helped some. Towards the end of the day, I suggested Tylenol. Well, that seemed to do the trick, and he returned back to our loving boy again.

I think it was viral, as I started to get bad headaches towards the end of the day. They started getting pretty bad, to the point where I wanted to just lay on the floor and cry. I've still got a bit of it this morning, hidden behind my Advil and cafe mocha.

We tried to have a fairly quiet day at home today

May 28, 2002 by Adam in Family

We tried to have a fairly quiet day at home today. Sam was a little on edge, probably because of the changes in schedule over the last couple days. I think he's settled down by now, hopefully in part from the hours of Legos I played with him today.

We went off the the rose gardens for awhile, which were in full bloom. Sam had a good time climbing the rocks and running about. After dinner, we headed outside again, with Sam in his stroller. It was drizzling a bit when we left, so we rolled up the rain covering for Sam. After ten minutes, it was pouring down, and we quickly became soaked through. By the time we came home, our only recourse was to strip naked and dry our hair with towels. Great fun.

Jamie returned home safe and sound yesterday

May 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie returned home safe and sound yesterday. Evidently the beach house is great and she had a good time. We'll have to do a family trip out there some day.

Sam woke up early yesterday, and our big even was seeing the new Star Wars movie together. Sam loved it, of course, and sat through the whole thing except for a quick bathroom break near the end. I thought the movie was reasonably good. Excellent special effects, some slow parts in the middle, and a few cases of marginal acting. But hey, it's a Star Wars movie. What else could I expect?

Sam and I waved goodbye to Jamie as she heade...

May 25, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam and I waved goodbye to Jamie as she headed off to the coast. We went back to playing with Legos, then called Sadie to organize a hike. We stopped off at Humble Bagel for supplies, then headed out to the arboretum for a long walk. Several bagels and a bear claw later, we returned home and descended to the nerd cave. For the last hour or so, we've been happily playing on the computer and fiddling with Legos. Having Sadie over is wonderful, and Sam is enamored with her.

As the end of the workday draws near, I'm loo...

May 24, 2002 by Adam in Family

As the end of the workday draws near, I'm looking forward to spending most of the weekend just Sam and myself. Jamie leaves for the beach 9 am tomorrow and returning Sunday afternoon. I'm hoping we can hike about with Sadie tomorrow, and go see Star Wars on Sunday. It's been a long time since Jamie's gone off leaving Sam with me. She's been nervously making sure I remember to do everything right. It's kinda cute.

Sadie watched Sam while Jamie and I went out ...

May 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sadie watched Sam while Jamie and I went out last night. It was good to get away, if only for a bit. A pint of Black Butte Porter and a rant about work was all it took to put me in a much mellower mood.

Sam accidentally discovered a hidden cache where Jamie had stashed a Lego toy for Sam. It was given long ago, and I think she was saving it for emergency. Needless to say, he was very excited and I helped him put it together. I remember the days when a toy costing a few dollars would bring sheer bliss to me for hours. Now it takes computer equipment in the hundreds of dollar range to get the same effect. Fortunately, weekend breakfasts with my family tops even that.

We've just returned from an amazingly filling...

May 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

We've just returned from an amazingly filling Easter dinner. Seraph's potato chocolate cake was to die for, as usual. There were an amazing number of kids running about. We ended up leaving a bit early, as Sam was starting to get a bit tired (not to mention myself).

Jamie and I actually got to go out to a cultural event last night. I picked up tickets to Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolfe, which was quite good. Of course, we did end up heading home after the second act, as it was past ten, we were exhausted, and we didn't want to loose the good graces of our babysitters.

The folk festival was this weekend as well. Today, Sam dressed himself as a superhero and we all went down to campus to hear the music. Sam really enjoyed dancing. And by dancing, I mean running around me in circles then falling over.

All things considering, it was a good weekend. Jamie and I actually had a little time to visit, which was nice. Sam was generally in a good mood and was more funny than usual.

We all gathered at the photo place last night...

May 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

We all gathered at the photo place last night, with four generations of people and all the extended family for a single picture. I'll hopefully get a copy of it soon - it's practically a family tree in itself. Poor Sam was a bit distraught yesterday. The day itself was exciting, with preschool, visitors, and a surprise trip to the doctor. We tried to get everyone home at a reasonable time, and Sam promptly crashed out.

I've been feeling a bit blah the last few days, so I gave into my coffee habit. On the plus side, I continue to use my stair stepper in the mornings, in addition to my lunchtime exercise. That certainly helps work off life's various frustrations. I'm looking forward to the weekend, which can't come soon enough.

Mother's Day was fun

May 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

Mother's Day was fun. Sam and I headed over to my mom's house, where everyone proceeded to descend for brunch. I mostly kept an eye on the boy, who has become adept at escaping. Sam and Dez spent a considerable amount of time playing with snails, then we said our goodbyes and headed home.

I think Monday was a little hard for Sam. He went to preschool late after sleeping in, but cried for much of it. Jamie stayed to keep an eye on him, and he perked up after coming back home. Jamie was off to a meeting last night, so Sam and I played and I tucked him into bed. Another day in the life of our household.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there

May 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. We had a great Saturday, watching Sam ride his bike by the river, then later going to dinner at my dad and Yayoe's house. It was great to see Sadie again. I've got to remember to take some pictures of her today.

In a couple hours, we're off to brunch at my mom's house. Jamie's present to herself is some quiet time this Sunday, but she'll be there in spirit. She baked a ton of cinnamon rolls and made a present for my mom. What a woman.

Another exciting week day, and another present

May 10, 2002 by Adam in Family

Another exciting week day, and another present. I discovered a gift in the refrigerator as I went to get my morning cereal. It turned out to be a Hawaiian shirt, expanding my repertoire for Hawaiian shirt day to two items. Ironically, it's the same print as another person on my team. I'm sure there's much hilarity to be gotten from that concidence.

We're heading over to my dad's for dinner. My grandmother is there, and it'll be nice to see her. I think we're trying to get everyone together for Sunday brunch as well. Hopefully we can get everything coordinated.

The week moves along

May 09, 2002 by Adam in Family

The week moves along. Thursday seems to have come quickly. The secret presents from Jamie continue to roll in. This morning it was a Starbucks' gift card on my keyboard.

Sam's been in a bit of a wacky mood the last couple days. No preschool yesterday. When I asked why, he replied in a distressed voice, "because I love mom!" Hopefully he'll settle down by the weekend.

I'm beginning to suspect a conspiracy

May 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

I'm beginning to suspect a conspiracy. After finding a present yesterday on my computer chair, another showed up on my desk at work. I discovered some pretty yellow daisies along with a card from Jamie. There's something about surprise presents that put a smile on my face.

The week continues to roll along. Work is fairly busy, and Sam is a wild boy. Our latest activity is to wrestle, typically utilizing a towel to capture Sam and let him wriggle free. He's become quite the wriggler.

It was a great weekend

May 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a great weekend. I got to play my new computer game in the morning, then upstairs for a hearty breakfast with the rest of the family. We mostly puttered around. Sam was feeling sniffly, so we spent most of the time inside. I got to apply my master's degree in science, fixing the motor of our lawn mower. Well, it was probably my basic electronics class in Junior High that was most of it, but it's all the same.

Sunday was a momentous day for Sam. I took him to see the Spiderman movie, and he sat through the whole thing. It was a first for him, having not made it through Chicken Run, Osmosis Jones, or Harry Potter. For Spiderman, though, he pulled through. I was amazed to find out that we'd been at the theater for over two hours. Amazing.

Jamie left me a little present on my chair this morning. New 501 jeans. I can't wait to get home and try them on. For some men, the way to their heart is through their stomach. For me, it's the pants.

It's the last day in April, and looking a bit...

April 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's the last day in April, and looking a bit on the soggy side outside my window. Jamie was out last night, so Sam and I ate "guy food", watched cartoons, and walked over to play at the park. Fortunately, Jamie returned in time to watch the momentous Blue's Clues episode where Steve goes to college, leaving the show forever. Jamie almost seemed more excited than Sam, who practially fell asleep.

I'm still using my stair stepper. I was up at 5 am, watching television and sweating. All great fun.

I picked up an exercise machine today

April 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

I picked up an exercise machine today. It's a stair stepper, on sale at Sears. We rearranged the "nerd cave", moving out the couch and putting the rear computer speakers on the ceiling. The exercise machine is now positioned so someone can watch t.v. or fiddle with the computer while exercising. Very cool.

The day itself was good. Sam played with Sue and Guidu while Jamie and I shopped, set up the exercise machine, and hung out at the house. Sam's now watching Justice League and should go to bed soon. Great fun.

Sam's sitting on my lap, and we just finished...

April 28, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam's sitting on my lap, and we just finished a hearty breakfast, my favorite part of the week. Yesterday was a Spring cleaning morning, and this time we cleaned the main floor bathroom. As always, Sam danced to music while he dusted. In the afternoon, we hung up Jamie's new blinds. They ended up being far more complicated than the woman at the store promised. The directions were mostly meaningless, but we managed to stick it together.

Today we may look for a new chair for Jamie's sitting area. I'm also interested in stair stepper machines. We'll see how much time we have and what's really open today. (Sam wants me to write, "and my toy fell", since he's playing and listening to me type). Sam's going to grandma Sue's sometime today too. Hopefully it'll give Jamie and I a chance to visit.

Now Sam wants me to write, "and I slipped and fell." Talk about a ham.

It was a beautiful day yesterday

April 26, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a beautiful day yesterday. Jamie and Sam picked me up for lunch, and we headed to Hendrick's Park for an impromptu picinic. Sam and I pretended to be spies, peeking through the bushes at Jamie and running about. All great fun.

Brant and Wendy came over, as a mini-birthday for Brant. Jamie made lasagna and cake from scratch while teacher Phyllis watched Sam in the afternoon. It was a fun, low-key evening.

I think allergy season is upon us. I had a mild headache this morning (though nothing that coffee can't cure). Jamie's been a bit more achey, however. I keep trying to push Claratin on her, but she usually refuses, denying the realities of living in the valley.

It was more gardening for me this morning, fr...

April 22, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was more gardening for me this morning, frantically weeding and cleaning before Jamie came home. It looks quite beautiful, and I'm pretty proud of myself.

Jamie and Sam had a good time at the beach. They mostly hung out, visited the sea lion cave, and played at the beach. As soon as he arrived, he wanted to get in his dad playtime. We were building Legos and flying them around the yard in no time.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to work, hopefully cleaning more of the various projects up. It'll be good to give my hands some time to heal. I've lost track of the various cuts and splinters.

What a day

April 21, 2002 by Adam in Family

What a day. I woke up early, made myself pancakes at the crack of dawn, then started in on weeding. Since I already had the truck, I began the bark-o-mulch runs. By eleven, I had moved and spread three truck loads. I then had a brief interlude of launching rockets and eating lunch with my dad, Hanni, Jenny, Seraph, and their respective offspring. Quite the crowd. Then it was a final bark-o-mulch trip, then trade back to my car. Oh, and somewhere in there I managed to finish the laundry and unload the dish washer.

For a treat, I made a trip to Johnson Brothers' in Coburg. Excellent plant selection, and I managed to come back with a few nice treats. There's still some outside cleanup to do, and the plants to put in the ground. Since it's still only seven o'clock, I may try a bit of that before I collapse to bed.

Sam just called to let me know that he and Ja...

April 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam just called to let me know that he and Jamie loved me, and that they were heading out for the coast. I'm hoping for a productive weekend, with lots of yardwork so I don't miss them too much. I'm hoping tonight that I can pick up my mom's truck in preparation for the activities.

Work has improved. It's been great to actually get things done, as I start feeling fidgety when the work piles up. Combined with a mocha and some good tunes on my headphones, it's all good.

Jim and Judy were in town last night, going t...

April 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jim and Judy were in town last night, going to a concert by someone who sang a song about "cigarettes and red vines." I suspect something in the country venue, but I can't really remember. Anyway, Jamie worked out, had dinner with them, and then off to a meeting. Sam and I had a boys night, watching an X-Men cartoon, having a bath, then going to bed. He's a neat kid, and funny too. Tonight it's off to Glen Campbell, my boss' house, for a dinner with my team. I get to show off my family too, which should be fun.

Another weekend come and gone

April 15, 2002 by Adam in Family

Another weekend come and gone. Saturday morning was a Spring cleaning day. We cranked up the music, gave Sam a duster, and watched him dance around waving it about. Eventually, we cleaned the guest bedroom too. The rest of the weekend was fairly lazy. Lots of hanging out and playing with Sam.

It turns out that I'll be by myself next weekend. Jamie and Sam are going to the coast with Judy. I've got a ton of yard work I'd like to do. Time to butter up my mom and ask her for the truck. The bark-o-mulch calls to me.

Work is wrapping up and a pleasant weekend lo...

April 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

Work is wrapping up and a pleasant weekend looms ahead. It's been a busy week here, and promises to be busy next week again. Fortunately, that all goes away when I head home. I'm sure I'll get an excited "Dado!" from Sam as he runs up to me. The joys of fatherhood.

No big plans for the weekend. I'd like to get out with Jamie a bit and spend a little time together. I'm sure Sam and I will play a bit on the computer. I'd also like to do another bike trip along the river - Sam had a great time last weekend. Time will tell.

The week is slowly moving along

April 10, 2002 by Adam in Family

The week is slowly moving along. Since the weather has been dreary, we've moved back inside for most of our play time. Sam and I suited up in our rain gear last night, then ran around the house, just to get some exercise. I've noticed the pollen quite a bit these days. Lots of early morning headaches, even with the Claritin.

We're still in pretty good spirits, though. No exciting projects or plans these days. I'll usually come home and play with Sam while Jamie is either out and about, or hanging out relaxing. It's all good.

Back at work, after another good weekend

April 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

Back at work, after another good weekend. That makes three great weekends in a row - a sure sign that Spring is here and no one is sick. Sam and I played on the computer Sunday morning, then went off with Jamie to the river trail. There, Sam amazed us by riding his bike for an hour as we struggled at times to keep up. We stopped by the mall, where I picked up a new shirt and jeans. I was amazed by the various fit and treatment options for blue jeans these days. I ended up with "standard fit" jeans with an "antiqued" finish. Too many choices these days.

When I arrived at home last night, Jamie had ...

April 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

When I arrived at home last night, Jamie had prepared a relaxing faux bed-and-breakfast surprise. Sam greeted me at the door in his new fancy Hawaiian shirt. I had quiet reading time, snack and drinks. Then Sam went off with grandma and guidu while Jamie and I had a lovely dinner.

This morning, Sam woke up early, and came down to play the Star Wars game with me. Then it was yummy breakfast, and now we're off to play firefighter games in the back yard, putting out the steam from the dryer. Looks like a great beginning to another weekend.

It's been a beautiful week here in sunny Eugene

April 04, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been a beautiful week here in sunny Eugene. Jamie stole me away from work today to have lunch at the 5th Street Market. Very nice.

Jamie's mom bought a house on the beach - Waldport, I think. I suspect we'll be making the periodic visits to the coast whenever the sale is final. Should be fun for all.

A very good Easter Sunday was had by all

April 01, 2002 by Adam in Family

A very good Easter Sunday was had by all. Sam and I were invited over to the neighbor's Easter egg hunt. I think Sam's favorite part was picking up the balloons that had popped and collecting them in his bag.

We picked up Josh around noon, then did a short trip to a playground. That didn't last long, as everyone was hungry, and we ate egg salad sandwiches as fast as Jamie could make them. I entertained Josh and Sam with the various toys obtained through Easter activities. Then it was down to the nerd cave where Josh and Sam played the Star Wars game for several hours.

Sam went to bed early and Jamie and I visited for a bit. Life is good.

Happy Easter to all! As I type, I hear tiny ...

March 31, 2002 by Adam in Family

Happy Easter to all! As I type, I hear tiny footprints running around upstairs. My guess is that Sam is searching the house for eggs as we speak. I'll have to join them soon in the festivities.

Another great day yesterday. We headed out to Hendrick's park, where many of the flowers were beginning to bloom. Combined with a sunny, warm day, it was hard to beat. After lunch, Jamie headed out to shop and pick up Josh, while Sam and I played the Star Wars game and weeded the garden. Josh hung out until Dave came for dinner.

I periodically amaze myself. I made up a pasta sauce using garlic, garlic, white wine, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, cream, and cream cheese that turned out amazingly well. Must be my background in biology and chemistry.

What an exciting time it's been over the last...

March 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

What an exciting time it's been over the last few days. I took Friday off, so I'm well into my three-day weekend. Thursday night Sam and I went off to practice bike riding again. He's getting more and more confident in his skills. There's a flat reservoir just up the hill, so I pushed him up and he rode around for quite awhile.

Friday was another most excellent day. It started with gardening, pulling ivy and planting honeysuckle. I caught Jamie watching me, a smile on her face. Then it was a hearty breakfast with the two of us as the boy slept in. Sam was in a wonderful mood - funny, smart, and constantly entertaining. Sam and I played computer games together for awhile, ran around outside, then went off to the Harry Potter movie. He was mesmerized and made it an hour and a half into the film before we had to go home.

Once at home, we said "hello" to Jamie who was busy rearranging curtains. We played the new Star Wars game for a bit, then played with the neighbor kids. Sam started getting pretty frazzled, so we put him to bed early.

The wonder of three-day weekends is that it's not even close to over. I'm hoping for another day of sun and relaxation.

The week's been chugging along

March 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

The week's been chugging along. I got so jealous of everyone at work taking time off, that I decided to skip work this Friday. If the weather holds, I'd love to do some gardening. Soothing to the soul.

My biggest worries these days are around Sam's medical issues. I talked to him a little last night. I think he was mostly worried that it would hurt. I explained that he'd be asleep during the circumcision, which appeased him some, but he wasn't happy about the possible post-operative "stinging". Of course, none of this is imminent, and may not be necessary anyway.

Sam and I had fun trying to color Jamie's hair last night. She wanted it a bit lighter, but it turned out to only even it out with a darker color. I guess we'll have to try the heavy-duty stuff next time.

We just finished up with one of the better we...

March 25, 2002 by Adam in Family

We just finished up with one of the better weekends lately. Nothing special, just a lot of good moments. Sam and I managed considerable play time together. The gardening began, with blueberries, shade plants, and some sage out front. I've yet to put in the honeysuckle, which I'm fond of. Jamie and I had some time together, as Sam went off with Sue and Dick. All-in-all, a fine weekend.

Well, I'm finally done with taxes

March 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, I'm finally done with taxes. Looks like we'll be getting quite a big return, which makes us all happy. I'm leaning towards getting an exercise machine, but we might end up being practical and just putting it in the bank. Oh, and I'm done with the software, so anyone who wants to borrow it, just let me know.

With Spring finally here, we headed out to Jo...

March 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

With Spring finally here, we headed out to Johnson Brother's nursery and returned loaded with plants. There's a certain satisfying feeling putting new plants in the ground. Though it may take years, we'll eventually end up with a beautiful landscape. Sam's favorite part of the whole trip was putting his Lego boat in the ponds and covering them with algae.

The cable guy also came this morning, hooking up cable to the guest bedroom and the "nerd cave". With my new t.v. card, I can now watch television on my computer. It's not the best quality, but it'll do in a pinch. I'm also interested in seeing how easy it is to record shows. There's an old Bogart movie I'm going to give it a try with.

I dug up this picture of Sam wearing goggles

March 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

I dug up this picture of Sam wearing goggles. He had a great time at OMSI, and I think he especially liked the chemistry area. He happily put on his goggles, mixed chemicals, and tried to emulate Josh as much as possible. You can see a bigger version here.

Jamie and I were set for a romantic date last night. Yayoe came over to watch Sam and we were about to head out the door. Sam, unfortunately, started acting really strange, so we bagged the whole thing. We fed him, then put him to bed by six, so it's looking like he was either really exhausted or sick. Jamie was coughing a bit last night, so I'm hoping it's not the return of yet another virus. I'm quite sick of being sick.

I'm getting to be a pro at putting Sam to bed

March 21, 2002 by Adam in Family

I'm getting to be a pro at putting Sam to bed. Jamie was off at a Tiny Tots meeting, so I took care of Sam last night. We had a great time, running around the park and stomping on the stump of a tree that had blown over in the storm. A little dinner, a little Lego playing, a bath, and we were ready for bed. It's all good.

Sam was also a very lucky boy yesterday. Jamie took Sam to Toys-R-Us and they ended up coming back with a kid's bike. Sam wanted to put it together and try it out immediately. We still need to get a helmet and pads, then it's probably up to me to start putting it together, either tonight or over the weekend. Great fun.

Jamie and Sam came by after work

March 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie and Sam came by after work. Jamie went to workout in the gym while I took Sam to the library. When I arrived home, Jamie's dad was there. He and Sam played while I baked some bananna bread and made enchiladas. It was nice to have the opportunity to cook dinner, as I rarely do these days.

Sam was clearly over excited by the days events. During dinner, he demanded bananna bread and when I took him out of his chair, he lashed out with his tiny fist. I told him that it wasn't okay to hit, and swept him upstairs to bed. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.

Now I'm back at work, a computer upgrade finished and a meeting beginning in a few minutes. How funny life is.

Coming back from Portland, there was an accid...

March 18, 2002 by Adam in Family

Coming back from Portland, there was an accident involving two tanker trucks full of fuel, so traffic was incredibly bad. The two hour trip was turned into a three hour one, which we amazingly survived. Sam announced he was bored a half hour into it. We managed to play with two toys for almost the entire trip - a snake-like plastic thingie and a hole punch. Never underestimate the creative power of a desperate father.

It's amazing how great life is with everyone well. Sam and Jamie seemed in good moods. I cleaned and did laundry like there was no tomorrow. It's all good.

I was going to work on taxes yesterday, so I ...

March 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

I was going to work on taxes yesterday, so I booted up Jim and Judy's computer, only to find that the keyboard didn't work. Somewhat puzzled, I fiddled around with the software, which did nothing, and finally turned it over to see if a wire was loose. Well, when I did, a viscous green liquid poured out. Surprised and puzzled, I surmised that someone had spilled a drink and it had shorted things out. Well, I took it apart and tried to clean out the goo, only to eventually give up.

When Jim finally came home, his first question was, "do you know how to open up a keyboard?" I explained how I'd already done so, and asked him what happened. It turns out their cat threw up on the keyboard. Completely grossed out, I promptly washed my hand over and over again. Sadly, the memory of the stench is burned into my brain forever.

This morning, everyone but Jamie went to OMSI, and had a great time. We spent about three hours there, and Sam had a great time. He was especially into the chemistry area, wearing the goggles and doing experiements. Later, we headed home, dropped off Sam and Judy, then took a trip to Frys for a new keyboard.

Well, Frys and Adam should never be brought together, as I ended up spending about $100 on a mouse pad, blank CDs, and a t.v. capture card. It's all good.

Tonight, Jamie and I are going to a romantic Italian restaurant while Sam is entertained by Josh, Jim, and Judy at the same time. Should be bliss for everyone.

Well, we made it to Portland

March 15, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, we made it to Portland. Somewhere around Salem, we had a minor medical emergency. Sam got an eyelash stuck in his eye, but he wouldn't blink. We spent several minutes with him crying and holding his eye closed. I finally pinned his arms and manually moved his eyelids back and forth. Amazingly, it worked just great.

Jim and Judy are doting over Sam while Jamie and I relax. It's hard to imagine that our life was like this all the time.

I spoke with Jamie yesterday afternoon, who p...

March 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

I spoke with Jamie yesterday afternoon, who proceeded to detail how terrible Sam had been all day. She sounded very much like an overwhelmed mom, so I snuck out of work a little early to see if I could do some help. When I arrived at home, they weren't in the living room as normal. From the basement, I heard a series of loud thunks and Sam screaming.

Fearing the worst, I ran down the stairs to find Jamie throwing balls at Sam, a gleam in her eye. Sam was dodging left and right, trying to escape. After they both started laughing hysterically did I realize the true nature of the game. Being a sport, I decided to pick up the balls and try a few throws as the boy. It was actually quite satisfying, for all parties involved.

A pleasant weekend has come to a close

March 11, 2002 by Adam in Family

A pleasant weekend has come to a close. Sunday was quite productive, with shopping, cleaning, and hanging out with Jamie's dad. Sam and I played with Legos, though not as much as the huge amount on Saturday. We also had Seraph and Robbie over last night, which was nice. They hadn't been in our house for months, so the recent additions were new to them.

Jamie handed over the dress she'd made for Isabell. Sam was fairly fascinating to his young cousin. He'd invented this game involving repeatedly smashing Duplos. Isa would break into this huge grin every time he hit them together and blocks began to fly.

It's back to work for me today. As soon as I sit down, I'll be cleaning up social security numbers from a data file. Woo hoo! Hopefully the work week will be short, as I'm going to try to get Friday off. I bough zoo tickets many months ago, and we're going to try for a Portland trip this weekend. Should be fun.

Today was a good day

March 09, 2002 by Adam in Family

Today was a good day. I woke up early and started work on a new paper building, this time a windmill that's very complex. Sam and hung out until Jamie finished making breakfast, which was quite tasty. For some reason, Sam has been hysterical all day.

Sam and I played outside, then had a little snack with mom and Dick at New Day bakery. Sam scarfed down eggs, toast, and part of a cinnimon roll while listening to a guy playing guitar in the corner. After our fun little counter-culture experience, we came home and have been playing Legos ever since.

Jamie has taken advantage of this time to herself by spending time on a secret sewing project. Since it's a secret, I can't talk about it here, but it'll be cool when finally completed. She also did a little rearranging of the craft room, which seems to change on a weekly basis.

One final thing. About a month ago, there was that fire up the street. Jamie finally heard the story behind it, as told by the neighbor. It turns out that a woman with Alzheimer's lived there. When the power went out, she had set out candles. Her daughter came to pick her up, and evidently some were left burning. No one was hurt, but it's still a sad story. I'm endlessly glad that our family is doing relatively well.

When I awoke this morning and headed off to w...

March 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

When I awoke this morning and headed off to work, snow was coming down. Our lawn had a light dusting of the white stuff. If it was December, it would have filled my heart with happy feelings. Now, it's just one more reminder that spring isn't here yet. Well, at least it's melting away.

Sam seems to have his "pee problem" again. Last night, he started complaining that it hurts when he pees. I think the plan is to get him to a doctor today. I feel so bad for him, as there's not much I can do to alleviate his fear. He gets so scared that he holds it in until it hurts. Poor kid. The irony is that we were finally starting to recover from our colds. Had to be something else, I suppose.

It's Friday and I'm well caffinated. Jamie's family is in town this weekend, so we'll probably try to get Sam and Josh together to play. I also have a romantic evening out with Jamie planned, assuming I can arrange it. Life seems complicated these days.

It was a good day yesterday, despite being sick

March 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a good day yesterday, despite being sick. Jamie and Sam went to the Air and Space museum by the airport. I think the original plan was just to get out of the house on a rainy day, but they ended up having a really good time. Sam got to sit behind the controls of a couple airplanes. "But I didn't fly it," Sam added. Jamie admired the collection of airline kitch collected by an airline executive over the years.

I tried hard to be in a good mood yesterday, if only to make up for my general grumpiness the day before. I bought Jamie flowers and played Legos for hours with Sam. Even though I'm still achy and sick, it seemed to help with everyone's mood. Sam was kind and polite, quite the contrast from the night before. Even Jamie smiled a few times over the evening.

I had gone to bed early, and woke up about 4:30 in the morning. Not having anything better to do, I watched Stargate episodes and made another paper house. This one was really elaborate, with a chimney, front porch, and more. It was very relaxing, bringing me back to the kindergarden days when life was simple.

I was walking to work from my car today, spac...

March 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

I was walking to work from my car today, spacing out a bit as the rain pattered on my umbrella. Like an old horse, my feet knew the way, as I ended up at Starbucks instead.

I'm still sick, as is the rest of my family. Sam was completely wacky last night. It was frustrating getting him to bed, as he had lost the ability to have a rational conversation. I keep wishing there was something I could do to make everyone happier. Sadly, I think we just get to wait it out.

It was my dad's birthday party last night. I dragged myself to it, practically falling asleep once I got there. It was nice seeing everyone again, as it seems I haven't seen much of my family lately.

When I arrived home last night, it was if my ...

March 05, 2002 by Adam in Family

When I arrived home last night, it was if my wife and son had been swept away and replaced by pod people. Jamie was silent, a sore throat keeping her from talking much. Sam was trying to be good, but his tiny body would flail about and knock things over. It all made sense this morning when I woke up with an achy body, sore throat, and headache. It appears we're all sick again. I imagine that our immune systems are becoming super-efficient from all the viruses thrown our way this winter.

It's dad's birthday tonight. I'll try to make it, come hell or high water, though I'm not so sure about Jamie and Sam. I'm hoping this is one of those mild illnesses. My Cafe Mocha and Advil trick seems to be working reasonably well, though the day is still early.

Sam and I hung out together yesterday

March 03, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam and I hung out together yesterday. It was a fairly fun-filled day, full of checkers, backyard playing, going to the play, buying some Knight Legos, a trip to a park, and hanging out at home. Very busy and full. The good news is that Sam appears fully recovered, in a good mood, and generally polite and cheerful again. It makes a huge difference.

We're having the neighbors and their kids over for tea today, so Jamie's gearing up for that. Sam and I will probably make a Borders run, since I have a 20% discount through work today. I've been getting into making paper models of buildings for some strange reason, so I may poke around and see what they've got.

There's a special feeling I get every Friday ...

March 01, 2002 by Adam in Family

There's a special feeling I get every Friday morning, dressed in my jeans and drinking a mocha, that I don't get any other day of the week. The weekend is soon upon us and this final workday seems almost like a prelude of events to come. Almost.

Jamie's doing the play again tomorrow, so Sam and I get to be Men About Town. We'll probably take in the play ourselves, and perhaps run an errand or two. It's still a bit too early for much gardening, though I can definately feel it calling.

I slept for almost ten hours last night. I fell asleep when putting Sam to bed, and only briefly woke up to move back to ours. I'm still a little sick, and get that annoying cough from time to time. Hopefully our family is on the mend.

I made it through the entire night last night...

February 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

I made it through the entire night last night without cough syrup or waking myself up coughing. It was a good night. I feel much better, though that lingering cough pops up on occasion. Being healthy sure is nice.

While Jamie was off working out last night, Sam and I made pizza. He really got into it, making a little mini-pizza just for him. When Jamie finally arrived, he decided it was a surprise and wouldn't let her see. Sam positioned himself in the doorway to the kitchen, hand outstreched, saying things like "Stop! Look away!"

I think Sam is still a little under the weather. He went to bed a little after seven last night, which is a bit early for him.

Saturday was a pretty fun-filled day

February 24, 2002 by Adam in Family

Saturday was a pretty fun-filled day. Jamie left early to help out at the preschool play, while I was left to keep an eye on Sam. We had a good time going through the morning routine, and headed out to watch the play around eleven. Jenny, mom, and their associated crew were there, Isabell tagging along as well. Sam appeared mesmerized by the play, watching it intently. We later tracked down Jamie, who was out in the courtyard selling popcorn, cookies, and coffee - bilking each patron out of their last cent. Later, we headed home, visited briefly with my dad, then played until Jamie arrived.

It was then off to Dave and Brant's house for a pre-party dinner for Dave. He turned 30, and was having a bunch of people from work over for a big birthday bash. Fortunately, they had an early dinner just for family, which suited us just fine.

We also ended up taking Josh home with us, presumably to protect him from the wild partygoers. Sam though it was exceptionally cool that Josh has glasses now. But then again, Sam thinks everything that Josh does is exceptionally cool.

Sometimes I wonder if our household is like a...

February 21, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sometimes I wonder if our household is like a Poe story: "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." Well, maybe it's not that bad, but I sure am using a lot of tissues. I'm at work today, though admittedly quite stuffed up. Less coughing, which I'm thankful for, and I slept reasonably well last night.

Looks like life is getting busy again. The preschool play is this weekend, with rehersals tonight. Sam gets to have a sniffly dad take care of him while Jamie's busy tonight and Saturday.

Still sick today, feeling cruddier than I did...

February 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

Still sick today, feeling cruddier than I did yesterday. Jamie and I went out to dinner last night, where she ended up mostly venting. The last few weeks have been pretty stressful, with everyone sick and Sam acting wacky. Sigh.

I went to bed at eight o'clock and woke up at four in the morning. Having nothing better to do, I wandered into work at six thirty, where I'm now working away. Not sure I'll last the day - we'll see.

Well, my hubris has finally caught up with me

February 19, 2002 by Adam in Family

Well, my hubris has finally caught up with me. My throat is sore and scratchy and my head is hurting a bit. I'm at work, doing the pain killer and mocha combo. I've got to come up with a name for it - like "CafT Madvil." Well, it seems to be working so far.

I'm hoping I've perked up by this evening. Serina is coming over to watch Sam while Jamie and I get out on the town. It's been hard finding time to spend together the last few weeks. I'm hoping to pretend we're a hip young couple in love, at least for a couple hours.

The end of a long weekend has finished up, an...

February 18, 2002 by Adam in Family

The end of a long weekend has finished up, and I've returned to my cubicle here at work. I slept for an amazing nine hours last night. I only got five hours of sleep Saturday night, due to a four a.m. page. It left me in a foul mood all Sunday.

I did a little gardening Sunday morning, laying down bark-o-mulch and weeding a bit. There's a certain theraputic value in pulling invasive plants. I felt better afterwards. Jamie also had a few hardware projects. We hung hooks in a closet and moved a bar around. The joys of home improvement.

Sam's still not up to par. He went to bed around six last night, but woke up coughing on occasion. Poor kid.

Sam may be better, but he's definately not qu...

February 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam may be better, but he's definately not quite back to normal. Jamie's been out and about today, leaving me with Sam. I played with the boy a bit this morning, then he crashed hard around one, and is still asleep almost two hours later. I think he's still fighting off the flu.

This morning, Sam's sickness became a "teaching moment." His binkies were invading viruses, which were fought off with a combination of mucous (his pillows), antibodies (some Legos), and various macrophages (Sam's hands). Great fun.

Sam's almost back to normal

February 15, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam's almost back to normal. When I arrived last night after work, it was off to the nerd cave to play with Legos. He still looks a bit beat, with dark circles under his eyes. He also went to bed early with an, "I want to be next to mom and I want my binkies."

Valentine's Day celebrations were minimal. I blindfolded Jamie and made her find presents hidden about her, giving her simple "you're getting hotter" commands. Fun, but short, as we had to run back upstairs to check on sick Sam watching television.

I'm hoping Jamie's not sick. Last night, she was reporting a stuffy nose and achey feelings. I feel pretty good myself, though perhaps it's because a tall mocha waits for me when I go to work today.

Sam's still sick, but doing a little better

February 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam's still sick, but doing a little better. He slept for most of the day yesterday, coming out of it periodically for something to drink or a few pretzels. Jamie's tired too, from keeping an eye on the boy so much. So, it looks like we'll be having a low-key Valentine's Day. Lots of snuggling up on the couch with those that I love.

Poor Sam is sick again

February 13, 2002 by Adam in Family

Poor Sam is sick again. He had a fever of 104 degrees and was throwing up last night. Jamie and I have both had bad headaches, but it sounds like it hit him even more. He wasn't eating anything and we could barely get him to drink a little hot chocolate.

The only high point in Sam's evening is that my friends Jason and Bridget came over. Jason brought his GameCube and Rogue Squadron game, which Sam completely loved. He was flying over the ice planet of Hoth, crashing into the ground and shooting at the snow. Towards the end of the evening, Jason was showing him how to blow up things in various ways. When we finally got him to bed, he said, "My finger still feels like I'm pushing a button."

I think everyone is slowly recovering from th...

February 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

I think everyone is slowly recovering from this last week. I'm releaved to hear that everyone has power again. Even the neighbor's lights turned on yesterday morning. I had a terrible headache last night, but the miracle of coffee and Advil once again saves the day.

Tonight, my old friend Jason Kronholm is coming over. He's promised to bring his GameCube and show off a Star Wars game for Sam. Jamie's going to a book club, so I suspect a fair amount of "guyness" this evening.

About an hour ago, I heard sirens that kept c...

February 10, 2002 by Adam in Family

About an hour ago, I heard sirens that kept coming closer. I looked out the window, and a bunch of emergency vehicles were coming up the block. I walked out towards the street and saw that one of the houses without power about four houses up and across the street was on fire. I don't think anyone was hurt, as no one came down to the ambulance.

Sam slept through the whole thing, and Jamie was out to dinner. I wasn't able to get through to her, so she had a bit of a fright coming back home. The street had been blocked off by police, so she had to walk up the street.

Mom and Dick are here too. We ended up telling all our house fire stories to Todd and Victoria as we watched the fire being put out. This weekend has been far too exciting.

Life continues to be interesting

February 09, 2002 by Adam in Family

Life continues to be interesting. Sam's still afraid to go pee, and he holds it until it hurts sometimes. The neighbors across the street still don't have power. We've offered to let them use our showers and such. They came over for an hour or so to warm up and change their littlest one. Mom called and they may stay here tonight if they still don't have power.

I think Sam's finally feeling better

February 09, 2002 by Adam in Family

I think Sam's finally feeling better. We're not sure what it really was, but we'll finish up the antibiotics just in case. He seems like a normal boy again.

Jamie took Sam in to see "Doctor Jimmy," Sam'...

February 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie took Sam in to see "Doctor Jimmy," Sam's pediatrician. He thought it actually wasn't a urinary tract infection, but rather just a cut that was irritated whenever he went to the bathroom. So, Jamie picked up a topical antibiotic and analgesic. Hopefully that will make things easier for him.

What's frustrating is that the emergency room doctor didn't actually examine his penis. He just assumed it was a UTI and prescribed antibiotics. The lab result showed bacteria, but it could have come from the cut or just appeared due to time delays (they sent Jamie back and forth from the Emergency Room to the lab). Very annoying.

So, hopefully he'll start feeling better in a few days. Jamie's taking Sam to get the "fire Bionicle" because he was so brave during the office visit.

Fortunately, Sam seemed to sleep well last night

February 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

Fortunately, Sam seemed to sleep well last night. I think that's the first full night of sleep for both Jamie and Sam since early in the week. It was pretty tough last night. I think he finally peed, felt better, and I tucked him in bed a little after 8 pm. Ironically, I checked our company's internet site, and it had good suggestions for urinary tract infections in children. I guess our site is more useful than I thought.

The storm was evidently quite severe. When I left the house today, some plants and our recycle bin had blown over. Walking to work, I saw a tree that had fallen on a house. Several of my coworkers had lost power and some had it still out. Crazy.

Like the Chinese curse, we're living in inter...

February 08, 2002 by Adam in Family

Like the Chinese curse, we're living in interesting times.

Sam's pretty miserable. He'll be fine for a long while, then run around crying hysterically. I can't tell if he's afriad of going pee, or that it hurts to do so. It has Jamie and I a bit on edge.

To top it off, there was an incredible storm late this afternoon, blowing over trees and shutting off power to most of Eugene. Seraph and Robbie, mom and Dick, and Brant and Dave are all without power. We had a brief interruption of power, but that's it. We're connected to the Internet, got the gas fireplace going, and have lots of lights on. It almost makes me feel guilty.

I finished the banister last night

February 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

I finished the banister last night. It took considerable nail pounding and swearing, but it turned out pretty good. It's not quite as solid as I would have liked - I suppose I can pound yet more nails into it if I need to.

Jamie and Sam return today. The house has been too quiet without them. Sam should be happy, as his first Lego magazine (with Bionicle comic book) is sitting on the table for him.

I've survived the first few days without Jami...

February 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

I've survived the first few days without Jamie or Sam in the house. Admittedly, I've been reduced to obtaining most of my nutrients through chips, beer, and Metropol bread. I've been getting a lot done. I took off the banister posts and sanded, painted, and put them back up. Tonight I need to nail them in and do some touch up painting. I also had a moment of excitement when I stapled up the network cable I ran last night. When I went to test it, nothing worked. It turns out that I had stapled through it and shorted it out. Fortunately, pulling the staple fixed the problem.

Destin's birthday party was yesterday, so Sam...

February 04, 2002 by Adam in Family

Destin's birthday party was yesterday, so Sam and I ate a hearty breakfast that Jamie made, headed off to Toys-R-Us, then met the family for the festivities. Strangely, I ended up getting more than I had given, with magazines from Yayoe, oranges from Dorothy, and maps from Sadie. All great fun.

Today Sam and I went to the park for an hour or so, then off to my friend Chris' house. He has a bunch of Star Wars Legos, so it was hard dragging Sam away. I also checked out his new Xbox, which is fairly spiffy. We now have a total of three computers in the house, so it's hard to justify another.

Tomorrow Jamie and Sam head to the coast, so I'll be a bachelor until Thursday. I stocked up on beer, bread, and chips, so I think I'll pull through. Lots of projects pending. I'm hoping to run network cable to the Lego computer which I just upgraded and moved into the living room. I've also got the banister, which has been calling out my name since Christmas.

I had ordered a Microscope from Intel a while...

January 30, 2002 by Adam in Family

I had ordered a Microscope from Intel a while back, and it arrived yesterday. I plugged it into my computer, and was soon watching magnified pictures of strange objects on my computer. Sam thought it was pretty cool, and we were magifying Lego people, dead insects, and pond water in no time. He also got a kick out of the equipment that came with it.

There was one plastic container that Sam dubbed his "containment unit", after a device in one of his Pajama Sam games. We hunted for insects around the house, mostly finding dead ones and plucking them with the tweezers. Great fun.

It's been fairly low-key the last few days

January 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

It's been fairly low-key the last few days. My cold continues, but my "cold-be-gone" cocktail of coffee and Advil seems to have conquered it. I've been paying my dues as a dad and playing lots of games with Sam. Lots of Legos, pretending to be superheros, reinacting Star Wars scenes, and the occasional wrestling match. Jamie called and will hopefully be coming over for lunch. Always fun to visit with the family.

The snow this morning took us all by surprise

January 28, 2002 by Adam in Family

The snow this morning took us all by surprise. Sam wandered down to play with me, first thing in the morning as he always does. We fiddled around for a bit, then I looked out the window to see everything blanketed in snow. Sam was terribly excited, and immediately wanted to head outside. We played and played, coming in after I started to get pretty hungry.

Unfortunately, all the excitement and lack of food was a bit too much for Sam. He threw a huge fit and we had to let him cry a bit before he'd settle down enough to eat his breakfast. The rest of the day was much better, and the neighbor kids (Ben, Sebastian, and Graham) came over to play for a bit. Jamie took a trip to the craft store, which turned into a three-hour long expedition. I was a bit played out with Sam towards the end of the day.

Otherwise, the weekend was very quiet. We did a few projects. I got the sound card back in my computer, and we hung up some shelves. Nothing too exciting, which was fine by me.

Another Mocha Friday

January 25, 2002 by Adam in Family

Another Mocha Friday. Sam got a Bionicle Lego character yesterday, so we basically played with the new toy for four hours after I got home. It was fun playing with him, though, and I always appreciate his quirky sense of humor. In the bath, his Bionicle guy was "Sitting the Seven Seas" (instead of "Sailing the Seven Seas"). Not sure where he heard that phrase, but he definately paused and looked at me to see if I got it.

More exciting work meetings today. Our whole team is together, going through various issues. It's a good thing I enjoy what I do, otherwise the various politics involved with getting big projects moving would drive me mad. I think I've been pushing an Internet redesign for a couple years now. May actually happen this year.

I'm looking forward to this weekend. I think we'll mostly putter around. I'd like to spend some serious dad-Sam time, possibly going for another hike. For some reason, I feel I haven't really been hanging out with the little guy much this week. With being sick and a few family things, it seems I've been absent more often than usual.

Exciting evening last night

January 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

Exciting evening last night. Jamie was going off with a friend for dinner, while I was trying to make it to Isabell's birthday. It was touch and go, but I managed to entertain Sam, get Sadie's webcam hooked up, assist with dinner, wrap (sort of) a present, do Sam's post-dinner bathroom routine, and get everyone and everything into the car. Whew.

The birthday party was great fun. Lots of family descended on the house. Seraph made a great cake, so seconds were necessary. Sam had a great time playing with Robbie's old Star Wars action figures from when he was a kid.

We rushed home for a quick bath and bedtime by 8 pm. Jamie returned well fed and rested. After a little computer gaming on my part, I went to bed, woke myself up snoring, then retreated to the guest bed so as not to bother Jamie. What a wonderful, quirky life I live.

I walked out the door to go to work today, wh...

January 21, 2002 by Adam in Family

I walked out the door to go to work today, when I found everything covered in snow. I took a few steps through the slush in my normal work outfit, then turned around to put on some sensible clothes. Getting to work wasn't too bad, though the sidewalks were pretty wet with slush. I'm now looking out over campus, the buildings looking like frosted gingerbread houses. Must be time for a morning snack.

Sadie, Dave, and Josh all came over today

January 21, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sadie, Dave, and Josh all came over today. It was nice having them over to entertain Sam and visit. Jamie started the actual miscarriage today, so it looks like a second ultrasound won't be necessary. I think part of her is glad to get things over with. We both want to move on with our lives. The support everyone has given us has been wonderful. Thank you all.

Tomorrow work starts, which is vaguely disappointing. The more time I spend with my family, the harder it is to leave. We'll probably continue to take it easy over the next week. I'm not sure if we'll make it to Isabell's birthday party, though we'll try.

We had a fun day today

January 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

We had a fun day today. We were mulling over our weekend plans at breakfast this morning, and Jamie suggested we head up into the hills and play in the snow. Sam thought that was a fine idea, so we dressed up warmly and piled into the Subaru. We headed towards Oakridge, and then went another fifteen miles past that. When we found the place where everyone was putting on their chains, we turned around and found a place next to the road to park.

We spent an hour throwing snowballs, building snow structures, and re-enacting the Star Wars scenes that took place on the ice planet Hoth. Jamie plays a pretty good tauntaun, and gave Sam several rides. Sam also found great joy in peeing in the snow. I suppose there's a first time for everything.

Thanks to all those who sent in notes, flower...

January 18, 2002 by Adam in Family

Thanks to all those who sent in notes, flowers, and reassurances. We're doing better. It helps to think of this as part of life, not unusual or uncommon.

Sam is quite good at convincing us of his utter need for Star Wars Legos. Evidently Jamie and Sam were at Fred Meyers looking for a Boba Fett Lego, but instead found one with two Ewoks, a Stormtrooper, and an Imperial Scout (with speeder bike). Of course Sam had to get one, and it was funny that his wiley ways worked on Jamie too. So, that's what we played with much of last night.

It's Friday, and that means Mocha day. Looking forward to the soothing caffiene. Work continues to be busy, so it may not be much in the way of relaxing.

After the doctor's appointment yesterday, we ...

January 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

After the doctor's appointment yesterday, we were all feeling a little sad. We hung out in the living room by the fire, ate dessert, and watched cartoons for Sam's sake. I was exhausted and slept from about 7:30 until 5:30 this morning. When I went out to get into my car, I realized we never picked it up. So, I'm here at home until everyone wakes up to take me to work.

I've had a little time to think about things, and I'm feeling better today. I didn't realize how many pregnancies end in miscarriage (somewhere between 25% to 50%), so it's seeming like more of a normal thing. I suppose the downside to genetics is that chance ends up producing fertilized eggs that simply won't turn into a baby. Knowing that miscarrage is a natural thing helps some.

I keep thinking about what happens next, both short term and long term. There are short term things we need to deal with, so I may be a little quiet or absent the next week or two. We still hope to have a second child, though the timing is up in the air. We'll see how things go.

Sad news about the new baby

January 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sad news about the new baby. We went to the doctor's today for the heartbeat visit. While it's not certain, things didn't appear to be developing the way they are supposed to. You can read more here.

And so another weekend ends

January 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

And so another weekend ends. Jamie and I had a nice Saturday breakfast together, after trucking Sam off to grandma Sue's house. It was a little hard, as he was in such a good mood that we didn't want to let him go. The rest of the day was spent running errands. Sam and I got our hair cut and we picked out a new dresser for Sam (after he almost dropped a drawer on his foot from his current one).

Sunday was equally lazy. Sam and I played for most of the day, going off on a hike at one point. It was pretty cold on the Ridgeline Trail. We shared some bagels and told stories from the Lord of the Rings as we trudged along.

Jamie's arranged for a date for us tonight. Angie's watching Sam while we go off somewhere mysterious. Should be fun.

Ah, Fridays

January 11, 2002 by Adam in Family

Ah, Fridays. The one day where I let myself drink a mocha and cruise through the day in caffinated bliss. It's been a good day at work, whipping out code and listening to bif naked. Coupled with my new black leather jacket, I feel much cooler than I really am.

I had a hard time with Sam last night. I was a tired, he was tired, and we ended up getting on each other's nerves for awhile. I also ended up injuring myself in a dumb way, involving an impromptu cardboard box slide on our stairs. Note to self: sliding upside down while holding a child and only your skull to cushion the blow is not a good idea. I begged Jamie for a half hour so that I could take a bath, afterwards which I felt much better.

Jamie took off to watch television with a friend, while Sam and I hung out in a much more subdued way. We played a funky Lego game for awhile, then watched Friends together. "Why do you sometimes watch silly shows?" was all he asked afterwards.

I tucked him into bed, told him a story of high adventure involving Tommy and Tess, and he fell asleep next to me. I love being a dad.

This week seems to have turned into a series ...

January 10, 2002 by Adam in Family

This week seems to have turned into a series of busy days. Last night, Sadie came over to work on her Botswana project while I tried to manage Sam. He was tired all day, and was a bit on the frantic side in the evening. He wanted to pretend to be an "evil guest" for awhile, whatever that is. Later on, we slid down a flattened box we'd put on the stairs. Much cooler than the Christmas present that was inside.

Jamie was out last night giving an orientation for Tiny Tots. Tonight she's going to Victoria's to watch television. I'm hoping to take Sam shopping tonight. I think we'll just crash this weekend as best we can.

Happy New Year to all

January 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

Happy New Year to all. Over the last few days leading up to the weekend, I've been discovering presents at my desk. They were from Jamie, but I was mystified as to how they got there. The person in the next cubicle would call me over, then I'd return a minute later to find a present next to my keyboard. Jamie wouldn't say how she did it, and I still haven't found out. On Friday, I was wisked away by her for a romantic evening. All very cool.

Saturday was a bit quiet. All of us went swimming, then hung out at the house. I finally managed to get my new computer hooked up to the Internet, and I cleaned "the nerd cave" at the same time. No big plans for today. Probably just hang out as a family.