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One more day until the new year
December 30, 2005 by Adam in Family
 One more day until the new year. How quickly things have gone. Emma in particular has changed dramatically, going from a toddler to someone with a will of her own. She's very chatty and bright, loving to sing, dress up as a princess, and doing tea parties. Sam's new thing is reading, which he obsessively does everywhere he sees words. Graffiti in particular fascinates him, which will probably cause trouble some day.
Yesterday was the big snow expedition, which ended up being both fun and stressful. Jamie had many second thoughts about the trip, though we managed to make it to a snow park intact. The kids went crazy when they got to snow, tossing snowballs and running about. Virtually everyone was there, something nearly impossible to coordinate. Yet it happened, we had fun, and we returned home tired and cold.
Today has been fairly calm, mostly to counteract the last couple weeks of excitement. We went to Fred Meyers. Sam and I watched War of the Worlds. I think we'll spend the rest of our dreary day inside, playing with the kids. It's all good.
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A quick posting this morning
December 28, 2005 by Adam in Family
A quick posting this morning. I'm actually at work at the moment, catching up with zillions of e-mails and such. I came in later than I expected as Emma was handed to me by a tired Jamie right before I left. Fortunately Emma was pretty exhausted too and just conked right out.
The last few days have been good. We've been playing with Sadie a lot, with Sam and I going to see the new Harry Potter movie with her yesterday. We've also been finishing up various house projects.
The bathroom is nearly completed. Jamie painted the medicine cabinet and I painted the walls. I think we have one more visit from the construction folks to seal the tiles and we're basically done.
One of Jamie's Christmas presents was a small LCD television for the kitchen. Yesterday the cable guy arrived to put in an outlet. The wall mount arrived via mail as well, and I quickly put it up on the wall. Now she can cook and watch old movies at the same time, plus the kids can watch their shows while eating breakfast.
I'm taking the next couple days off still. I think tomorrow we're going to try to find some snow, perhaps heading towards Willamette Pass. We'll see how it turns out.
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Merry Christmas, everyone
December 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
Merry Christmas, everyone. I'm up before everyone else and we will likely be heading south soon after breakfast. The final Christmas celebration awaits.
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It's Christmas Eve and we're all lounging abo...
December 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's Christmas Eve and we're all lounging about at Jim and Judy's house. Yesterday morning we went off to OMSI and had a good time. The kids loved it, especially the first thirty minutes with nearly no one there. Two hours later we were all a bit frazzled, but the memories were worthwhile.
Later in the day, Josh, Dave, and Kirsten arrived. The kids and grandparents took the Max to downtown Portland to see the lights while the rest of us went for dinner.
All very pleasant.
Update: The guests have left and the presents put away. Today was mostly about the Christmas party, with lots of food and people hanging about the house.
I ate far too many chocolate covered espresso beans. Emma got tons of princess clothes, mostly in the pink and frilly category. Now we're all tuckered out and ready to return home.
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We made it to Portland, safe and sound
December 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
We made it to Portland, safe and sound. The trip up was fairly grueling, with the kids becoming increasingly wild as we got closer to Portland. Jamie keeps giving me a hard time about setting up odd contraptions to let the kids watch movies, but I grow weary of the "I hate you"'s and back seat flailings. I think I have the equipment to set up a Gamecube in the back, which I might have to do on the way back.
I woke up at 4:30 this morning, which is early even for me. I think I'll be taking the kids to OMSI while they're still fresh. Jamie's slipping off to surprise her dad this afternoon. Jim and Judy are taking the kids downtown to see the lights, letting Dave, Kirsten, Jamie, and I to have a quiet dinner together. Should be nice.
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Yesterday seemed quite pleasant, somewhat low...
December 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday seemed quite pleasant, somewhat lower key than the rest of the vacation so far. Mostly I hung out with the kids as usual. Jamie gave me a blissful hour to myself after she took Emma off to Jerry's to pick up some paint. The worker guys returned, refinishing the bathtub and making it look brand new. The bathroom is really looking nice, with only a few things left to do.
 Continuing our traditional week-long Christmas (dare I say Christmukah?), we opened up my dad and Yayoe's gifts. Emma loved her Cinderella doll and Sam spent the morning putting together his Dino Attack Lego set. Jamie poured over the book of desserts, which I promptly forbade her to cook from (a vow that will be quickly broken, I suspect).
Towards the end of the day, we sent the kids over to Dave's house to be entertained by the trio of Dave, Josh, and Kirsten. Jamie and I cooked together for the first time in ages, enjoying our yummy mushroom enchiladas while watching The Island which Angie lent us. It was wonderful.
Today we're getting ready to head out to Portland tomorrow. Sam's friend John is over. Jamie's heading out to Pat's for a Christmas party. Life's good.
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Yesterday was our family Christmas
December 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was our family Christmas.
It started the night before as I turned on lights, put the presents under the tree, and filled the stockings. When seven o'clock rolled around the next morning, I ran out to Metropol to return with assorted pastries and muffins. I heard the kids moving about upstairs, so I cuddled in bed with everyone until the excitement was too much.
They dug into the stockings, loving some rather unexpected toys. Sam really liked his pirate MegaBlock toy, especially a plastic pirate coin which instantly turned into a game. Emma carried about her Barbie Farytopia coloring book as if it were a real Barbie. Eventually we moved into the real presents after the grown-ups got their coffee.
Sam liked his new Gamecube games and Emma liked her playdough. Jamie was excited about her new food processor. I got some new shoes, though I need to get the size adjusted. Dorothy gave us scarves which ended up being worn the entire day. All-in-all, it was a good haul and lots of fun for the kids.
Jamie went off deliver presents to friends and I played with the kids until noonish. It was a little rough, with Emma having a melt-down about wanting to wear her pink dancing dress. It took me a good five minutes to calm her down before she could even articulate what the problem was.
For the afternoon, Sadie and my dad arrived to help me make apple butter. I assigned my dad to play a new game with Sam, which he was ecstatic about, rolling dice and moving tiny figures about on a hexagonal board. Sadie and I chatted and did a lousy job at following the recipe, though I think it finally worked out.
As the day wrapped up, we tried to keep our normal routine. There was dinner, baths, and stories at bedtime. Everyone was pretty exhausted and went to bed fairly easily.
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It's been a rather exciting weekend
December 19, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's been a rather exciting weekend. So much has been going on, it's hard to know where to start.
Yesterday was spent trying to get things done, making Sam a bit disappointed that I wasn't playing with him as much as he'd like. Sadie and Isa came over to play for a bit, and then we all went to see the new Narnia movie. It was good, though perhaps not great, a little longer than I expected. The actress who played Lucy was very good, as was Mister Tumnus and the beaver family.
I stayed up late working on my Christmas presents, going to bed sometime before midnight.
 Today seemed even more jammed back. This morning Jamie went shopping with her friend Pat. The kids and I played non-stop while I continued my Christmas projects. At noon we went to my mom's to make gingerbread houses with my mom, Sadie, and Isa. Sam and Isabel had a good time playing together. The kids had a great time making the little houses while I chatted with Sadie as much as I was able. Afterwards, Dave and Josh came over. The kids loved playing with Josh, who seems even taller than before. Around three, we sent Sam home with them while I snuck by the store for stocking stuffers and ingredients for tomorrow's project with Sadie.
And now, towards the end of a long day, I'm at Dave's house with the kids. Pretty soon Jamie will pick us up after visiting with Angie. Tomorrow is our family's Christmas, so I've got to get everything ready for tomorrow. Hopefully I can make it a semi-magical experience for the kids, especially Emma who's so excited for Christmas.
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It's Mocha Friday here at work
December 16, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's Mocha Friday here at work. It's also the last day before my semi-two-week vacation. I've got a long list of things to do, but I'm trying hard not to put anything into live or make any serious changes before I leave.
Sadie was supposed to come into town last night, but she ended up stuck in Portland. I guess Seraph will be hauling her down, hopefully this weekend sometime. I can't wait to see her.
The picture for today is a typical scene in the Miller-Mellor household. After I feed Emma her bowl of cereal, I bring her upstairs where the kids get read a story by Jamie and tucked into bed. Emma and Sam have different reading preferences, so it's a bit of a challenge at times. Jamie's been reading Little House on the Prarie to Sam, having long discussions about European colonialism and the relations with the native Americans. Jamie reports that he's brilliant and insightful, which is a good sign.
Tomorrow begins a couple weeks of hanging out with family and hopefully a bit of relaxation. I'm hoping for some time playing in the snow, watching some movies, playing some games, and visiting with folks. Plus cocoa. There's something special about cocoa on a cold winter day.
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The grand bathroom remodel is in full swing
December 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The grand bathroom remodel is in full swing. The contractor working on the house is a really nice guy and Jamie is quite happy with him. The walls and floor have been ripped out. Yesterday he put down new flooring and today the tile will be going down. When I asked Jamie what the next project is, she just grinned and wouldn't say anything.
Jamie and the kids slept in until eight o'clock yesterday, so Sam didn't make it to school. My mom even went out to watch Sam sing in his holiday musical, but he sadly wasn't there. I think Jamie's been feeling guilty about it.
I have another work day of meetings lined up, making it the third one in a row. The first day was actually pretty productive since it was just focused on a small group of us and we had actual things we wanted to accomplish. Yesterday was far more fluffy, mostly about team vision and such. I don't have particularly high hopes about today. Ah, well. At least tomorrow is Friday and I'm taking a bunch of time off work.
Last night I took the family to a team dinner. The kids were in pretty good behavior while there, but they were incredibly wacky afterwards. Jamie's frustration level was quite high towards the end of the night. I ended up putting the kids to bed, which is a rarity for me.
Tonight my mom comes to babysit the kids while Jamie and I go for a walk to look at Christmas lights. Sadie also arrives late tonight, which excites me to no end.
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Sigh, another Monday
December 12, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sigh, another Monday. Soon enough I'll be braving the freezing weather to get to work. This is going to be an odd week for me, with lots of team meetings and hardly any time to get real work done. To top it off, I'm going to be taking time off for most of the end of the year, so I can already envision work piling up. Ah, well.
Sunday was both productive and relaxing. Sam and I managed to get all the bathroom things done. Sam in particular was extremely useful, unscrewing bolts and helping me drain out the water from the toilet. Somehow it's less disgusting when there's two of you cheerfully making jokes about it. We hauled the toilet into the bedroom and then took the sink downstairs. There was some minor spackling and then it was declared finished by Jamie.
 We bundled up and drove down to the river path. Everything was still frosty, so we tried hard to keep the kids warm. We made our way to the odd concrete sculptures, which they enjoyed playing in considerably. After our adventure, we headed to Barry's for soup and muffins, then back home.
The rest of the day was deliberately spent relaxing. The kids and I played a fair amount. Jamie gave me some time to myself, mostly spent playing Resident Evil 4 and creeping myself out. All-in-all, it was a very pleasant end to a very pleasant weekend.
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It's a chilly Sunday morning here at the Mill...
December 11, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's a chilly Sunday morning here at the Miller Estate. Sam's playing with Legos, Emma's watching a show, and Jamie's taking a shower. Soon I'll get Sam dressed and we'll start working on the bathroom, taking out the toilet and sink, as tomorrow the worker guy comes to completely remodel it.
Yesterday was fairly low-key. I mostly hung out with the kids, managing to steal some R&R time along the way. John came over in the morning and he and Sam played for a good long while. Jamie went to Victoria's party last night, returning at a quite reasonable hour.
Maybe we can hit the library today, or perhaps continue hanging out with the kids. There's about three movies out that I'd love to see in the theater, but that might be somewhat difficult to manage.
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It's Mocha Friday, though I'm trying to wait ...
December 09, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's Mocha Friday, though I'm trying to wait to get one until my friend Jim arrives at work. His wife just had twin babies, who are staying at the hospital for a bit longer. His job is to deliver milk each day, so he's promised to swing by for our normal Friday coffee run.
Work has been surprisingly busy as of late. I spent yesterday trying to debug a coworker's code, which is always interesting. I have another import process that doesn't work properly for some odd reason. I'm very much looking forward to taking some time off.
Yesterday evening was a little different. Sam was at a friend's house and Jamie took Emma off to put her to sleep in the car. With an empty house and a work-frazzled brain, I decided to spend some quality time with our new Gamecube and played a little Metroid Prime. Soon enough Sam was next to me while Emma slept away in the car and we were exploring a strange alien world from the comfort of our couch.
Jamie went off to have dinner with my mom and I spent the evening distracting Emma from the fact that she was gone. I did fairly well, using a variety of silly faces and games to keep her occupied.
The weekend looks busy already, with assorted events filling the days. Hopefully I can sneak in a little rest and relaxation too.
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The weekend is coming to a close
December 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is coming to a close. Jamie's making dinner for my mom and Bob. The kids are watching Little Bear on tv.
Saturday was fairly typical. We all went to library in the morning. The afternoon is a bit of a mystery, as no one can remember what we did. I do recall putting Emma to sleep while driving around in the car. After dinner, we all watched the Polar Express.
Today the big event was getting a Christmas tree. Jamie went out with Angie while the kids and I went to the park this morning. I don't think anyone was used to the cold, as Emma refused to wear her hat and gloves, and quickly became painfully chilly. Sam complained that his jeans with holes in the knees were too cold as well. Soon enough, though, we were back home and drinking hot chocolate.
The tree trip took a good hour or so, with Sam helping out with cutting and hauling. Emma had fun watching the chickens that lived on the farm (along with the people who rent it from my mom). On the ride back, Emma fell asleep, leaving Sam and I to play together. When she awoke, we decorated part of it.
I had a minor fit of exhaustion and begged Jamie for some time to myself. I took a bath and read, and have since mostly joined the ranks of the living. Fortunately tomorrow I return to work and can hopefully get a little rest.
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December already
December 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
 December already. Hard to believe. I'm still at home, visualizing my morning mocha.
It's been a busy week, with things happening nearly every evening and my days seeming more frantic than usual. I'll go in to work, planning on working on some project or another, only to find myself working on something completely different as the calls poured in.
Jamie and I had a nice Wednesday night, going out to Onsen's for some relaxing hot tub time. Last night I had the kids to myself. For awhile I was trying to play pretend some zombie game with Sam and Go, Diego, Go with Emma. I think tonight will be a repeat as Jamie's going off with Angie somewhere.
Hopefully this weekend will be somewhat more quiet. We need to start getting the bathroom ready for the contractor coming next week. I'm sure there's some Christmas-related activity that needs to be done, hanging up lights, for example. Ah, well, time for the shower and heading into work.
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Sam and Emma have been sharing a bedroom for ...
November 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
Sam and Emma have been sharing a bedroom for a couple nights now. It seems to be going generally pretty well. Sam's especially excited about it for some reason. Emma's doing okay with it, never excited to actually go to bed, but adjusting to the change.
Yesterday Sam was balking and doing the dishes and Emma told him that he better be good or she wouldn't sleep next to him. Sure enough, that motivated him to get the dishes done.
Last night was pretty quiet. Jamie went off to get her hair done and I played with the kids. Sam worked on his Neverwinter Nights game, Emma played on the Nick Junior site, and I acted as tech support. We took a break to make pizza, complete with cookie cutter animals to chew on. They ended up a little over done, unfortunately, and neither kid ate more than a few.
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The great Thanksgiving weekend has finally co...
November 28, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The great Thanksgiving weekend has finally come to a close. It was pretty eventful, with all manner of family and other activities going on.
Friday was probably the most quiet of days. Jamie's dad and uncle came over in the morning and we hiked about Hendrick's park in the rain. In the afternoon, Jamie went for a walk with a friend while I played with the kids.
I took the kids swimming Saturday morning while Jamie made wreaths at my mom's house. Jim and Judy arrived around lunch time to give gifts and play with the kids. Dave and Kirsten arrived in the evening to do much of the same.
Sunday morning, we took another hike on Ridgeline trail. I'd been wanting to do it for quite some time, so I really had a good time. Sam seemed ecstatic, tromping through the mud and finding all sorts of crazy paths. Afterwards we did a quick change and headed to my mom's for a birthday party for Robbie. In the afternoon, a couple of Sam's friends came over for two hours of wild play time. Sam was pretty exhausted by the end.
Probably the biggest event of all was saved for bedtime. Emma has now moved her bed next to Sam's and our bedroom is once again quiet. It seems like another stage in life quietly passed by. I only heard Emma get up once, and settle herself back to sleep, though I suspect Jamie might have checked on her another time. It's funny how big these small things can be.
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We had a grand Thanksgiving and Sam's birthda...
November 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
 We had a grand Thanksgiving and Sam's birthday combination yesterday. It was quite busy, starting with bread making as soon as the kids woke up. Sam was especially fond of the challa bread, which involved a volcano-like yeast cauldara bubbling over the flour crater rim. That plus the cranberry bread gave everyone their carb load for the year.
Jamie's family began arriving around noon. Emma started getting pretty cranky in the early afternoon, so I drove her a few blocks until she fell asleep and then sat in the car for an hour or so. After she awoke, we rushed off to Yayoe's house, all the time Sam explaining how it was impossible for him to be late for his own birthday party.
It was great seeing everyone and the kids had a good time running around the house. There was birthday cake and presents, which made Sam quite happy. We returned home for Thanksgiving dinner and more presents. Sam opened up his Gamecube, which took awhile to figure out. I think one of the games is going to be too hard for him, though another should work out okay.
As for the next few days, I'm going to avoid shopping and just hang out with family. Maybe I can arrange for a hike to burn off a few of those Thanksgiving calories.
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It's my sort-of Friday, the Wednesday before ...
November 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's my sort-of Friday, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I decided it was close enough and treated myself to a mocha. I'm looking forward to today being relatively quiet here at work. Many people are taking the day off, so hopefully the odd requests will be minimized.
Seraph brought up a question about the Christmas name draw. I think I'll be bringing the mystical box of names over to the Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, with strict instructions from Jamie as to its proper use. So far I've picked Robbie and am busy assembling the entire collection of Britney Spears CDs and memorabilia for his gift. Fortunately he never reads this site, so I think the secret is safe.
Emma and I had a hysterical bubble bath last night. I need to upload the picture for it, but I'll describe it in the meantime. Emma was getting bored while bathing, so I hopped in and she suggested bubbles. Soon enough, she was applying globs of bubbles to my nose and declaring me a monster. She also gave herself a beard and exclaimed, "I'm Santa! Ho, ho, ho!" We called up Jamie who started laughing and took a few pictures.
See everyone tomorrow at Thanskgiving.
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The day is winding down
November 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
The day is winding down. We just returned from an afternoon at the wave pool, so everyone's pretty beat. Emma in particular has been quite wacky, not wanting to give in to her afternoon nap. They had a great time at the pool, though, celebrating the dual birthdays of John and Natalie.
Yesterday was relatively uneventful as well. We took a long walk to the store. The kids and I played while Jamie picked up some groceries. Jamie's family briefly descended upon the house before the Civil War game.
Gotta run. Emma's on the loose again.
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It was another productive day at work
November 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was another productive day at work. I'm getting close to releasing a new version of a wildly popular tool I made. Hopefully people will ooh and aah appropriately.
My mom came over to watch the kids last night while Jamie and I went out to Ambrosia. It was a treat to get away for an hour or so, though I was strangely eager to get back to the kids. Fortunately my mom did a wonderful job with them. Emma was smiling and eager upon our return.
It looks like I'll be off to work in a few minutes. We've got a few things happening this weekend. We're all going swimming on Sunday for one of Sam's friend's birthday parties. I've got to pick up a new swimming suit as my last one vanished. I think we get to see Jamie's family briefly, before they head out to the football game. Same ol', same ol'.
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Yesterday was a bit more cheery, though not w...
November 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was a bit more cheery, though not without the occasional missteps. Work continued to be fun, wrapping up a neat little program that should make some doctors happy (and patients as well). The kids and I had a great time after work. Emma put her fists on her hips and declaired that she was "super girl!" The started off a game where I was a monster and they were super heroes. It's always a treat to be able to throw the kids around the room with abandon.
Unfortunately the first casualty was myself. Sam's knee landed on my big toe, bending the nail in odd directions. Emma then became greatly concerned, wanting to dab at the blood with some toilet paper. A couple band-aids later, I was fine and we settled into some quiet computer games.
The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. Emma nearly fell asleep at the table due to no nap, and we all pitched in trying to keep her up until her normal bed time. Sam and I worked on his homework, coloring pictures based on math equations and coming up with silly sentences for him to write for his spelling homework. Good times.
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Yesterday had its ups and downs
November 16, 2005 by Adam in Family
Yesterday had its ups and downs.
I started feeling a cold coming on, so I was feeling a bit achy by the end of the day. Jamie and I got into a tiff, seeming to involve getting Sam to eat a well-balanced meal for dinner. Emma was having a hard day as well, complaining of her legs hurting, probably due to growing pains.
There were some highlights as well. Emma came to visit me in the morning at work, and was very fun to take around. Sam continues to do well at school and is a bright and thoughtful boy. I talked to Sadie for nearly an hour, which was a rare and wonderful treat. I worked on a fun project at work, getting a chance to ooh and aah over something I made. At the end of the day, Jamie wandered down the stairs and we had a nice long talk.
So, life continues to be interesting, if tricky at times. I woke up with a headache this morning, but after some Advil and tea, I'm feeling much perkier. So it goes.
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I'm heading back to work shortly after a rath...
November 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I'm heading back to work shortly after a rather nice three-day weekend. After three days, it makes returning to the daily grind a bit difficult. The kids were generally in good moods and we all had a good time.
Friday was my "all day with the kids" day. Well, not exactly, but it felt like it. We walked to the movie store to pick up some videos. Emma was in the back pack and Sam trudged along. It's a few miles there and back, but we amazingly made it in a pretty good mood.
Saturday we walked to the library, returning with even more videos and books. Sunday we went to the playground by Oakway, the kids getting pretty soggy bug enjoying themselves.
All-in-all, it was a family-filled weekend. We didn't do anything terribly exciting. There were movies, art projects, playing in the basement, running around outside, and the like. It was generally relaxing and often pleasant.
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The kid's illnesses continue
November 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The kid's illnesses continue. Sam hasn't been in school all week and if last night's coughing continues, he may not be in today either. Emma seems better, though she seems to be having problems sleeping. I've noticed a sniffle this morning, so I'm expecting the worst.
I'm taking tomorrow off by request from Jamie, so I'll likely be puttering around the house and taking care of kids. I'd like to take them to a playground or for a hike, but I'm not sure they're up for it.
Work's been busy in an odd way this last week. The interruptions and meetings continue non-stop. Rarely do I actually do what I had planned to do when I arrive in the morning. Fortunately I actually got some work done yesterday. Just talking about how we're going to do things can get a bit wearying.
Best to head to the shower and start getting ready for the day . . .
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It's been a bumpy week
November 09, 2005 by Adam in Family
It's been a bumpy week. Sam was out of school for the last couple days, not horribly sick, but not well either. Now Emma's starting to get the cough and sniffles. She was up a lot last night and I ended up coming to work late so that Jamie could get a little sleep this morning.
Despite all of this, the kids and I have been relatively cheerful. We've had some great times playing in the basement, coming up with all sorts of silly games. We replaced the batteries of Sam's little remote control car. Emma loved driving it all over the place, at one point "giving me a haircut" by driving it on my head.
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I'm beat
November 07, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I'm beat. It's Sunday evening and everyone has gone to bed. The guests went home. I'm ready to hit the sack myself.
Saturday I took the kids swimming, and then Sam and I watched Batman Begins. Ray and Dave came over to visit for a bit, with Ray passing out all sorts of Huskers-related clothes. Sunday was all about getting ready for the party. Dave and I fixed the light, Jamie cookied, I made biscotti. The party itself was lots of fun, with the kids going over to Dave's house while the grown-ups remained to eat, drink, and chat.
Poor Sam had a bad fever today, throwing up in the morning and not eaching much the rest of the day. He was feeling better by the time he went to Dave's, but he's still pretty worn out. We'll see if he's in good enough shape to go to school tomorrow.
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It's been a rather busy morning here at work
November 04, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's been a rather busy morning here at work. It was a Mocha Friday, fortunately, which helped alleviate the frantic nature of some of the issues that popped up. The problems were typical computer ones, things not working as expected, new weirdnesses popping up, and patchings causing problems. I suppose it's all job security.
The weekend is mere hours away, something I'm looking forward to quite a bit. I think the kids and I will do some swimming, and the Batman Begins movie is wating for us. On Sunday night we have a "grown-ups only" dinner party. It's been a long while since dinner hasn't involved squabbling over how much food has to be eaten before dessert can be handed out.
Emma had a bad cough last night, which kept waking me up. It seems like she basically slept through it all, though. I think everyone else has recovered from the sniffles, and Emma seems fine other than the occasional cough or sniffle.
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We made it through Halloween
November 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
We made it through Halloween. It was fun to watch Emma figure out the whole "trick or treat" thing. She kept saying "let's try that house" after each one. Of course, we now have massive amounts of candy in our house and Emma knows it. She'll claim to be hungry during dinner and then ask for candy.
Everyone's been a bit blah these last few days. I think they're sick or tired or some combination of the two. I think I need to get the kids out of the house for awhile, perhaps swimming or something.
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Well, Jamie returned empty-handed
October 31, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jamie returned empty-handed. I think the pricing of the things she was interested in was a bit too rich for her blood. We were happy to have her back today, especially as she fixed up some tasty dutch babies for breakfast this morning.
It was our typical madhouse Sunday. We went of to Costco to load up on way too much cereal. I swear, I could fill the cart with cereal and be done with it in a month. Afterwards we headed home to try and get Emma down for a nap. Many hours later she finally did, though it took awhile. Sam and I played on the computer for a bit too long, and played pretend in the basement. Jamie and I got to actually exchange a few complete sentences over lunch.
The big excitement of the day came at four o'clock. We had some new neighbors move in a couple houses up the street. They invited a ton of kids and their parents and threw an amazing party. There were gunny-sack races, bobbing for apples, a treasure hunt, and a really scary haunted house. I met a bunch of people, including running into an old friend from high school. The kids both had a great time, even Sam who was mesmerized by the haunted house.
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Jamie went off to Portland with Pat and his a...
October 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Jamie went off to Portland with Pat and his aunt, looking for antiques. She left before the kids were fully up, so I've gotten a taste of her life these last few hours. Emma's still a bit sick and I've been battling a headache off and on. Fortunately my mom agreed to share our morning adventures.
We first went to Humble Bagel to stock up on goodies for the day. Then it was off to the farm to wander around a muddy pumpkin patch, returning home with a couple pumpkins to carve up this evening. After dropping off my mom, we took a quick library trip and returned home to enjoy our ill-gotten booty.
The kids are watching DVDs and I'm enjoying a few minutes of downtime. I suspect that soon enough we'll start in on the pumpkins and get dinner ready. Hopefully Jamie will be home before nightfall.
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Mocha Friday already
October 28, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday already. Yesterday was a little rough. Poor Jamie was clearly pretty sick and the kids were both a bit grumpy. We'll see if I stay at home the whole day or if I'm called home to assist. Sam doesn't have school today, making things even more challenging for my poor wife.
It's strange thinking we have a weekend right around the corner. I suspect we'll try to take it easy as much as possible. We have one Halloween party Sunday night, but that's about it. I still have no idea what I want to dress up as. I'd love to be a pirate, but just don't have the clothes for it.
Sam continues to do well with school. His handwriting is better than mine and his speed is slowly improving. He's gotten 100% on all his spelling tests and does quite well in math. I think the only thing that's "average" is his reading, so we're trying to spend a little more time having him read to us.
Emma continues to grow up. She can now get into nearly everything below five feet off the floor, using stools and ingenuity. Leaving her alone for long periods of time usually results in items being carefully taken apart or moved to strange locations.
Ah, life.
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Everyone seems to have come down with a cold,...
October 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
Everyone seems to have come down with a cold, though Emma and Jamie were hit the hardest. Jamie's been wanting to simply curl up in front of the fireplace with tea. Emma is cranky and telling people "I have a sick nose."
We're getting ready for Halloween, already invited to several parties. I have no idea what I'm going to dress up as. I may just print out some Star Wars masks and make Sam happy.
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Everyone arrived safe and sound last night
October 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
Everyone arrived safe and sound last night. Emma's got a cold, so she's been sleeping strangely. I had her for a couple hours this morning, starting at 4:30, so I'm still a little groggy.
Our car is finally getting repaired. We have a new shiny Camry with only 800 miles on it, which is a little weird. Jamie's trying hard to keep the kids from getting it dirty, which seems a futile task.
I also had three blissful hours to myself yesterday morning while Sam was at work. It was mostly in front of my computer playing games, but it was odd to have such a quiet house. It's nice to have everyone back, though.
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I need to wake up Sam in a few minutes and ta...
October 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I need to wake up Sam in a few minutes and take him to school. I'm off from work today, helping coordinate the endless little things that are going on.
On Sunday Sam and I went to Fred Meyers, picking up groceries and some new workout clothes for myself. Sam entertained himself by pretending certain tile colors were lava, traps, or other dangers. The entire setup was explained to the check out woman on our way out.
 We made rice krispies and decided to make a mask for Sam. I had accidentally discovered some plaster bandages in Jamie's closet (I'm not sure if I want to ask). Soon enough, I had greased up his face with Vaseline and was applying bandages. Getting it off was a bit uncomfortable, but he thinks it's pretty cool.
It was off to his soccer game after that. He managed to score a goal, though I'm not sure his technique was something he learned at practice. I think it involved holding hands with an opponent and practically sitting on the ball, somehow popping it over the goal lines. It was admittedly hard to follow. Afterwards was the traditional pizza party and handing out of medals. As you might expect, it was over the top, six year olds raising the noise level to that of jack hammers and jet planes.
We headed home where I was pretty beat. There was mask painting and the normal bedtime ritual. Towards the end I think Sam and I were both pretty exhausted.
Ah, well. Jamie arrives home today. Can't wait.
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The first day of boy's weekend has come to a ...
October 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The first day of boy's weekend has come to a close. The day was full, sending Jamie and Emma off to Eagle Crest. It sounds like they made it over just fine and are having a good time. Sam and I fiddled with the computer a bit, ate some lunch, and headed off to Spencer's Butte.
The hike up was great, with beautiful weather and friendly hikers. The view was great, far above the haze of the valley. We returned, tired, and settled down for a little old school Invisible Man in black and white. We worked in some play time, some cooperative computer gaming, and a little hamburger for dinner. Good times.
It took him a little while to get to sleep. I think he was missing Jamie and Emma, but then again so do I.
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Mocha Friday, and a busy one at that
October 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday, and a busy one at that. I'm returning to work after two days of training, which means that various crises have piled up while I was unavailable. Now I'm trying to figure out where to even start. Ah, well, I'm sure I'll survive.
This weekend should be an odd one with Jamie and Emma gone. Hopefully Sam and I can spend some solid time together as it seems that Emma takes most of my attention when I'm watching both of them.
We had our last soccer practice last night. The adults played against the kids and everyone had a great time. Emma spent much of the time at the school's playground where some older girls became enamored of her. They kept wanting to pick her up and help her move around the play structure. Emma was joyous if a little overwhelmed. I made sure they didn't treat her too much like a doll.
I woke up late this morning, with Jamie asking if I was feeling okay and informing me of the time. I've started getting a throat thing, which is a little annoying. Tis the season for non-stop illnesses, I suppose.
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Sunday came and went
October 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sunday came and went. It was a fairly good day, starting off with me sneaking out to Metropol bakery to pick up some tasty pastries and bread fresh from the oven. Emma couldn't stop eating the french bread, nor could I.
Jamie went off to see my mom and do some shopping while the kids and I walked down to the library. It's always a challenge to move them from point A to point B, but they were generally in a good mood. Sam returned with a bunch of comic books and some easy readers for him to work on when he goes to bed. There's a particular style of book that has short funny stories in it that he really enjoys.
I spent a good hour or two continuing to scrape away the paint from our bathroom medicine cabinet. Stripping paint is tedious work, and my arms and back were sore the next day. I'm still not done, though. I predict more scraping and sanding in my near future.
Here's a picture from when Emma came to visit me last week. We often come up and chat briefly with my coworkers. It's funny when she says the word "cubicle".
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It's Sunday morning in the Miller household, ...
October 16, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's Sunday morning in the Miller household, though most everyone is still asleep. Yesterday was fairly busy, considering we didn't have much in the way of plans.
But first, my mom arrived safe and sound from her grand tour of Europe. She returned with an armload of exotic gifts, including a nice suede jacket for yours truly. It's nice having her around again.
Sam had a soccer game first thing in the morning. Emma and I mostly played on the playground, though we managed to watch Sam a bit. He's playing fairly well, and scored at least one goal while we were watching.
After returning home for lunch, we ran off to see Wallace and Gromit, Curse of the Were-Rabbit. It was the first time Emma had ever been to a movie theater and she was wide-eyed the whole time, even though she was exhausted. The movie itself was great fun, classic Wallace and Gromit, with plenty of amusing little parts for adults.
The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. I tried entertaining kids as best I could. Graham came over to play with Sam for a couple hours. Emma and I broke out kitchen chemicals and made science experiments. Somewhere in there I worked on stripping the paint from the medicine cabinet.
As for today, there's another soccer game, but not much else. We'll see how we manage to fill the hours.
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Mocha Friday
October 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday. Woke up late. More in a bit . . .
Okay, I'm at work and appropriately caffinated. Jamie drank pop yesterday evening, and so when I came to bed at ten o'clock, she was still very chatty. I must have finally fallen asleep around eleven and ended up waking up at seven in the morning. Since that's when I'm usually at work, I rushed through my routine and zipped into work.
Sam had soccer practice last night, which he still seems to enjoy. I think he likes hanging out with the other boys, especially his friends Jake and John. Emma goes along with it all. Last night she was digging in the dirt and following Natalie around, helping with the house they were building for bugs.
There's a variety of projects that await me this weekend. Jamie's been stripping paint off the bathroom medicine cabinet. I think there's about ten layers of history under there. Maybe we can buy a new mattress this weekend too, though the cost is pretty steep for what we want. Ah, rest for the weary - looking forward to that one.
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Thursday already
October 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
Thursday already. My how the week has flown by.
Emma's much better, her usual chatty self. So far, no one else seems to have gotten sick, though newly superstitious Jamie would throw salt over her shoulder and give me the evil eye for saying that. I had her at work this morning and she charmed everyone at the bagel store, dancing to the rap music they were playing over the speaker system.
I'm not quite sure what's going on this weekend. I'd like to spend some time with Jamie if I can, as next weekend it'll just be Sam and I. A boy's weekend sounds fun, though hopefully we can remember to bathe and eat things more complicated than mac and cheese.
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Poor Emma has had a fever for a long while now
October 11, 2005 by Adam in Family
Poor Emma has had a fever for a long while now. She doesn't seem in too much pain, which is good. Instead, she tiredly lays on the couch or asks to be held. She's also very hot and sensitive. Jamie hasn't been sleeping much and even I was up a fair amount last night, getting Tylenol or rubbing her belly. Poor girl.
Jamie and I managed to get out for a little bit last night. I'd lined up Dave and Kirsten while we went to Anatolia for Greek food. It was quite tasty and Jamie and I actually got to talk about grown-up things, such as politics and avian flu. It helped to know that Emma was in the hands of trained medical professionals, though I fretted about her still.
Sam continues to amaze and impress with his school work. He's gotten 100 percent on every spelling test and his writing is great. Smart kid.
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The weekend is coming to a close
October 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is coming to a close. It was a fairly exciting day, with Jamie away in Portland for most of the day, shopping with Victoria. Fortunately the kids were pretty good and there was enough to do to keep everyone entertained.
We went to the the library this morning. Sam made friends with a four-year-old girl named Chloe. Emma played for a long while with puppets while I gathered up a bunch of kid books. They let me get a couple books for myself, and then we headed home.
After lunch, I tried putting Emma down for a nap, but she was having none of it. We headed off to Sam's soccer game where we played with Seraph, Isabell, and Robie. Sam did well, scoring two goals, and we headed home for a quiet afternoon. Emma fell asleep in the car and I carefully tucked her into bed.
Sam started feeling a little sick, mostly a headache, so he took it easy and watched some DVDs from the library. Emma helped me make pizza and Jamie arrived soon after dinner, loaded with clothes. Now it's time to start the bedtime ritual and get these kids to bed.
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I should be in bed by now, but the afternoon ...
October 09, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I should be in bed by now, but the afternoon tea has me still perky. It was a rather odd day and I was admittedly in a bad mood for much of it. For whatever reason I got up on the wrong side of the bed and it took until the afternoon to shake it off.
After breakfast, we went shopping at Fred Meyers and then went to Sam's soccer game. Emma was getting pretty exhausted by the end of it, actually trying to bite me as she screamed that she hated me. Fortunately she was an absolute darling after she woke up from her nap and we spend a wonderful afternoon together. We went to the park, colored, and played with playdough.
While that was going on, Jamie and Sam went to a birthday party for one of the soccer kids. Evidently it was an amazing party with a Star Wars theme. Sam returned with a Darth Vader mask, a functioning lightsaber, a hand made droid constructed from various metal parts, a padawan hair tail thingie, and assorted stickers and pencils. The parents dressed up as Chewbacca and Princess Leia. At one point, the dad dressed as Darth Vader and the kids threw shaving cream filled pies at him.
Pretty much every future birthday party we throw for Sam will, by comparison, completely suck.
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It's a quiet Fall Friday, my weekly mocha per...
October 07, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's a quiet Fall Friday, my weekly mocha perking me up.
Last night Jamie went off to go shopping with Pat while the kids and I went to Sam's soccer practice. Sam had a good time as usual, getting fairly tuckered out. Emma spent a long time playing with a worm and visiting with the other kids.
Last night was a little rough, with Emma crawling into bed with us sometime in the wee hours. Sam was up early as well, with a bloody nose that kept Jamie running about. I had been kicked out to the guest bedroom by then, so I got a few sarcastic comments about my relative worth as a parent come morning time. From a place of love, of course.
Tonight it's off to dinner at my dad and Yayoe's, seeing Dorothy during her visit. Tomorrow is another soccer game and then I have the kids to myself on Sunday. I'm tempted to see the new Wallace and Gromit movie, which I hear great things about.
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The week has slowly moved along
October 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The week has slowly moved along. Emma came to visit me at work while Jamie went to the gym. We had a lovely time at the bagel store and Emma somehow charmed her way into being given a stuffed toy dog. It was soccer practice after work, so the kids and I headed to Sam's school. Emma dug in the dirt while Sam ran around like a maniac.
Work had a somewhat amusing crisis, so I dropped everything and worked on an odd project for most of the day. It was fun watching the requirements for my project change every fifteen minutes, as well as giving regular updates to my director. I'm a sucker for saving the day, so it was nice to get something that people could poke at by the time I headed home.
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We made an ice cream run last night
October 03, 2005 by Adam in Family
 We made an ice cream run last night. Both kids did reasonable well getting the ice cream into their mouths and not their clothes. Emma in particular has turned into quite the talented ice cream eater, methodically licking drips and rotating as needed.
Yesterday's soccer game went well, though the opposing team was pretty good and Sam didn't score any goals. Emma and I spent a lot of time on the playground, climbing on the various play structures. The kids returned home soggy but happy.
It was a typical Sunday evening, full of dinner, baths, and playing in the basement. Emma was pretty worn out by the end of the day, as she decided that naps were for the weak. Sam roped me into an involved game using pen and paper, drawing little stick figures that engaged in epic combat.
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Well, it's officially Fall
October 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Well, it's officially Fall. It's been wet and rainy all weekend. So far, the kids seem to be enjoying it, especially Emma who's been running around with her kitty umbrella. I don't mind so much, as it means I don't have to water all our plants each night.
Saturday morning was spent finishing up some painting and entertaining the kids. In the afternoon we headed over to Sam's soccer game where he made three goals and played really well. Emma spent her time fiddling with the controls of the car and running around the playground.
Afterwards, Sam, my dad, and I all went to see Serenity, the movie continuation of the canceled Firefly show. It was lots of fun, with witty dialog, exciting action scenes, and a few poignant moments. Afterwards we all went out to dinner at the Glenwood where Emma played endlessly with Grandpa Lohring.
Today was another morning hanging out with the kids while Jamie went for a walk with Angie. They were in a pretty good mood and we wandered around outside having fun in the soggy weather. After Jamie's return, we cooked up various meals, helped Sam practice his homework, and put the cabinets back together in Jamie's bedroom.
Soon we're off to Sam's second soccer game of the day. Hopefully we can take it easy after that.
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Mocha Friday
September 30, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday. It was fairly dreary on the way in, sprinkling a bit on the ride into work. The bike cage was fairly empty and it seems quiet at the office. I started to get whatever Emma has last night, though so far it hasn't been too bad. Mostly I feel tired and my throat is sore.
I'm going to try to go see Serenity with Sam and my dad tomorrow. It's a little tricky with Sam's soccer game at one, but I think we can go see it afterwards.
There's also talk of a trip to Eagle Crest near Bend later in October. It may be that Jamie and Emma go, leaving Sam and I for a boy's only weekend. We'll see how that all turns out.
In general, things keep moving on. I took the kids to soccer practice last night. Emma and I played on the playground a lot. Dave and Kirsten came over and played with the kids. Life's pretty good.
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I got a call a few minutes ago from an insura...
September 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
I got a call a few minutes ago from an insurance agent, asking me about a car accident. After a bit, I realized that Jamie had been in an accident and hadn't told me about it. I passed along Jamie's cell phone number, sweating bullets and hoping that everything is fine.
After giving a suitable amount of time for the agent to talk to her, I rung her up. It sounds like she backed into a pole in the parking lot, so all is well. Freaky experience, though.
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Emma had her first dance lesson yesterday
September 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Emma had her first dance lesson yesterday. Jamie said it was pretty free-form, with two-year-olds wandering about and playing with instruments. Still, she was very excited, putting on her pink Barbie ballet outfit for the occasion.
Emma also says some hysterical things at times, though not always intentional. The kids were in the bath and Emma was distracted with some odd toy. Sam decided to take Emma's hygene into his own hands, resulting in Emma replying, "Thank you for washing my bottom." Needless to say, Jamie and I started cracking up.
The kids are going to the dentist today, and perhaps get dropped off for an impromptu visit. Jamie called this morning and reported that Sam was taking extra care with brushing, flossing, and rinsing.
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I spent most of last night with poor sick Emma
September 28, 2005 by Adam in Family
I spent most of last night with poor sick Emma. As soon as I arrived, it was a whirlwind getting Sam ready to go get his team picture taken and then off to practice. Jamie took him and they went out to dinner as well, so I didn't see them until close to bed time.
Emma was sniffly and somewhat miserable, though trying hard to be cheerful. I took pity on her and we played all the games she liked to play. We broke out Candyland, moving the pieces along the path to sample the candies and talk to the various characters. Giraffe-shaped swizzle-sticks became our dear friends, talking and kissing each other. In the basement we made a little fort and put the kitties down for a nap.
She ate a huge dinner and then collapsed asleep on the couch. Sam and Jamie arrived a bit later. Somehow Sam and I managed to play a little Counterstrike, work on spelling homework, take a bath, and get him tucked into bed all within a 45 minute period.
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The week has been slowly moving on
September 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The week has been slowly moving on. Sunday evening was fairly low-key. Sam did well at his soccer game. We returned home for dinner and a family walk about the neighborhood. Emma was a little on edge, going from sobbing for Jamie to happily petting a cat in a few short seconds.
Yesterday Sam returned with another 100% on his spelling test. He's doing very well with school in general. We have homework every night, which we're getting into the routine of doing. I did have to make his math homework a bit exciting by turning it into "Battle Math". Now he wants to play board games where you move troops around.
Emma's getting increasingly strong-willed about certain things. Sam went through a similar phase, so it helps to know that it will pass. Still, having Emma wildly scream when she doesn't get what she wants is unpleasant. At other times she can be very sweet and loving, so I know there's a happy kid in there somewhere.
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For having nothing in particular planned, it'...
September 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
 For having nothing in particular planned, it's been a fairly busy weekend. Friday night had both Yayoe and Dave and Kirsten coming over, at different times, while Jamie was off at her friend Victoria's house. My week-long illness was mostly over by that point, but the help was still welcome. Dave enjoyed himself, tossing the kids about the yard.
On Saturday, Jamie announced that she'd finally fell ill herself. I tried to give her time to rest, always a challenge with strong-willed children. She whipped up a wonderful soup with a name I can't pronounce, and then we both left the house at three to leave the kids in Dave's care again. Strangely, we ran into Seraph and Robbie at mom's house while we were watching an old 60's movie.
I've had the kids for much of today as well, trying to make Jamie rest. I've been largely unsuccessful as she ended up cleaning and doing various projects in our bedroom, mostly hanging paintings and candle holders. The kids and I did have a fun library run this morning, though, returning with about fifteen books for them and one for me.
In a few moments, I'll be leaving to take Sam to this year's first soccer game. We practiced a little today, with the main goal being not to fall down as much.
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Mocha Friday
September 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday. I'm feeling increasingly recovered, though still a bit achy. Hopefully by this weekend I'm be mostly myself again.
I'm not quite sure what's happening this weekend. I know Dave's watching the kids tomorrow afternoon. There's endless house projects to work on. A little relaxation would be nice, as well as spending time with Sam. Emma's been monopolizing all my free time and poor Sam gets stuck with the short straw.
Sam got these animal trading cards from a Ranger Rick subscription through my mom. He was very excited about them, and so we created a little card game out of them. It was pretty fun, especially getting to play with just Sam for awhile. I love that kid.
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I was feeling pretty good yesterday, up until...
September 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
I was feeling pretty good yesterday, up until the time I got home. I somehow powered through getting the kids to bed, and then started down another spiral of misery and woe. I kept waking up in the middle of the night feeling horrible, finally getting up around seven in the morning.
I managed to drag myself to work, though I'm only slowly getting things together. Hopefully the caffiene can move my puppet body about, maintaining the illusion of a productive worker.
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I was sick as a dog yesterday
September 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I was sick as a dog yesterday. I left work around 3 pm with a headache and upset stomach. Riding my bike home was fairly grueling, but I made it there. Initially I watched a show quietly, taking breaks to writhe around on the floor until my nausea passed. I took a long nap and woke up to eat crackers and keep an eye on Emma.
As the evening continued, I felt quite a bit better. Jamie brought me tea in the bathtub and generally kept the kids out of my hair. I had a long sleep and woke up nearly normal.
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I'm pretty tired today, waiting for my tea to...
September 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I'm pretty tired today, waiting for my tea to kick in.
Jamie went off to Angie's last night after I got home, so the kids and I played all evening. For the hour before dinner, we pretended we were monsters, being chased by evil hunters. Then it was "Breakfast for Dinner", complete with waffles and sausages. Both kids were pretty hungry, wanting seconds. Emma was poking at her bagel with a fork, when all of a sudden she laid her head down and fell asleep.
Sam patiently watched a show with me until she woke up a half an hour later, and we transitioned to bath time and getting ready for bed. I brought them outside to watch the sunset and see a couple bats flying around, catching bugs in the twilight. Eventually I got a hold of Jamie and she said she'd come home. We waited by the window for a long while, being silly and watching cars. As nine o'clock approached, I tucked the kids into bed and Jamie finally came home.
I snuck downstairs for my typical evening routine, cereal and a show. Now it's back to work for me and the cycle of life continues.
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I can tell that Summer is ending and Fall is ...
September 19, 2005 by Adam in Family
I can tell that Summer is ending and Fall is around the corner. This morning ride to work was quite crisp and I ended up wearing a long-sleeve shirt for the first time in ages.
The drive back from Portland was relatively uneventful, with everyone puttering around for the rest of the day. I managed to shuffle all the computers around, giving my second computer to Jamie, turning my primary computer into my secondary one, and finally getting my new computer hooked up.
Emma and I played a lot, filling a wading pool with warm water, playing in the basement, and generally having fun. Sam rediscovered an old bridge-building game on the computer, making his bridges and testing it with a train that often tumbled into the river. Jamie took it easy after she unpacked, making us dinner and relaxing a bit.
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We've had a pleasant weekend so far, enjoying...
September 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
 We've had a pleasant weekend so far, enjoying the wonders of Portland. The drive up was a little grueling, being stuck in traffic for an hour due to a wreck around Salem. Once we got here, we all collapsed and took it easy for the rest of the evening. The next morning we were all up bright and early, going to the zoo with Seraph, Robbie, and Isabell. The naked mole rats were a little boring, but the baby monkey was hysterically funny.
Afterwards Jim and I headed to Fry's. I picked up a new LCD monitor, which I think I've grown to appreciate. It's big, has a fast refresh rate, and is easy on the eyes.
Come evening, Jamie and I went out for a birthday dinner. We went to the up-scale mall with fancy restaurants, waiting a half an hour to get in for dinner. It was nice to get out with her for awhile, a rarity to have it be without children.
It's Sunday morning now and we're taking it easy before we return home. I'll probably take the kids down to the part and help finish setting up Jim and Judy's new computer.
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It's a Mocha Friday, though I'm still waiting...
September 16, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's a Mocha Friday, though I'm still waiting for my coffee buddy to show up so that I can taste that heavenly beverage. It's also a half day for me as we're heading up to Portland as soon as Sam gets out of school. My morning at work is packed, with upgrades and meetings galore.
Sam was in a foul mood when I arrived at home last night, and Emma was taking a late nap. Fortunately as soon as we got to soccer practice, he perked right up and seemed his normal self. This was the first time I assisted with the coaching as I wasn't watching Emma. The six-year-old boys were driving me crazy. They couldn't stop wrestling and touching each other. I was sorely tempted to break out the duct tape and take care of the situation in a more direct fashion. Sam seemed angelic by comparison.
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The kids wore me out last night
September 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
The kids wore me out last night. As soon as I got home, we went outside to play and walk around the block. Jamie left to go with Angie and her friends to the Art Museum, returning shortly before eight. Fortunately she'd left us with a tasty polenta dinner, which of course Sam refused to eat. As the evening wound down, Emma was screaming how she hated me for taking away her toy kitties when it was bath time. Sam got a bloody nose and kept asking where mom was. By the time Jamie returned, I was happy to turn over the reigns.
I'm starting to get excited about our Portland trip we're taking tomorrow. It always seems fairly relaxing up there, I'm eager to see Seraph, Robbie, and Isabell, and I've got a gift certificate for Fry's that's been calling to me for nearly a year.
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The week continues along, occasionally bumpy ...
September 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The week continues along, occasionally bumpy but still moving forward. Jamie was dead tired yesterday. I think I spent all of fifteen minutes with her. She apologized to me this morning, which was nice. In some ways, not having Sam around as a helper is hitting her hard.
Sam's adjusting fairly well to school. He did have some problems on Monday when they dropped him off. Sam had teary eyes and said, "But Emma will miss me, mom, she wants to stay and sit on my lap." Jamie called to chat about finding time when Sam can do homework in between soccer practice, dinner, bath time, and so on.
Emma continues to be two. I had her while Jamie went to the gym this morning. She happily chatted with the people in the bagel store, munching down her entire bagel. Later on we explored the buildings on campus, still empty before the term starts. She also woke us both up at four this morning, sending me downstairs to return with a bowl of cereal to feed her always-hungry tiny body.
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I was admittedly a bit grumpy this morning
September 12, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I was admittedly a bit grumpy this morning. Too much coffee, I suspect, as well as having the kids be a little grumpy as well. I watched the kids for awhile and then broke free for a short trip to the mall where I picked up a present for Jamie. We hung out at the house, with the kids and I puttering about. Towards the end of the day, we all decided to go to Amazon park.
The day was beautiful and both Sam and Emma made friends very quickly. Sam played pretend with a four-year-old named Emmet, while Emma was followed by another girl her age named Chloe. Jamie and I kept an eye on them and otherwise enjoyed the scenery.
Towards the end of the day, we went out for pizza and ice cream. I picked up Lady and the Tramp, which the kids are watching now. Soon enough we'll be getting ready for bed and the work week ahead.
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Everything was red and white at our house yes...
September 11, 2005 by Adam in Family
Everything was red and white at our house yesterday, with large posters proclaiming "Go Big Red" in our window. Jamie had her brother and dad over for the afternoon to watch the Nebraska football game. She spent much of the morning cooking food out of a family recipe book. Probably the most quirky food item was Husker's Popcorn, which was normal popcorn with red candy melted on them.
The kids and I spent a bunch of time hanging out, usually one at a time. Emma and I took a walk down to the playground, fiddled with playdough, and did some coloring. Sam and I worked around the house, including washing Jamie's car, sweeping the porch, and taking down our porch cover. This wasn't necessarily out of the goodness of his heart, though. He's been saving up "DS2 points" so that he can start playing a new computer game I got for him. Yesterday was the big day and he finally enjoyed the fruits of his labor.
I have no idea what's in store for today. I'd like to go shopping for Jamie's birthday. Jamie's dad is still about, and rumor has it that Brant is in town. We'll see how it goes.
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After work yesterday, Sam, Emma, and I went o...
September 09, 2005 by Adam in Family
 After work yesterday, Sam, Emma, and I went out to Sam's soccer practice. Most of the time I spent trying to manage Emma and her wild ways. I was trying to take a picture of Sam playing, turning my back on Emma for about 30 seconds. The first time, I caught her taking her shoes off. I scolded her and told her it was important to protect her feet. The second time, she'd removed her diaper and was letting it all hang out. We spent the rest of the time in the car.
John is coming over tonight to spend the night with Sam. Sam continues to settle into school, making friends and meeting teachers. It's always hard to pry information from him about how things are going, but I think it's generally okay.
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Sam's first day of first grade was yesterday
September 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sam's first day of first grade was yesterday. I think he generally liked it. He says his teacher is nice and that school lunch was pretty good. He also has a new group of friends that he's gathered up, as well as a new club based on a pirate computer game. Today's the first full day, as yesterday was only a few hours. Hopefully he'll survive the experience.
Emma's been a bit wacky these last few days. She's not unpleasant or unkind, necessarily. It's just ever clear to us that she's two years old. I spend my afternoons following her about and making sure Hurricane Emma doesn't cause too much distruction. Last night she didn't get to bed until quite late and she crawled into our bed sometime in the middle of the night. Ah, the joys of waking up to the impacts of tiny little feet on one's belly.
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It's the start of the work week, and I'm dela...
September 06, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's the start of the work week, and I'm delaying getting out of the house. The last couple days of the weekend were quite pleasant. On Saturday we mostly puttered around, taking the kids to a park, dropping them off with Dave for awhile, and then heading out to fifth street market for a snack in the afternoon.
The main excitement there was finding a car that had caught on fire. Within a few minutes the fire department showed up, but it was still rather exciting. People were leaping into their cars next to this one, trying to get them out of the way before the flames spread. Crazy.
Sunday morning was fairly odd. I was handed Emma a bit after four in the morning and she didn't go to sleep until ten. By the time Jamie woke up, I was pretty exhausted and took a long nap around the same time my family was having a brunch for Seraph and Robbie. Sorry, guys.
 Yesterday afternoon we took the kids out to Alton Baker Park to run about. They were both in a somewhat grumpy mood, though it was generally improved once they got to a new and interesting place. Sam enjoyed picking blackberries for me, which were incredibly sweet. They both had a good time climbing a big pile of rocks as well.
The day ended with a BBQ at Jeff and Sharon's house. All of Sam's soccer kids and parents were invited, so it was a mad collection of boys running about in the yard. All injuries were minor and Sam had a good time.
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It was an exciting start to a three-day weekend
September 04, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was an exciting start to a three-day weekend. After breakfast, Sam and I headed over to Seraph and Robbie's Eugene home. We spent a couple hours there, pruning and hauling away yard debris. I ate far too many of the bagels Yayoe brought. Sam and Isabell played some sort of alien puppy game. Good times.
By the time the afternoon had rolled around, everyone was getting a little stir crazy again. We loaded up the stroller and took a long walk down to the library. It was a beautiful day, and everyone's moods improved. Later that night, Jamie whipped up a tasty batch of home-made soup and Dave and Kirsten came over for dinner.
I have the kids to myself this morning as Jamie goes off with Angie, and then Jamie and I get some time to ourselves after we ship the kids off with Dave for an hour. I think Jamie has painting and shelf hanging projects lined up for me this afternoon.
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It's been a rather pleasant last couple of days
September 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's been a rather pleasant last couple of days. Jamie went off with Victoria last night, so the kids and I made pizza and played in the yard. Later on, Jamie and I stayed up way too late watching the Pamela Anderson roast on Comedy Central, trying not to laugh too hard and wake up Emma.
This weekend is hopefully going to be fairly low-key, after two fairly exciting weekends. Seraph sent out a plea to help with gardening at her house, and Sam's already agreed to be my assistant. Other than that, some downtime would be nice.
Sam lost another tooth a couple days ago. He's getting to be a pro at these sort of things. It's strange to think that in a few short days he'll be going into first grade. Already he's started reading random things as he moves through the world. I have to be careful keeping him away from certain graffiti.
Emma's a jewel, though very strong-minded. Last night she spent a long while with her tea set, pouring water from one container to another. She also had a lot of fun helping me make pizza. I threatened to cook her after she'd covered herself with dough and flour. Mmm . . . tasty pizza babies.
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It's been a pretty exhausing day of continual...
August 31, 2005 by Adam in Family
It's been a pretty exhausing day of continual meetings, following yesterday's all day meetings. Plus the mild cold that Jamie and the kids had has finally caught up to me. Fortunately it's pretty easy to manage.
Sam's on his last couple days of Summer. We were out in the backyard last night, letting Emma chase us around with the hose. Still, there's a crispness in the air that suggests that Fall is on its way. Already I've started wearing a windbreaker to work in the morning.
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We're back! I just recovered my main server ...
August 30, 2005 by Adam in Family
 We're back! I just recovered my main server from a catastrophic failure due to trojans slipping through a security hole in the browser. Needless to say, it sucked. I stayed up until one in the morning, woke up at five in the morning, went to work, came home after lunch, and only just now got things somewhat working. I even talked to Microsoft for awhile, an experience I relate to a preview of Hell.
Other than that, the weekend was pretty good. I did get a bad sunburn, but had a great time playing in the pool getting it. The kids all played together and we had many long visits to the beach. The weather was great, except for the last day which was a bit cloudy. All-in-all, it was quite nice.
I'm going to see if I can get the last of the server things working, have dinner with some visiting coworkers, and then hopefully get to bed early.
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It was the last of the kid's swimming lessons...
August 26, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was the last of the kid's swimming lessons today. Both graduated with honors. Sam's big news was that he jumped off the HIGH diving board into the water, a pretty big leap. I'm proud of that kid. Attached is a picture of the kids with their instructor.
My mom came over for dinner and I handed over her laptop to her. She's been watching the kids and letting us take care of things before we leave tomorrow. I gave the garden a good long drink as the weather's so warm.
She also brought along an old flintlock rifle, which Sam and I oohed and aahed over. Jamie wasn't too keen about us mounting it over the fireplace, so I'm not quite sure where it'll end up. It has "1835" stamped on it, though I'm not sure if it was the year it was made or some sort of batch number. It also has the letter M carved into the wood, presumably for Milton.
Jenny called to let me know that her new computer was working quite well. She even got online and things seem to be working much more smoothly.
Now I'm off to pack and prepare some more. Great fun.
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It looks like we're heading off to the coast ...
August 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
It looks like we're heading off to the coast tomorrow with the Musgroves. Hopefully it'll be fun and relaxing, though I'm also preparing for the reality of four small kids running about.
Sam and Emma's last day of swimming lessons are today. It's been really fun for both of them, I think. Sam in particular has become very confident in his skills. Emma has become the darling of the kid's pool, saying things like "Class, look at me!" whenever she does something.
Kirsten and Dave watched the kids while Jamie and I went out to dinner. It seems like we spent the hour reminiscing about simpler times, along with figuring out what Jamie's going to do when the kids are older. The dinner itself was pretty amazing. I love fresh greens in my salad.
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Sam lost another tooth yesterday
August 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sam lost another tooth yesterday. He tried to explain it to me, but mostly it seemed to involve sitting on the couch and hitting his mouth with a blanket. The kids had swimming lessons again, as they will for the rest of the week. What's strange is that there's only two more weeks until Sam goes back to school.
The kids were a little wacky last night. Emma was really trying to have me stay next to her as she went to sleep. She was so sweet, telling me things like "you my best friend." Jamie's recommendation was to cut the cord, and so I glumly left her crying and went downstairs. Jamie reported that as soon as I reached the last step, she fell fast asleep.
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I survived the weekend alone with the kids
August 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I survived the weekend alone with the kids. Sunday was a bit more difficult than the day before, though it still wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Saturday night was lots of fun. Dave and Kirsten came over and we had a movie watching night, watching National Treasure and eating pizza. Kirsten was a trooper, watching Emma the whole time. Sam got really into the movie, so much so that we had a treasure hunt first thing in the morning.
I took the kids to Old Navy Sunday morning, picking up some shirts for myself and Jamie. The kids were a bit wild, so I had them run around in the courtyard until it was time to head to my dad and Yayoe's for lunch. They had a good time there, but Emma was pushing her nap time. Unfortunately when I got home, she decided a nap wasn't such a good idea and she merely grumped her way into the afternoon.
Finally I gave up on being productive and threw the kids in the back yard with the sprinklers on. That was good for a long while, and combined with the Barbie Farytopia movie (which Sam liked), that kept them going until Jamie returned.
Jamie seemed much refreshed, regaling us with tales of a pod of blue whales playing just outside their window. I dropped off the movies, picked up Steam Boy to watch that evening, and Emma collapsed from exhaustion on Jamie's lap.
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Jamie's off to the coast
August 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Jamie's off to the coast. She called when she got there just to make sure I wouldn't be worried. I can tell she's been looking forward to this for a very long time.
I've been managing the kids fairly well by myself. I took them to get some food supplies for our wild weekend, and then got them ready for the fair.
 They both really enjoyed the fair, though they occasionally got a little rambunctious. Emma in particular was very strong-willed about going on certain rides. I managed to drop $28 on just kid rides for the two of them. Emma really liked the canoe ride and the merry-go-round. Sam was more daring and did a few more exciting ones, happily giving each a nausea rating.
Emma fell asleep on the ride home and I tucked her into bed. Soon I'll be feeding corn to the boy and preparing for the evening festivities. We'll probably start making pizza around 4 o'clock and expecting Dave and Kirsten for a visit and a movie.
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I'm slowly getting my weekend scheduled so th...
August 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
I'm slowly getting my weekend scheduled so that I keep the kids busy around the clock when Jamie's out. It looks like Saturday we're going to the fair when it opens at 11 o'clock, and then having Dave over for a pizza and movie evening. Sunday morning I think I'll try to go shopping and have lunch with my dad and Yayoe. Then we'll pine away at the window waiting for Jamie to return.
We had a pleasant evening last night. We all hung out in our front yard playing with the kids. Jamie and Sam played a little catch. Emma's favorite game was when I'd stick her on my head and pretend that I lost her. Every time I found her, she'd giggle and say "again?"
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Yesterday was crazy busy
August 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
Yesterday was crazy busy. It's assessment time at work, so I had non-stop calls from VPs and other executives who were running into problems using my assessment tool. I did manage some time with my coworker Jonathan, working on a new template for our development projects. It was fun to try something new and "prepare for the future" as it were.
Home wasn't much better. Jamie left as soon as I arrived and didn't return home until bedtime. Emma didn't take a nap yesterday, so she was pretty wacky. Still, we managed to make pizza and keep the house relatively clean. As a bonus, we got to listen to Van Halen blaring from the fairgrounds. Emma danced a little jig.
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It was another very full day yesterday
August 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was another very full day yesterday. Breakfast was a drawn out affair of tea, sausages, bagels, and cinnamon rolls. Not leisurely, but instead a series of small nibbles in between chasing children. After breakfast I donned my painting shorts and painted the garden wall and columns. Before they were looking pretty lousy compared to our shiny new house paint job. Now they're equally cheery.
After lunch we went over to celebrate Jordan's birthday party. Sam spent the entire time in the pool with the other rambunctious kids. Emma shyly moved from toy to toy. We left early when it became clear that Emma's nap-time was long past and she crashed when we got home.
Sam and Jamie went to the baseball game, where they ate terrible food and got way too hot. Fortunately the Emeralds scored multiple home runs in the first inning, so they felt it was okay to head home. Emma and I instead went to the library, spending a long while playing with the library stuffed animals.
After the kids and gone to sleep and Jamie had finished the new Harry Potter book, we rendezvoused out on the patio porch to look at the stars and have a nice little chat. Life is good.
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The day is winding down, though it's admitted...
August 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The day is winding down, though it's admittedly been a bit exciting. I spent two hours painting this morning. There were some doors in our bedroom that went untouched when we painted the walls purple. Of course, now they don't match the doors at all, so they're turning white. I might be able to manage a second coat tomorrow and finish everything up.
The kids and I went to Humble Bagel for lunch, where Sam praised the tastiness of their bagels. Emma got sugared up with a cookie and juice.
After returning home, there was a frustrating couple hours where Jamie tried to put Emma to bed. Eventually she crashed for fifteen minutes on top of me while watching a movie. I snoozed off myself, though it was hard with her jumping up and down on my stomach. Eventually we retired to the wading pool outside.
As the afternoon wound down, I took the kids to the park to play in the fountains and wander around. It was beautiful and fairly quiet. Emma chased and was chased by a butterfly. We returned home for dinner, some gardening time, and finally to bed.
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It's another Mocha Friday
August 12, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's another Mocha Friday. I'm happily caffinated and going through the messages of the day.
I had the kids last night as Jamie went over to visit with her brother in his new house. Evidently they sat around watching The Mummy with Jamie saying how stupid it was the whole time. The kids and I played non-stop. Impromptu capes were made, race tracks were drawn, and I somehow managed to make dinner in the middle of it all. They were loads of fun and we continued playing even after Jamie returned.
Both Sam and Emma had a hard time going to sleep, though. Emma started crying and called out for me, so I took her downstairs for cereal and a show. Later on, Sam woke up after having a bad dream so we went down to the kitchen to talk and have some warm milk. Finally I escaped to the guest bed and was blissfully undisturbed for the rest of the night.
Our weekend plans include Jordan's birthday party on Sunday and continuing some painting around the house. I've turned into the tech support for our family again. I've got Ray's new computer to configure, I bought my mom a laptop yesterday, and Jenny's dropping her computer off today for me to repair. I suppose if I were a neurosurgeon they'd have me poking around in their brains or something.
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The kids and I have been playing hard these l...
August 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The kids and I have been playing hard these last few days. It seems like most evenings we're either in the basement running around or in the backyard fleeing from Emma with the hose. The other day the kids dressed up as super heroes and wanted to be flown about. I suppose it's good exercise for everyone involved.
Work has been busy but strangely rewarding. Occasionally I'll come up with an elegant solution to a complex problem that impresses even me. I've been drinking a fair bit of tea throughout the day, so perhaps it's really just the caffiene doing the thinking.
It's strange to think that Summer is coming to an end. The kids start swimming lessons next week and after that it's time to return to school.
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I'm spent
August 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I'm spent.
Today was a day of discharging various obligations, though not entirely unpleasant. Darryl and I took the kids to the park in the morning while Jamie went to the store. It was funny watching Darryl with the kids as he normally is somewhat reserved. I caught him cheating in a race with Sam, as he pulled him back by the seat of his pants.
Around ten Darryl and I went over to help Dave move. It was hard work, with seemingly endless pieces of solid oak furniture. Fortunately moving a guy's stuff is pretty easy, as he just wants the number of pieces stuffed into it to roughly equal the number of pieces coming out at the end. Bumps and scratches weren't really an issue.
I left after the main load, walking back home from his new house. I watched the kids while Jamie went off to a play with Sharon. We played in the basement until she returned several hours later. Then it was off to the park to watch the storytelling pre-show for Shakespeare in the Park, though most of the time was spent on the play structure. We returned home and I dropped everyone off then ran out to Seraph and Robbie's house to take pictures for potential renters.
Now, at the end of the day, I find it hard to summon the energy to do much of anything. I'll likely stagger up to bed and collapse relatively soon.
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I wore myself out playing with the kids yesterday
August 07, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I wore myself out playing with the kids yesterday. We left the house after breakfast, our intentions to go to the park and play around. We never got there, and instead started preparing one of the garden beds in the front yard. We weeded, hauled away yard debris, and broke up soil. The kids really got into helping, even Emma.
We drove over to Gray's to pick up soil and some lavender, with the kids having a great time playing in their fountains. Eventually we made it back home where we spread the soil, put in the plants, and watered away.
Emma was having a hard time napping, so Jamie took off to clean Dave's new place and the kids and I watched Kiki's Delivery Service. Emma fell asleep on my chest and I snoozed as well, waking when Jamie returned.
In the afternoon, Jamie's family arrived for dinner. I spent a couple hours playing hard with the kids in the basement, running about listening to AC/DC and the like. I've been staying up until 11 pm or so, but last night I collapsed right after 9.
Today it looks like I'll be helping Dave move and watching the kids in the afternoon while Jamie goes to a play with a friend. Hopefully I can pace myself.
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Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday
August 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday. I'm still at home, so I'll have to wait for awhile longer.
The kids and I had a bunch of fun last night. It's been really hot so we played outside with the hose. True, I started by watering plants, but soon enough Emma was wanting to help and things went downhill from there. I even made a little movie about it.
I have the kids today for awhile while Jamie signs papers to sell Brant's house (he gave her power of attorney, the fool). There's a play on campus that looks fun, so I might to take them there.
I'm very much looking forward to the weekend, though it's looking busy already.
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Our house is yellow
August 03, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Our house is yellow. The last of the painting finished yesterday and everything is bright and cheery. Of course, now it means that Jamie's all excited to start work on remodeling the main floor bathroom. When will the madness stop?
We bid farewell to Josh yesterday. He's heading up to Portland today and then off to Tennesee after that. Hopefully we'll see him around Christmas time, but if not then, he should be back next Summer. The kids both adore him, and I'll certainly miss him too.
Dave is moving into his new place, just a few blocks away. It'll be nice to have him so close, though we promised not to hand him the kids whenever they got unruly.
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August already
August 01, 2005 by Adam in Family
August already. How time flies.
Sunday was a very good day. Jamie was all ready to take the kids out, leaving me to have some time to do my own thing. I had the wheelbarrow and shovel ready to dig out a flower bed, when I realized I'd much rather spend time with my family.
We went to a park far away in the middle of this new housing development. It was really cool, packed with all sorts of modern park technology and design. My favorite was a high water spigot that poured water into various troughs that could be played in or simply emptied onto the sand below. We also took along a frisbee to play with Jamie and the kids. Even Emma gives it her best shot, spinning her entire body to propel it six feet, upside down.
I had the kids for the afternoon while Jamie went to have tea with her English friend Gillian and then later hung out at Angie's. The kids were both in good moods. Sam played with his new Gameboy game (and a new time limit was introduced). Emma and I watched My Neighbor Totoro, both of us eventually falling asleep. We spent lots of play time in the basement, played with water balloons, looked at pond water under a microscope, made pizza, and generally had a very good day.
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Saturday has come and gone
July 31, 2005 by Adam in Family
Saturday has come and gone. Sam's running around without his two front teeth now, adapting fairly well to the gap. He even ate corn last night.
I took Emma out to the library, where she had a great time. She has this uncanny ability to charm everyone around her. A total stranger ended up giving her a pair of sunglasses simply because she looked cute.
We had the neighbor kids over briefly, which Sam thought was great. Emma managed to give Sam a nasty poke under the eye with a toy. Needless to say, there was a long talk afterwards. Jamie and I managed to finish watching Ocean's Twelve by staying up far too late after the kids went to bed.
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Mocha Friday
July 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday. I'm suitably caffeinated and ready to go. It's been incredibly hot this last week, and every night seems to be a complex arrangement of fans, open windows, and air conditioners. Afternoons are spent outside in the pool or in the basement. Fortunately it seems to be cooling down.
Sam lost his tooth yesterday, knocking it out while playing at camp. Since he couldn't find it, we wrote him a letter saying "Dear Sam, I spent an hour looking for your tooth in the grass. Next time just leave it under your pillow. - The Tooth Fairy." He sounds pretty strange and is very sensitive to having his other loose tooth touched. Hopefully that second one will come out and he'll look weird but otherwise act fairly normal.
The weekend is strangely empty. We have various house projects to do, but otherwise we might actually get some time to relax. I'm sure Jamie will want me to take the kids for long stretches of time, giving her a well deserved break.
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I think Jamie and I have come down with a tou...
July 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
I think Jamie and I have come down with a touch of something, as we're both feeling a bit under the weather. Of course, all those winters of being constantly ill have toughened us up and these minor ills are shrugged off easily.
Sam's great tooth saga continues. I'd expect that today is the day his first baby tooth pops out. I keep suggesting that we collect them in a dusty bottle, starting a collection of Voodoo paraphernalia.
Emma is fun as always. I had her at work yesterday, taking her out to a bagel store where she charmed all the patrons. She's so chatty that it's hard to get a word in edgewise.
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The weekend has come to an end
July 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The weekend has come to an end. It was pretty good, as weekends go, full of family and kids.
Saturday morning the kids and I went shopping while Jamie visited with friends, heading to the mall and Toys-R-Us to buy frivolous things for people. I'm not sure it was related, but Sam was in an exceptionally sweet and helpful mood that morning. He ended up picking up a new Lego set and Emma got some squirt guns which were put to good use later that day. Sam immediately assembled his new toy during lunch and we played with it during Emma's nap.
 The afternoon was spent hanging out at my mom's house, the whole family assembled for food and conversation. Sam and Isabel played the whole time while I followed Emma from place to place. My mom and I shared blowing out a birthday cake and good time was had by all.
Yesterday seemed to be more of the same, though with Jamie's family. Her dad and Josh came by early in the day. We went to Costco where I ended up getting a cart full of cereal. Sam and Josh played togegether for the rest of the day. Later that night Dave and Kirsten came by for spaghetti and watermelon. Emma loved the watermelon.
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It's another Mocha Friday this morning
July 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's another Mocha Friday this morning. It feels like cheating since I was only back at work yesterday, but I'll take any excuse I can get.
I watched The Ring last night, a Japanese horror film that freaked me out. I rarely watch scary movies, but I felt a strange compulsion to get it along with the others I checked out at the library. After freaking myself out, it took awhile to get to sleep. In the middle of the night we had a huge thunderstorm which woke both me and Emma up. After Jamie put Emma back to sleep, I made her pat my head and whisper reassurances to me too.
The only big exciting plans for this weekend is Saturday for my mom's birthday. We were talking at dinner about Seraph coming down and immediately Emma started talking about playing with Isabel.
The house continues to be painted. Hopefully everything will be finished by next week. It's been amazing watching the trim going down as the white is so much whiter than it was before.
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It was a nice day back before the onslaught o...
July 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a nice day back before the onslaught of work this morning. The kids and I went hiking in the morning at Hendrick's park, stopping by Humble Bagel on the way back home. After lunch the three of us played with playdough for literally an hour and a half, which was completely amazing. The day was wrapped up with a water fight in the back yard.
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We're back from the beach, safe and sound
July 19, 2005 by Adam in Family
 We're back from the beach, safe and sound. It's my 36th birthday today as well. I don't think anyone remembered until lunchtime at the Newport aquarium. Quick update: we had a great time, our house has been painted yellow, and there's lots to still unpack (but at least my computer is plugged in). More later . . .
It was a good few days at the beach. Dave, Kirsten, and Josh kept us company and helped entertain the kids. We made sand castles, went swimming at the nearby pool, and generally had a relaxing time.
We returned home to a cheery yellow home. The painters aren't quite finished, but they're well on their way. The kids ran about, trying to keep cool on this very hot day. My favorite part of the day was picking up fresh blueberries at the store and making smoothies. Very tasty.
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We're heading off to the coast in a bit
July 16, 2005 by Adam in Family
We're heading off to the coast in a bit. Hopefully we'll return home to a nicely painted house as the painters are supposed to finish it up this weekend.
It was fairly quiet yesterday. We went swimming and generally hung around the house preparing for our trip. I'm not quite packed yet, but hopefully will be soon.
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It's Mocha Thursday for me today, since I'll ...
July 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
It's Mocha Thursday for me today, since I'll be out tomorrow. It's looking like we're not actually going to head to the coast Friday as we need to open the garage for the painters Saturday morning. Of course, that means I can pick up a new hard drive that should be arriving that day, along with watching the new season of Battlestar Galactica that's on late Friday night.
It's been a quiet week - no camps, t-ball, or other activities. Mostly the kids and I just play together each night. I think Jamie's going to bring the kids in a bit so we can go to a kid's play that's being shown on campus. Fun, fun.
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Another weekend draws to a close
July 11, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Another weekend draws to a close. Saturday was wonderful, a series of surprises one after the other. Jamie arranged for her folks to come down, so they arrived right before Sam's last T-ball game and took them away until the end of the day. We headed out to the countryside, eventually coming to King Estate Winery. We tasted wine, admired the view, and headed back home. We picked out recipes, went to the farmer's market, and watched Life Aquatic. Soon enough, Jamie's friends started arriving bringing dinner goodies. Eventually the kids returned and things returned to normal.
 We all had a big breakfast, though the kids were done in a couple minutes. Jamie put Jim to work hanging up a couple mirrors. After they headed up to Portland we had a fairly typical rest of the day. I took the kids to the playground. Jamie took Sam to see the Emeralds play baseball. Emma and I got groceries and played about the house.
I'm off to work tomorrow, counting the days until the grand beach trip next Friday.
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Today is Jamie and I's tenth year anniversary
July 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Today is Jamie and I's tenth year anniversary. It's her turn this year, so I'm really curious if she has anything exciting planned. Now that we have kids, it's pretty hard for us to drop everything and go someplace exotic. It may just be a quiet at-home anniversary.
The week has been fairly uneventful, other than the London bombings. I talked to my mom last night and it sounds like all our extended English relatives are okay.
Sam has one more T-ball game before the season is over. I'm not quite sure what we'll do with the boy after that as I don't think there's any sport activity until soccer begins in the fall. Sam also continues Cartoon Camp, with today being the big art show. I'm going to see if I can sneak out of work a little early so I can attend.
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The Fourth is over and I'm back to work again
July 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The Fourth is over and I'm back to work again. I had Emma for an hour this morning as Jamie worked out. We wandered around work and then had our morning bagel. She was very cute and chatty with people who wandered by.
Sam went to his first day of comics camp. I'm dying to know how it's working out for him. Jamie reported that there were lots of nice kids, so hopefully he'll make some friends. He also gets to go swimming today as well, then Jamie will pick him up around four.
Monday was pleasant and laid back. We worked hard on finishing the upstairs. Sam managed to give himself a very mild shock changing out the outlets. His job was to test each first and then remove two screws, but he forgot to properly test one. He said it felt like the screw was vibrating a little. Fortunately we managed to turn off that breaker and switch it all out. As a bonus, a light switch that had done nothing before now works. All the purple paint is on the walls too. Very pretty.
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Happy Fourth of July to all of you
July 04, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Happy Fourth of July to all of you. It's been a fun-filled last couple days, a pleasant weekend made even better by the fact that I don't return to work until tomorrow.
On Saturday I took the kids to Amazon park in the morning where we played on the play structure and hiked around. Sam had an especially fun time leaping over Amazon creek and later returning back over a thin raised bridge. In the afternoon we went to Jerry's to get supplies. I spent most of the afternoon with a paintbrush or roller in my hand, working away at painting our bedroom purple.
 I also stopped by a new game store that opened up and picked up a board game called Captain Clever. We played over lunch and I managed to barely win with Samuel right behind me.
Sunday was quite similar in some ways. I took the kids to Hendrick's park, Emma in a back pack. We rediscovered a secret trail that Sam and I took when he was four. He kept saying "Dad, you're a genius!" as evidently the discovery ranks up there with lost Mayan cities. We stopped by Humble Bagel on the way home for tasty treats.
Upon our return and after lunch, Jamie started in on painting while the kids and I broke out the slip-and-slide for some afternoon water action. We finally wound down with a tasty dinner and some after supper sparklers.
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Mocha Friday, with a three day weekend ahead ...
July 01, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday, with a three day weekend ahead of me. I'm hoping it's fairly quiet. Jamie's picked up some paint for the bedroom, so I'll likely do a fair bit of painting. Sam already has his "alone with dad time" planned out. Emma's happy enough with whatever time she can get.
Last night we went down to Sam's T-ball game while Jamie went to Pat's to watch a movie. My mom showed up, as did our neighbors as Sam was playing against Edison. Sam also ran into his old preschool friend Jake, who Sam reported as having a different face and voice. It's strange how half the parents of Eugene look familiar to me now. My mom arrived as well and helped entertain Emma and cheer on Sam.
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The weekend continues to sneak up on us
June 30, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The weekend continues to sneak up on us. It's the kid's last day of swimming lessons. I think next week is cartoon camp for Sam. I think t-ball ends fairly soon as well.
Emma, Sam, and I walked down to cheese park last night where Sam played his t-ball game. Emma leads me all over the place at these things and last night was no exception. We found various little girls that Emma immediately started referring to as her friend. Unfortunately at this age everyone's attention span is pretty short. Sam was pretty tired after the game and I almost had to carry him back home.
The only other exciting news is that Dave and Josh are moving into a house that Victoria rents, just a few blocks away from us. We'll probably have to promise not to go over and bug him every day. Brant's still hoping to sell his current house to finance his great Bend real estate adventure. Ah, the joys of change.
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Wednesday already
June 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
Wednesday already. Jamie was off at Sharon's house last night while I entertained the kids. Sam, Emma, and I somehow survived, playing outside, drawing, and taking baths. Jamie returned at bedtime with painted nails and dessert for the kids.
Alex continues to work away on the outside of the house in preparation for painting. Jamie's getting the paint for our bedroom tomorrow and we'll probably finish painting this weekend.
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Sunday was filled with family
June 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sunday was filled with family. I took the kids to the library, both of whom were fairly grumpy throughout. Sam's new phrase is "I'm bored", which is driving Jamie and I nuts. Jamie went off to help get Brant's house sold. I think there's a plan afoot to get Dave moved into the house Victoria rents, which is only a few blocks away.
We all went over to Jenny's house for the afternoon where I kept an eye on the kids. I gave Jenny and Sadie my odd little gifts from the Haunted paper toys site, along with some safer soaps and lotions. My dad was given some chocolate covered espresso beans, one of which he gave to Emma and the rest he ate himself.
Later in the evening Anna and Sadie came over, which almost made up for the day I was sick and missed them. They brought a guitar, fiddle, and banjo, and proceeded to entertain us and the kids with music and stories. It was wonderful and I spent most of the time smiling at Emma "helping" play the banjo.
There's some more mundane excitement going on as well. In theory our house is getting painted this week, though the weather is horrible. I think we settled on a bright yellow, which should keep things cheery. Jamie's also painting our bedroom "Awesome Violet", which I never tire of saying. Busy, busy.
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It was quite a whirlwind day today
June 26, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was quite a whirlwind day today. It started with Emma waking up early and Jamie and I sharing a cup of tea for awhile. After breakfast I mowed the lawn and tore down parts of a massive clematis that was growing beside our house. Since we're having someone come on Monday to start the prep work for painting, we've got lots of things to get ready, not to mention picking a color.
Sam and I played on the computer while Emma napped, then Jamie went off until dinnertime. The kids and I walked all the way to Saturday market where neither had been before. We met with Seraph, Robbie, and Isabell and enjoyed the food, music, and people. Emma was very quiet at the beginning, in awe of all the strange people wandering about. After Isabell shared her hat and magic wand, she felt better and they played together for a long while.
Afterwards we walked all the way back with a short stop at the library to cool down. Once we got home, we dug out the slip-and-slide and layed it down on the hill (movie). The kids went nuts, Sam especially, and had an extremely good time. Soon enough it was dinnertime and I had them watch the end of Beauty and the Beast while I made pizza. The kids got cookie-cutter pizzas, I got pesto, and Jamie had traditional cheese and pepperoni.
The evening's wrapping up. Jamie's reading to Emma. Sam's watching the House of Flying Daggers which I previewed last night. I'm looking forward to some time to myself.
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It's Mocha Friday and I dragged myself to work
June 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's Mocha Friday and I dragged myself to work. I actually feel reasonably okay at the moment, other than having my stomach feel a bit wobbly. I probably managed to sleep around 12 hours yesterday and last night combined. It's beautiful outside and I wandered outside to get a haircut. Hopefully the weekend will stay like this.
Swimming lessons continue for the kids. Emma thinks it's great and keeps talking about it at dinner. She was evidently quite good at jumping off the side.
I got to visit with Emma briefly this morning, who was very cute. She was eating her bananna yogurt and chatting away. The plan is that Jamie head out with Sadie tonight until past the kids' bedtime. We'll see how that all works out.
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I was sick as a dog today
June 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I was sick as a dog today. The worst part is that it was the same day Sadie and Anna were slotted to play with me and see the town. I took the day off of work, Jamie made an elaborate breakfast, and I was very excited.
I had my usual cough again last night, taking cough syrup before I went to bed. I slept fairly well, waking up at my usual time. Unfortunately I started getting a headache in the morning and it quickly went downhill from there. I hardly touched my breakfast when Sadie and Anna arrived. I took a nap, went with everyone to 5th Street Market for lunch, and then came home for another nap. I got up, took a bath, napped, threw up, and finally felt a little better.
It's the end of the day. Jamie was wonderful with the kids, taking them off to T-Ball while I slept like the dead. Sam had an odd little pain this evening tonight, but hopefully it'll be better in the morning. We'll see if I can manage to go to work. It doesn't appeal to me much at the moment.
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My annoying cold continues
June 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
 My annoying cold continues. I was up late coughing, so I downed some cough medicine and am my typical spacey self this morning. I predict lots of caffiene in my future.
We had Gavin and his mom Louise over for dinner last night. The two boys spent the entire time climbing on anything climbable in our yard, along with causing great distress and distruction to any snail they could find. Emma mostly follwed them around, with lots of trips to the kitchen sink to wash off odd sticky bits.
I'm taking tomorrow off to hang out with Sadie. I'm quite excited.
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My cough continues, though I'm hoping these a...
June 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
 My cough continues, though I'm hoping these are the last few days of it. It's been so many months since I was last sick that I've forgotten what it was like.
Swimming lessons started in earnest yesterday. Sam's been doing it by himself, something he's quite proud of. He's also pretty good at it and is wanting to move to the next level after his current lessons (I think he's currently in the Angelfish group).
Emma's in the Starfish group, with Jamie helping out. The instructor ended up using her as an example, showing everyone how to float on your back and go underwater. Jamie had a good time along with everyone else. The weather's been gorgeous which helps too.
It looks like the next great house project will be to paint it. Jamie mentioned the desire to eventually paint our house to her dad, who found a nice young man to send down and get things organized. Odds are it'll happen fairly quickly. We picked out a few promising colors yesterday and will probably do some painting over the next couple days. Busy, busy.
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The weekend is coming to a close
June 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is coming to a close. Happy father's day to all you dads out there. I got a present from Sam that had a crayon picture of me along with his favorite things about me. Evidently I'm good with computers and tell Sam I love him a lot. Made me tear up.
Yesterday was fairly uneventful. Dave, Kirsten, and Josh came over for awhile, much to the kid's amusement. Today we took a trip over to Hendrick's Park to hike around, then stopped by Humble Bagel for lunch. The afternoon was play time with kids. Sam and I played with his new pirate toy. Emma is non-stop singing and dancing and playing.
Now it's off to work again tomorrow. Hopefully tonight I can catch up with sleep. I got the cold that everyone has been getting and it's keeping me up at night.
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Yet another Mocha Friday
June 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yet another Mocha Friday. Sam's out of school now, so it's a bit of a challenge for Jamie to figure out what to do with both kids all day long. I think they're going to get a fish for Sam's new fish tank this morning, and perhaps come to visit me this afternoon.
Emma's got a bit of a cold and has been feeling lousy. I watched her as Sam and Jamie went off to a T-ball game at cheese park (a.k.a. Washington Park). Emma and I watched movies of her as a baby, made some Spaghetti, then walked down to watch the final moments of the game. A quick bath and then everyone was off to bed.
Hopefully this weekend will be a bit slow. I'm excited about Sadie's arrival next week.
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It was a fairly busy Monday
June 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
It was a fairly busy Monday. Jamie and Emma stopped in to bring me flowers from our garden. I think Jamie was a bit frustrated that Emma decided not to nap and wanted a little backup. We wandered around campus for awhile and we showed Jamie all the cool places we hang out when Jamie works out in the gym.
Later that night we went to one of Sam's T-ball games. I was woefully unprepared, trying to entertain Emma for an hour and a half. On Thursday when we do the next one, I'll be sure to bring a bag of toys and snacks.
After the kids went to bed, Jamie and I sat on the couch and watched the sun set. It was a nice end to the day.
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The weekend has come and gone
June 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The weekend has come and gone. Sunday was a very nice day. In the morning we headed off to the library and played around. Jamie was very nice and let me find some books for myself. Sam got a couple that he was excited about, sitting down and reading them during lunch all by himself. It's cool that he started this school year barely able to read and now he can read most simple things by himself.
We played with the kids during the afternoon, most of it outside. Sam's allergies are acting up a bit, even with Claritin. Eventually we headed inside and my mom came over to watch the kids for a couple hours.
Jamie and I took a leisurely walk down to a restaurant near Humble Bagel. It was excellent food and very nice to spend some quiet time with Jamie.
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Yesterday was packed, from morning to night
June 12, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was packed, from morning to night. I played with the kids as Jamie made breakfast, then we all went off to Sam's back-to-back T-ball games. He had a good time and their team played reasonably well. Sam got to play on the pitcher's mound, so he was fielding all the balls for one game. I took Jamie and Emma home in the middle of the second, and my mom joined me in the middle of the last one.
After T-ball, Sam and I stopped off at home briefly then went to South Eugene to watch Treasure Island. We got there a bit early, so we wandered the halls of my old Alma Mater. Some of the murals were exactly the same as when I went to school there nearly twenty years ago. It was very nostalgic, even the smell was the same.
The play was fun and Sam enjoyed it immensely. We got a "pieces of eight" song stuck in our heads afterwards. Then it was home where we wound down and headed for sleep.
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Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday
June 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday. I've got a bunch of "to do" e-mails sitting in queue today, but I've decided to take a short breather before I dive in. Work has been extremely productive over the last few days, especially since I've been avoiding meetings like the plague.
Last night we went to the carnival at Sam's school. It was lots of fun, with endless games, activities, prizes, and auctions. Sam drove cars, threw balls, had a squirt gun fight, and returned with assorted plastic treasures. Jamie won an auction for a basket of tea goodies. The entire production is to raise money for the school's art program, so it's for a good cause.
The weekend is shaping up to be quite busy. It's a good thing we didn't end up going up to Portland. Tomorrow we have three baseball games and then I'm taking Sam to see the Treasure Island musical at South Eugene. Should be a fun though exhausting day.
Perhaps we can rest Sunday and have some quiet family time together.
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Work was pretty busy yesterday
June 07, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Work was pretty busy yesterday. I have an all-day meeting today as well, though I'm sneaking out a bit early. Jamie's planning on going to a four o'clock step aerobics class, so we'll do a kid hand-off and I'll entertain them until she's done.
Sam had more T-ball practice last night. Though I mostly watch Emma, I'll occasionally glance up to see him make a particularly good hit or catch. He also seems to be having a good time hanging out with the other boys and running around, which is the main point of these things.
We were planning on going up to Portland this upcoming weekend, but that fell through. It sounds like we'll be seeing Treasure Island, the musical, which one of the neighbor boys is in. We're a pirate-loving family, so it should be the height of entertainment.
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Another weekend has wrapped itself up
June 06, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Another weekend has wrapped itself up. Sunday Josh and Ray came over to entertain us. Most of the time I was in the basement with the kids while Jamie and her dad talked and watched a movie.
 Josh was great with the kids, as always. It also sounds like he'll be around for awhile this summer before heading off to Tennessee to live and go to school.
In the evening, the kids, Jamie, and I went to the rose garden to pass the time. It was beautiful out and the overcast weather kept most people away. The kids chased each other through the rows of roses. Jamie and I held hands. It was a nice ending to the weekend.
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Today was launch day
June 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Today was launch day. Yesterday after work the kids and I went to Eugene Toy and Hobby to pick up a rocket. Sam and I worked on it last night and again this morning, gluing all the little pieces together so that we'd have something to launch with my dad today.
The maiden voyage didn't go very well. After the engine burns, it blows out a short burst from the other end to shoot off the top and extend the parachute. Unfortunately the parachute wasn't glued in tightly enough and it flew out, causing the rocket to land hard and emerge slightly bent.
Fortunately we had a second one handy and launched that five or six more times. Getting excited, we picked up a two-stage rocket and returned home for lunch. My dad managed to super glue all his fingers and inappropriately glue the rocket several times, but an hour or so later we returned to the field by Roosevelt school and had an incredible launch. We thought we'd lost it as it was completely gone for about ten seconds, then we spotted the upper stage slowly returning.
Unfortunately the second launch ended up with the top stage not separating out. Instead it burned in place, causing a fairly large hole. We decided to call it a day and vowed to continue our experiments at a later date. The kids were both ecstatic about the whole thing.
I had the kids in the evening while Jamie went off to her friend Gillian. She's a nice English woman who's a grandparent of a classmate of Sam. The kids and I made pizza with cookie cutters, much to their amusement.
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It was a fairly quiet day yesterday
June 03, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a fairly quiet day yesterday. Jamie and the kids played with John, Natalie, and Sharon at the park. Sam had gym during kindergarden today. Emma ran around being excited and cute.
Work is somewhat exciting today. I've got my mocha and rebooted a server, all before 8 a.m. There's some mysterious problems I'm trying to solve, as well as a fair amount of project work on my list. At least it's rarely boring around here.
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The week is winding down already
June 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The week is winding down already. I took Sam to T-ball practice last night, mostly following Emma around as she explored the playground and visited with assorted people.
She's incredibly friendly, going up to people and asking their name. Everyone's amazed at her verbal abilities at such a young age, easily charming them with her witty reparte.
I'm hoping it clears up this weekend as I'd like to shoot off rockets with my dad and assorted children and nephews. We'll see if we can arrange it. Jamie's dad is also coming to town to spend some time with us. The other day Emma said "Grandpa Ray's my favorite guy." It was very cute.
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Sam had a nightmare Sunday night and crawled ...
May 31, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sam had a nightmare Sunday night and crawled into bed with me. He dreamed that Emma was on his bed saying "Eat you Sammo" and tried to eat him up. For the rest of the dream she chased him around while he used hand gestures to tell Jamie as he couldn't talk.
In the morning, Sam and I played on the computer and went to the park to practice baseball. As I was getting sand off him, I spotted a small black thing stuck behind his ear. I ended up taking out a contact to get a better look at it. It turns out it was a tick, probably picked up while hiking. I'd never seen one before, so I read up about it, then removed it with tweezers. It's now sitting in a sample container and I've got Jamie watching for the outbreak of Lyme's disease just in case.
Emma and Jamie arrived safe and sound around noon. The rest of the day was spent entertaining kids until we parents collapsed towards the end of the day. I'm almost looking forward to the relative relaxation of work.
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Emma had a fine birthday yesterday, often wis...
May 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Emma had a fine birthday yesterday, often wishing herself a happy birthday along the way. The party was princess themed and many of the guests showed up in fancy dresses and were promptly handed a tiara. We were very lucky with the weather as it poured all morning, became briefly sunny for the party, and then thunderstorms rolled in during the evening.
 This morning Judy, Jamie, and Emma headed off to the coast until tomorrow. Sam and I went hiking to the top of Spencer's Butte this morning. I was amazed at his energy. I could hardly keep up with him for the last stretch. A little squirrel begged for food from him, then we turned around and headed back to the car.
We hit the mall, picking up a bat and ball for practice, along with a new computer game. Sam's playing with Legos and he wants me to join him soon. After a little snack, I suppose I will.
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First off, it's Emma's birthday today
May 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
 First off, it's Emma's birthday today. She turns two and has been very excited about it all week. The big party is tomorrow, which she's very much looking forward to.
Yesterday was completely filled with kids and activities. I had a naive belief that I could put in a few hours of work, though that was quickly dashed.
It was very sweet sneaking upstairs and seeing the kids in the morning. It was pretty clear that they missed me as they just wanted to play the whole time. Emma's first words were "My birthday is Friday". We got up and I drank some much needed coffee after only getting six or so hours of sleep. Then we played non-stop, spending a lot of time outside as the day has been so warm. I took Sam to school and watched Emma until she fell asleep on my lap. Later I picked up Sam and went to see the new Star Wars movie, which we both enjoyed. Finally it was pizza and off to Sam's kindergarden play.
It was a fairly elaborate production, with the kids singing, dancing, using sign language, and putting on skits. Sam was Humpty Dumpty, so he got to bend in half and stick out his tongue. It was fun watching everyone and Sam seemed very energetic about the whole thing. It's hard to think that school will be ending soon. (movie)
I'm off to work in a bit, trying to catch up after being gone for most of a week. Hopefully my Friday mocha will help get me through the day.
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I made it safe and sound back at home
May 26, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I made it safe and sound back at home. Coming into the Eugene airport at midnight last night, there was a beautiful harvest moon on the horizion.
The second day of meetings was long, though it was nice to get a chance to talk to some of my coworkers individually afterwards. Dave and I eventually wandered over to the airport to return the car and head to Seattle.
We spent a lot of time in the Seattle airport, nearly three hours. Fortunately it's a beautiful place, full of interesting art and archetecture. There was one piece in particular that we both thought was cool, a duck landing on water that was made out of individually hung little figurines. Later on, I found a plug and did some laptop stuff for awhile, then we wandered around the shops and looked at things.
Now I'm home, though I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm restraining myself from going upstairs and waking everyone up. I sure missed everyone.
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I'm still up in Bellingham, Washington on my ...
May 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I'm still up in Bellingham, Washington on my business trip. I've yet to talk to Jamie on the phone these last couple nights. The closest I've got is talking to Emma who was being babysat at the time. The plan is that I'm coming back to Eugene in the wee hours of the morning tonight/tomorrow. Hopefully all will go well.
Yesterday was endless meetings, a short break at the hotel, and then out to dinner with my team. It was somewhat fun, though I was feeling pretty exhausted at the end. I crawled back into my hotel room around nine, read a little, and conked right out.
Now we're off to yet more meetings in just a few minutes, wrapping up around 2 pm. I'm not quite sure how I'll entertain myself until my plane leaves at 7 pm tonight. Hopefully I can find a quiet conference room and catch up on work for a bit. Since I was the one who rented the van, I may also play taxi driver and shuttle people back and forth from the airport.
Note: If you look closely at the newspaper, you'll see my coworker doctored it up a bit.
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And so another weekend is behind me
May 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
 And so another weekend is behind me. The entire time seemed a blur. Saturday we got some plants for garden containers. Dave and Josh came by in the afternoon.
Sunday I mowed the lawn in the morning. In the afternoon I went on a grand expedition with the kids, starting at the duck pond next to campus and traveling across the bridge to a quiet area by the river. Both Sam and Emma liked exploring, throwing rocks and sticks, and looking for ants. We fed the ducks, stood under a bridge as a train ran past, and got a little soggy from a brief rain shower.
Afterwards we had a bagel snack and picked up Jamie from Angie's house, where she had been playing croquet for three hours.
Now it's time for me to get ready to go on my business trip. I'm not showered, packed, or remotely ready. Jamie just handed Emma to me and I'm feeling a bit frantic. Fortunately I have until noon before I need to be at the airport. Hopefully the flight goes well.
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Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday
May 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday.
Jamie spilled some of the beans last night. She's had part of the garden finished as phase one of a combined birthday and tenth anniversary gift. It's really nice to be able to look out and see some greenery next to our patio. I've been itching to replant for some time now. Hopefully this weekend we can visit a garden store and get some plants for various planters. Even cooler would be some water plants for our porch pond.
Sam's first T-Ball practice was last night. I took Emma with me. She spent the entire time with Sharon, John and Natalie's mom. Sharon's purse was filled with all sorts of interesting treasures, far more fascinating than her brother. Sam seemed to have a good time and thought practice went really fast.
Today is quiet so far. Sam woke up with a bloody nose, as he sometimes does. Jamie will be bringing the kids over briefly so she can work out. I'm looking forward to the weekend.
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Sam's first T-Ball practice is tonight
May 19, 2005 by Adam in Family
Sam's first T-Ball practice is tonight. Hopefully the springtime drizzle holds off for an hour or so. I remember the first day of soccer had Sam completely drenched.
The flower bed excitement continues. Two men mysteriously left yesterday after taking out all the hard clay from the beds and putting in fresh dirt. I have a funny feeling that the plants from yesterday may actually be in the ground. Fun stuff!
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For months now, Jamie's been very coy wheneve...
May 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
For months now, Jamie's been very coy whenever I ask her when we can start working on our garden. Last year the neighbor built a new fence and we had to rip out the plant bed next to the patio. After I pried a bit, she flat out told me not to, so I could sense the surprise coming on. Well, last night our gardener guys appeared and there was a variety of pretty plants laying around on our patio this morning. Exciting stuff.
Emma had a really hard time sleeping last night. Jamie was up with her at around three in the morning and I joined them on the couch for an early morning snack a bit after that. Eventually they got back to sleep and I caught a bit more sleep as well.
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Since I posted a picture of Kai with her newb...
May 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Since I posted a picture of Kai with her newborn baby a couple months ago, it's only fair that I do the same with her sister Kate. Kate is an old family friend and is also on my same team at work. She had the baby a couple days ago and everyone seems to be doing well.
The kids came to work for a visit while Jamie worked out. Emma charmed everyone she met, getting the woman behind the bagel counter to do all sorts of odd things for her entertainment. Sam watched in amusement for awhile, then we wandered around campus some more and headed home.
I'm getting all ready for my work trip next week. It also sounds like Sam and I will have a boys-only weekend after Emma's birthday. She and Jamie are going to Portland for a couple days while us boys hang out at home. I think the new Star Wars movie will be out by then. Hmm . . .
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Sunday started early with Emma up at 5:30 in ...
May 16, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sunday started early with Emma up at 5:30 in the morning. I was a little frazzled by the time breakfast rolled around. Afterwards I painted the new window frames and Emma went to bed early. Jamie and I finished watching The Big Sleep, which was a great movie. After lunch, we split up and Jamie went to Angie's while the kids and I went to Hendrick's park.
We had a great time, despite the rain. There were inch worms hanging off the trees from silk by the dozens, much to Emma's amusement. They also spent a long while playing in a fountain, constructing dams and generally getting messy. Finally we went for bagels and cream cheese, then headed home to watch a Harry Potter movie.
Jamie was home late, so I ended up making pizza with cookie cutters. Emma especially liked eating the olive eyeballs off the bunny-shaped pizza.
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It was a fairly quiet Saturday
May 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a fairly quiet Saturday. Jamie went shopping while I entertained kids in the morning. On Friday we got our new upstairs windows put in, so we sanded them and hopefully can paint them today. While Emma napped we watched The Big Sleep, an old Humpry Bogart movie that was quite entertaining. The afternoon was spent at Oakway mall, playing in the grass and buying clothes for me.
It's Sunday now, with Emma up at 5:30 and handed to me by a tired Jamie. Emma's now watching Pooh and eating cereal. And the day goes on.
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Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday
May 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sweet, sweet Mocha Friday. The weather has been wonderful for the last couple days, though I did notice my allergies starting too. I'll soon get into the habit of popping Claritin like candy, I suspect.
My mom came over last night and entertained Emma for a long while. Emma was friendly and chatty, enjoying having someone to make little pictures for her and draw smiley faces on her toes.
Sam had a friend over after school. He and Gavin went around searching for snails and slugs. Sam was busy executing them, while Gavin saved a bunch of snails and took them home.
The weekend is likely going to be a quiet one. I'm hoping Jamie and I can spend some time together as the last few weekends have seemed overly busy, along with the sickness that we're now finally over. Everyone seems in a cheerful mood, which is nice.
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Wednesday already
May 11, 2005 by Adam in Family
Wednesday already. Soccer season is over for now and I'm not sure when T-Ball starts up. Mostly the kids and I have been hanging out in the evening, playing with playdough and drawing. Sam's been having me read Goosebumps stories to him, this one about an evil dummy. He's going through a phase where he likes to be a little scared, but not too much.
I have a work trip planned in a couple weeks. I dread traveling to meetings, thinking it fairly pointless in this electronic age. It'll be weird to be away from Jamie and the kids for a few days too. I can't really remember what it's like to have hours of time to myself.
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Mother's day was fairly quiet
May 09, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Mother's day was fairly quiet. Sam and I delivered flowers over the hill to my mom. The rest of the day was spent entertaining kids and giving Jamie a chance to relax for awhile. We didn't go anywhere or do anything terribly important. Just lots of drawing, kitchen science experiments, running around in the basement, and a show or two.
The only bad thing that happened was that Jamie managed to cut her hand fairly badly on the recycling. Hopefully she can manage two-kids one handed today.
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Happy Mother's Day to all
May 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Happy Mother's Day to all. Sam had planned all week for a tea party to surprise Jamie. I made crepes and tea with the help of the kids. Emma dropped pats of butter on the skillet while Sam set the table and helped beat the whip cream. Jamie was very happy, as she loved breakfast, her presents, and being able to sleep in and take a shower.
Yesterday was fun. Sam had his last soccer game and got a trophy given to him by coach Mike. The whole family showed up, including my mom, Jamie's dad, Dave, Kirsten, and even Josh. They all stopped by for dinner as well, with Dave showing off his Hawaii trip movies. Josh and the kids played endlessly, much to their amusement.
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It's a rather dreary Mocha Friday
May 06, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's a rather dreary Mocha Friday. The ride to work was wet but not unpleasant. I slept poorly again last night, up repeatedly coughing even though I took a bunch of cough medicine. On the plus side, I finished Wonderfalls in the middle of the night. It's a weird quirky show that involves toy animals that talk to a young woman. Hitting the last show right around the witching hour was a cathartic experience.
Sam's last soccer practice was last night. Emma and I went out and tried to cheer him on. Mostly Emma wanted to sit in the car and play with the controls. Sam had a good time, though, and his last game is this Saturday.
The weekend is shaping up to be rather busy. Jamie's entire family seems to be arriving. Brant and Wendy are fixing up their house in hopes of selling it and buying property in Bend. This means that Dave will be out on the streets, so he's looking around for a new place to live.
Jamie's planning Emma's second birthday party for the 28th of this month. It has a princess theme, which Emma seems to really like. Already they've bought endless pink plates, streamers, and tiaras. Ah, the joys of having a girl.
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I'm tuckered out today as I was coughing off ...
May 03, 2005 by Adam in Family
I'm tuckered out today as I was coughing off and on during the night. Whatever the kids had this last week has finally come around to me. Jamie got some cough supressant for me tonight, though I think the stuff is incredibly vile.
Jamie worked out and gave the kids to me this morning. We had our usual bagel and wandered around campus enjoying the sun. The kids both seemed in good spirits. Sam is very much looking forward to Mother's Day and Emma's birthday, full of secret plans.
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And so another weekend comes and goes
May 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
 And so another weekend comes and goes. As predicted it was very busy, as well as being generally pretty fun. Jamie and I caught whatever the kids have, though so far I've only had a sore throat. Saturday we had soccer team photos, a soccer game, and then having Jeff, Sharon, and their kids over for dinner. Sunday we hiked Mount Pisgah, went to my mom's for Easter dinner, and had another soccer game.
Sam was very much the rough and tough young man this weekend. He was feeling lousy and it took some coaxing before he'd play on Saturday. Fortunately he had a great time and scored his first goal. Sunday morning we hiked around and turned over rocks looking for lizards. Sam had a great time, though he complained that I wasn't as strong as Gavin's dad who showed this trick to him last week. Evidently I need to practice my rock tipping in the gym.
 Easter dinner at my mom's was it's usual chaotic fun event. The big surprise was that Seraph and Jenny both got tattoos over the last few weeks, unbeknownst to the other. The cousins all played together, running around and getting into trouble. My dad and I chatted long about space ships, movies, and the Internet. Sam had another soccer game in the middle of dinner. After the second quarter it started to pour and we returned soaked. (movie)
Now it's Monday and soon I'll be returning to work, where it'll hopefully be peaceful and calm.
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Mmm
April 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mmm . . . mocha Friday comes again.
Both kids seem on the mend, though Sam skipped soccer practice last night. Jamie is getting more sleep and she seemed quite cheery last night. That might have been in part to her visit with Victoria and being able to get away for a couple hours.
I had this naive belief that this weekend was going to be quiet. Jamie reminded me that we had two soccer games, guests for dinner, Easter dinner, Jamie helping my mom cook, and assorted house chores. Ah well, hopefully we'll have fun scurrying about.
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Both kids have been borderline sick the last ...
April 28, 2005 by Adam in Family
Both kids have been borderline sick the last day or so. Jamie kept Sam out of school. Emma's seemed warm to me and was crankier than usual last nigh. Will it ever end?
The massive machines are out of the basement, so it seems much more quiet and peaceful. The one door that had warped a little has warped back into place. Hopefully we can put this little flooding issue behind us.
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It was business as usual at our house yesterday
April 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was business as usual at our house yesterday. I returned home to find Jamie exhausted and the kids running around. Sam's got a bad cough that's been lingering for awhile. The carpets are back in place, though we still have one dehumidifier running.
My mom came over, bringing a tasty dinner from the Glenwood. It was great having her around to entertain the kids a bit. After she left I gave everyone a bath. Sam's pretty obviously wiped out as he decided to just go to bed early. Poor kid.
I'm hoping the equipment gets out of our basement today. It's incredibly hot down there and the heat rises up to the top floor. It feels like Summer and I've been sleeping without blankets. Emma was up for a long time last night. She just wouldn't stop talking, rattling on about having a "temperature" and asking Jamie to get the ear thermometer we use. I think she's fine, but also not used to warm nights.
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I came home last night to large industrial ma...
April 26, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I came home last night to large industrial machines in our basement, blowing hot air around and sucking every drop of moisture out of the carpet. Jamie decided to take matters into her own hands and call the carpet company. Of course, our basement now feels like one of the lower circles of Hell, with hot air smelling like industrial lubricants and the ground covered with exposed carpet tacks. Hopefully they'll be gone when I return home today.
Sam made it back safe and sound from his Portland adventure. It's nice to have him around again.
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Visual proof of the intense emotional strain ...
April 25, 2005 by Jamie in Family
Visual proof of the intense emotional strain I live under each and every day ;-)
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It was a pleasant morning, still quiet with S...
April 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a pleasant morning, still quiet with Sam in Portland. It was luxurious having from 5:30 in the morning until 8:00 to myself. We had a nice breakfast with blueberry muffins then decided to head out on an adventure to Old Navy, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Trader Joe's. Everyone had a good time and we returned with all sorts of goodies. Little did we know what awaited us at home.
It turns out that Jamie ended up doing something I'd only previously seen in a situation comedy. She turned on the basement sink, closed the drain, and walked away. Our first clue was the water coming out of the garage, never a good sign. When I went downstairs, however, I got to see the water pouring over the sink and down off the counter. It was like our own Niagra Falls in miniature.
Jamie quickly picked up on the screams and we spent the next hour with towels sopping up the mess. Even now, hours later, we're drying things out and tossing things that were beyond repair. Fortunately I don't think it's that bad. Water evaporates. Jamie's a little nervous and felt terrible about the whole thing. She kept asking if I could grant her absolution.
We had a nice walk with Emma around the neighborhood, played in the sandbox this afternoon, and had a nice dinner. Sam comes home tomorrow.
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Sam had a great time hiking with his friend a...
April 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sam had a great time hiking with his friend and his dad on Friday. He returned with a mild sunburn and tales of holding snakes and lizards.
Yesterday Jamie's parents arrived and we all went out to Sam's soccer game. He gave it his all, pretty exhausted by the end. We all went out for lunch and then we packed him up and sent him off to Portland.
The rest of the day was very quiet. Jamie and I watched an old Cary Grant movie while Emma slept. We then went out to get rid of some of Jamie's old clothes at the store that Angie's mom runs. After that it was off to 5th Street market for dinner and running around.
Today will likely be equally quiet. Having just Emma around makes things generally simpler. We all miss Sam, though. Emma keeps asking where he is and Jamie keeps wanting to call her mom and make sure he's okay.
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It's mocha Friday and I'm mellowing through t...
April 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's mocha Friday and I'm mellowing through the day. Work has been pleasantly quiet in some ways, crazy in others. Funny how that all works out.
I took the kids to soccer practice where Sam played really hard. He has another game tomorrow. I tried to keep Emma out of the car, where she wanted to spend the entire time. Fortunately she liked the slide on the playground and went down it a bunch of times.
Sam has an exciting day today, hiking with a friend from school and his dad. Then he's off to Portland with the grandparents tomorrow afternoon. It'll be quiet without him around.
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Well, the work trip to Portland has been canc...
April 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
Well, the work trip to Portland has been cancelled so it looks like we'll be home for Russian Orthodox Easter after all.
The weather's been gorgeous as of late. Last night we hung out in our front yard. Emma had a great time playing with the neighbor's cat. "Chester! My friend. Love 'em."
Our lives seem to be filled with the ordinary. I'm taking the kids to soccer practice tonight. Jamie's coming in a few minutes to work out in the gym while I take the kids to eat bagels and walk around campus. I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
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The week's been slowly moving along
April 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The week's been slowly moving along. Sam's got a bit of a cough which I keep waiting for the rest of us to get. So far so good, though. Sam did the normal soccer practice last night, with Emma and I wandering around for the duration. She's getting very strong headed, demanding that we spend the time sitting in the car listening to kid music. Sam went through a similar phase at her age, so I think we get to wait patiently for awhile.
The upcoming weeks are getting pretty busy. Sam has a hike with a school friend and his dad on Friday. Jim and Judy are also picking him up on Saturday, then taking him to Portland to be returned by Dave and Kirsten coming back from Hawaii on Monday. The following weekend is mom's Easter Sunday which also is the same time that I take my work-related Portland trip. I may try to hitch a ride with Seraph and Robbie in order to do both, so we'll see how it goes.
Busy, busy.
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It was a good day yesterday
April 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a good day yesterday. We took advantage of a brief lull in the rain to go to the library and pick up books for everyone. Emma later demanded that I read every kid book that I got at least once.
Jamie spent most of yesterday off and about with Angie, first going to the ballet where they critiqued all the ballet-goers' outfits. Then they relaxed at Steelhead with friends before returning to their respective homes.
Sam's second soccer game was late in the afternoon. Emma and I braved the rain and hail to watch him. Sam's been reporting on the other team "They were really good. They had special moves and they knew the names of everything." Though their scores may have been low, Sam's been having a really good time.
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It was a fun, wet day
April 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a fun, wet day. Sam had his first soccer game this morning in the rain. He ended up happy and muddy. Jamie and Emma came along as well, though Emma was only interested in the soccer players for a short while.
The rest of the day was seemingly spent trying to get Emma to sleep. Just like Sam at this age, Emma's nap time is probably going to disappear. We finally got her down three hours late.
Tomorrow Jamie's going off to the ballet with Angie. The kids and I will likely be doing a library trip as I've let my books become overdue.
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Sweet, sweet Friday mocha
April 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sweet, sweet Friday mocha. Yesterday was busy, but manageable. I worked through lunch and left for home early. Jamie got Sam from school and then transported her dad back home to Portland. Some friends took Sam to soccer practice while I played with Emma outside, finding all sorts of bugs and caterpillars to play with.
It looks like Sam's soccer games start this weekend. Already I can see the beginnings of hauling kids around to practices and games. Baseball season starts soon too, so maybe he'll do that during the Summer months.
If not, he and Emma can continue their perpetual pirate duels that go on in the basement.
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Emma slept much better last night and her sni...
April 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
Emma slept much better last night and her sniffle seems much improved. She crawled into our bed at about five o'clock and was still there when I left at seven this morning.
The excitement for the day will likely be getting Ray up to Portland. They've changed their minds again and he's being released around noon, though it will probably take an hour or so to do all the paperwork stuff. I think Jamie's going to ask me to get out of work early so she can drive him home and return at a reasonable hour.
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Jamie earned her keep last night
April 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Jamie earned her keep last night. Emma's got a cold and has been having a hard time sleeping. I was briefly called to duty around one in the morning, feeding Emma without my contacts. Eventually Jamie took pity on me and let me sleep while Emma watched television.
It looks like Ray is going to be staying in the hospital a bit longer. They switched doctors on him and there's a new set of magic numbers that they're trying to get him to. Jamie brings the kids daily so she can visit him.
Sam's soccer practice was last night. They all got very muddy and braved a couple minutes of hail. Sam got a big glob of mud in his eye which took awhile to get out. After all that, he ate his bednight snack and talked about how he wanted to play Kid Sports soccer until he was old enough to play "real" soccer.
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It was another soggy ride to work this morning
April 12, 2005 by Adam in Family
It was another soggy ride to work this morning. My shoes are off and my socks are slowly drying. Emma was very cute this morning before I left for work, puckering up to give me a kiss and then saying "thank you" after I obliged.
Ray's still in the hospital, going a little stir crazy. They're waiting for one of his magic numbers to get high enough before they discharge him. I think he's very ready to head up to Portland and return to his life.
Jamie and I spent a pleasant evening chatting together after the kids went to bed. Emma's getting to the point where she sleeps well enough, so we can actually visit together like grown ups. Mostly I talked about the latest zany activities at work and she talked about her dad.
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It was a good day today, full of kids and goi...
April 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a good day today, full of kids and goings on. Jamie had Spring cleaning on her mind and we washed the kitchen while the kids watched Fantasia set to techno music (they switched the DVD audio to a cable music channel). Jamie went off to shop for food and practical presents for her dad while Sam and I put in some play time before Emma awoke. Then it was shows and playing outside and running around in the basement.
Dave and Josh came by, much to the delight of the kids. Jamie and I took the opportunity to sneak out for a short walk, enjoying our opportunity to talk about things other than child care and house maintenance. At the end of the day was pizza and beer, which suited me just fine.
Sam was particularly nice to Emma, acting like her teacher and showing her all sorts of things. Emma thought it was great, especially having someone read books to her.
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Mocha Friday
April 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday. When I left this morning, Sam and John were already up and watching cartoons. I don't think they got much sleep last night, so I suspect Sam will transform into Captain Crankaroo later tonight.
The day is going fairly well. I swam to work through the rain. My shoes are off and my socks are still a bit damp. I should move one of the many computers under my desk so I can warm up my toes.
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Another day has passed
April 08, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Another day has passed. We visited grampa Ray in the hospital again. He seems to be doing better, getting off the medication it turns out he was allergic to. The latest plan is that he gets out this weekend and heads back to Portland, assuming he feels okay.
After a productive day at work, I headed to Sam's soccer practice where Emma proceeded to get extremely wet and muddy. Eventually I stripped her outer layers of clothes off, wrapped her in a blanket, and waited for practice to end. Sam came home with his friend John as neither of them have school tomorrow.
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Yet again, yesterday was a really busy day
April 06, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yet again, yesterday was a really busy day. In the morning, I was off to jury duty. I lucked out and they didn't call me, so I was dismissed around noon. I then rode back home on my bike, had a quick lunch with Jamie, then rode back to work. There I played catch-up, and watched kids while Jamie visited her dad for awhile. When I went home, I took the kids to Sam's soccer practice and watched Emma play in the dirt.
Needless to say, there's more excitement planned for the future. Dave's leaving for Hawaii with Kirsten in a couple days and I suspect Jamie's dad will be discharged to us while he's gone. More busy days ahead.
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Yesterday was really busy
April 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
Yesterday was really busy. Ray was back in the hospital with blood clots in his leg. I wandered down to the ER for awhile to give Ray and Dave some moral support. I think Jamie's fairly stressed out about the whole thing.
Since the weather was nice, the kids and I played outside quite a bit. There was lots of running around and giggling, which I think everyone needed.
Sam also picked up his Gameboy and spent some quality time playing Dig Dug and Ms. Pac Man. It's funny that we're actually encouraging him to play video games. The last couple days I had this fear that we'd gotten him something he'll never use, so it's a little refreshing that it's not completely useless. He played for a half hour or so, then closed it and we all went outside.
It also sounds like my number is up today. They've called me for jury duty so I'm off to the courthouse to see if I'll actually serve. I'm number 22, which probably means I will (numbers 1-350 are showing up to see if they're called).
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It was kids for me, from sunup to sundown
April 04, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was kids for me, from sunup to sundown. Well, it seemed that way anyway, giving me further respect for Jamie's full time parent job.
We tried to get Sam another game for his Gameboy, but I'm not sure it's catching on. Jamie also picked up a movie for her dad, who she went to visit in the afternoon. Towards the end of the day, I was getting a little on edge from watching grumpy children, but fortunately Jamie returned and the kids seemed much cuter after a little rest.
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It was a busy day yesterday
April 03, 2005 by Adam in Family
It was a busy day yesterday. Sam was up at 4:30 in the morning with a bloody nose. He decided he was staying up at that point, so we played on the computer until the rest of the family woke up. After breakfast, Jamie went out to visit her dad while the kids and I planted flowers and puttered around in the garden.
Later in the day we headed out to Gateway mall to drop of the vaccuum and get some supplies. We also ended up getting a Gameboy Advance SP for Sam, as a reward for his year of chores that he's been doing. I made the mistake of getting a game that was a bit too hard, but he seems to like the idea quite a bit.
I was planning on going to Colin's house to hang out with some of my old friends, but I was so exhausted by eight that I just went to bed instead.
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Ah, Mocha Friday
April 01, 2005 by Adam in Family
Ah, Mocha Friday. I'm slaving away at work, pushing through the endless work that's piled up over these last few weeks. My counterpart, Jonathan, just returned home from four weeks in New Zealand. His arrival is most welcome.
The last few days have been pretty good. Everyone's healthy for a change. Sam had fun at soccer practice last night. Emma's been cheerful and happy. She and Jamie came down to visit this morning before I left for work. "No work day," Emma said frowning. It gets hard to leave after that. Sam's got a play date with Ethan this afternoon. Jamie's trying to go shopping and visit her dad as well. Busy, busy.
I keep thinking of some clever April Fool's joke, but nothing comes to mind. My friend Jim is getting married today, oddly enough.
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Jamie's grandmother passed away today
March 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Jamie's grandmother passed away today. She was 95 and this has been expected for some time. Jamie talked to her mom, asking how she felt. "Tired," she replied.
Today is a whirlwind day for the kids. Sam had a dentist appointment this morning, school at noon after over a week off, and then to his first soccer practice tonight. It's just Emma, Sam, and I going as Jamie's getting her hair cut.
In other news, my old college friend Colin evidently married his long time girlfriend from Germany. Also, Kai (a good friend of Seraph's from ages ago) just had her baby.
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Much of the day was spent puttering around th...
March 28, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Much of the day was spent puttering around the house. Jamie was feeling poorly, so it was mostly the kids and I, running around. Jamie bought a huge beanbag-style chair last week. Sam and I had a great time throwing each other onto it, coming up with a variety of wrestling/gymnastic moves. Both kids and I also did some watercolor painting and I ended up doing a pirate ship that turned out nicely. Well, Jamie decided it was good enough to tape the the refrigerator anyway.
We also headed over to Dave's house while all of Jamie's family was assembled. It was a tasty Easter dinner, with a great blueberry cake (and Sam reported the ham was good). Everyone ended up leaving towards the end of the day, except for Ray who's sticking around this week. Jamie plans on going over during part of the day to keep an eye on him.
Now it's back to work for me in a few minutes. I still have this hope that I'll be able to finish up some of my bigger projects this week. We'll see how it goes.
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It was an exciting day yesterday
March 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was an exciting day yesterday. We all wandered over to Dave's house. The first order of business was to pick up a recliner that would be used by Ray while he's there, then later go to Brant as a birthday present. Jamie went off borrowing a truck, getting the chair, and then returning the truck. Fortunately it ended up being a very nice chair.
We also decorated eggs, with Emma doing most of the work under Wendy's tutilage. Sam had a great time playing with Josh, smashing cars into each other.
Ray was surprisingly mobile and chatty, though he did get a bit winded on a walk around the block. He'll probably be staying with Dave for this upcoming week, with Jamie going over to keep an eye on him during the daytime.
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Jamie's dad made it to town safe and sound
March 26, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Jamie's dad made it to town safe and sound. Just about everyone descended on Dave's house last night, with the exception of the kids and I. We hung out at home, running around in the basement and fiddling with playdough. I ended up making cookie-cutter pizza for the kids, which they enjoyed immensely. I made Emma a pizza bunny for the holiday.
Jamie's uncle Darrel spent the night in our guest bed as Dave's house was packed. This afternoon we'll probably be going over to spend time with Ray and cook everyone dinner. We've also got some Easter decorating to do. My favorite part is coloring the eggs.
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Mocha Friday already? Well, it's been a shor...
March 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday already? Well, it's been a short week and a busy one too. I returned home to find my mom and Isabell playing with the kids in the basement. Emma borrowed Isabell's ladybug back-pack and when I picked her up she'd flap her arms and say "Look at me! Flying!" It was very cute.
Isabell also had a tea party and played dolls with Emma. I suspect the girl activities are a nice contrast to what she usually plays with Sam. Earlier Emma had been showing off how she could make realistic blaster noises when Sam and my mom played Star Wars.
In theory Ray is coming down to Eugene today to hang out with family and recover from his surgery. We'll likely do egg-dieing and Easter activities there.
Ah, and the sound of footsteps on the stairs suggestest that Emma and Jamie just woke up . . .
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Emma slept better last night
March 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Emma slept better last night. She and I were the last to have the nose sniffles. It seems that this winter we've been either sick, getting sick, or just finished being sick. Ah, the joys of small children.
It sounds like Ray's getting discharged tomorrow. Jamie's heading up sometime tomorrow or Saturday, though I don't know the specifics. Since some people were thinking he might not get out until next week, it's probably a good sign.
Work has been crazy busy, with endless e-mails and issues popping up from my few days away. I'm trying to maintain a Zen attitude about it. So far, so good.
Update: Well, it sounds like Jamie and Emma aren't going to Portland. Ray's being discharged in the morning and Darrel is bringing him down to Eugene.
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It was a long day
March 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
It was a long day. I stayed inside, watching kids, starting with Emma at 5:30. Somewhere in the blur I managed to almost finish my taxes and do a bunch of laundry. Now I've got two days of work before the weekend.
Jamie and Emma are going north to visit Ray again. He took a couple walks today. Jamie talked to him on the phone and he sounded pretty normal. Jamie and Dave are trying to arrange for him to come to Eugene and stay with them for awhile while he recovers.
Sam and I will probably just hang out and do guy stuff while they're gone. Sam was making a list of things he wanted us to do. I think he was pretty excited, as "alone with dad time" is quite precious to the boy.
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It was a fairly exciting day yesterday
March 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a fairly exciting day yesterday. I took the kids to OMSI and had a really good time. Sam and Emma were both on their best behavior and we ran around for two and a half hours before driving back to Judy's house while Emma slept.
Jamie was waiting there for us. Ray was still on a lot of medication and not looking very good, which I think was hard on her. Dave was pretty amazing through all of this, helping move him around and talk with the nurses. Being in the medical profession, I think he knows what to expect at least to some degree.
Towards the end of the day they removed his breathing tubes and some color had returned to his cheeks. Whenever his blood pressure dropped, they told him to think about his hospital bill and it went back up to normal again. If all goes well, he should be able to go home in a week or so, then return to work in six to eight weeks.
I had the kids again this morning when Jamie returned to the hospital. Ray's color has returned, his chest tubes are out, though he's still feeling pretty happy from the medication. So far, so good.
 It looks like we'll be packing up and heading to Eugene in a bit, with Jamie tentatively planning to return to Portland this upcoming weekend.
Poor Emma's been having a hard time lately. Her nose continues to run and she had a hard time sleeping last night. Since Jamie wasn't around, I haven't been able to console her particular well. She was so exhausted at lunch today that she fell asleep right next to her spaghetti.
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Ray got out of surgery yesterday, which evide...
March 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
Ray got out of surgery yesterday, which evidently went well. Dave and Brant stumbled into Judy's living room last night to sleep on couches and mattresses. Jamie and her siblings are planning a hospital expedition to check up on their dad. I'm tentatively going to take the kids to OMSI. As a plus, the sun has come out and I can see trees blooming outside the window.
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It's been a long couple days
March 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's been a long couple days.
Saturday we packed up and headed to the coast. It was our first trip with the "carputer", a monstrosity that involved hooking up Seraph's old laptop to Jamie's monitor, wired through a power inverter so that I could run both. It worked, after a fashion, so that both kids could enjoy a show. It wasn't perfect, though, as the power supply kept getting wiggled and the monitor would tip over where it was balanced between the two seats. By the end of the trip, I was referring to it as the "carpuker" more often than not.
It was really wet at the beach. Sam and I took a trip down to the water, building some sand castles. In about five minutes, he'd managed to trip over one of our outer walls, falling into the onrushing wave. The rest of the time we stayed indoors, playing, eating, and watching movies. Sam and I got some quality computer play time in. Sunday morning Jamie, Emma, and I braved the wind and rain to go down to the beach. We didn't stay long, but were rewarded with seeing a sea lion playing in the waves.
We also got troubling news that Jamie's dad had chest pains and went to the emergency room. They admitted him and were going to do an angioplasty to see the extent of the issue, scheduled for Monday. We packed up and decided to head to Portland in hopes to spend some time with him.
Things started moving pretty fast after that. We had news that his chest pains returned and they started the angioplasty immediately. By the time we made it to Jamie's mom's house they'd scheduled him for open heart surgery that starts any time. David and Darrel are waiting at the hospital, Brant is driving in from Bend, and Jamie and the rest of us are waiting here for news.
So, we're all hoping for the best. I plan on keeping an eye on the kids and supporting Jamie as best I can. I think she's tentatively waiting until tomorrow when Ray should be up and awake.
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Happy Mocha Friday
March 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Happy Mocha Friday . . . I'll write more in a bit.
Ah, ha....I've beaten Adam to his own posting. This morning The kids and I are feeling better. Other than Emma's cough that is. I plan to pack and go grocery shopping today to get ready for the beach. I am also making a big pot of the most heavenly tomato sauce I've ever had over at my friend Sharon's house after school...we all have a playdate at the Musgroves! (Jamie)
Curses! I let Jamie sneak ahead of me as the e-mails piled up this morning.
We had a pleasant though short time at my dad's house last night for dinner. My grandmother Dorothy was there. She was looking quite chipper and telling of her ocean adventures. Poor Emma was still pretty sick and we ended up going home pretty early.
I'm very excited about heading off to the beach for a few days, though the weather sounds like it'll be wet and stormy. I've got a variety of child entertainment devices that I'd like to haul along should we be trapped indoors for days.
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Well, it seems we're all sick
March 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
Well, it seems we're all sick. Emma's been having a really hard time sleeping the last few days. I'm getting antibiotics for Sam, who's been coughing and mucousy for the last week or two. I've been popping Advil like it was candy all day. To top it off, I just looked at the forecast at the beach and it looks like it'll be cold and wet. Swell.
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Sam finally went to school yesterday, though ...
March 16, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Sam finally went to school yesterday, though he was still sniffling and coughing a bit. He's also had a bloody nose, which often happens after he gets a cold.
Jamie seems much improved and Emma seems her normal cheerful self. I'm doing okay, looking forward to the long weekend ahead.
Sam managed to knock two different things over the fence into the neighbors yard yesterday. One was a bat he was throwing around and the other was a shoe. He's actually getting pretty good at sports-related activities. He's pretty good at soccer and can catch a football if he's not too far. Hopefully he'll turn out to be a well-balanced boy.
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Sam's still sick
March 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
Sam's still sick. We hauled him off to the doctor yesterday, who recommended an inhaler and didn't recommend antibiotics. Jamie was feeling under the weather as well, and Emma's got a bit of a cough.
After picking up the perscription, I stopped by Flicks and Picks. I rented Vanity Fair for Jamie and The Cat Returns and Porco Rosso for the kids. The latter two were done by the same folks who did Spirited Away. They're wonderous tales, very different from the ordinary American animated films.
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I think Sam is finally on the mend
March 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
I think Sam is finally on the mend. He was still coughing on and off yesterday, but was pretty determined to head to school when I left today.
Most of Sunday was spent puttering around. Jamie made delicious scones for breakfast. Isabell and my mom came over to play late in the morning. Sam and I got plenty of alone-with-dad time.
Towards the end of the day Jamie was teaching football to Sam. I was trying to get Emma over her sudden fear of bees. It was a good day.
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Saturday has come and gone
March 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Saturday has come and gone. It was a pretty good day overall, though Sam is still sick. Jamie made dutch pancakes, which were quite tasty. Then Emma and I took a long walk to Sam's old preschool for their annual play. Emma was entranced, very quiet around all those kids and people. There's a good chance she'll go there next year, so we glanced into the classrooms a bit.
The afternoon was spent playing with kids for the most part. Jamie power washed the patio and I hauled in all the heavy furniture. Josh, Dave, Kirsten, and her parents stopped by for a few minutes. Sam perked up and ran around with them, then quickly became exhausted when they left. He went to bed quite early, hardly being able to keep his eyes open.
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It's Mocha Friday and I'm trapped in a confer...
March 11, 2005 by Adam in Family
It's Mocha Friday and I'm trapped in a conference room at work all day. Fortunately I stole a laptop and managed to connect out to the real world while everyone fiddles with stuff.
Sam's feeling mostly better today. Hopefully he'll make it to school, the first time this week. This morning he told me a long story about looking for mom, scary lighting bolts outside the house, developing Spiderman-like superpowers, and defending against a bee attack with only one glove and one sock. Funny kid.
Jamie was out with Victoria and Angie last night, arriving somewhat late. I made pizza for the kids and I, which Emma ate up like crazy. Sam's appetite wasn't quite normal, though he managed a piece. The pizza was his idea, as not much else sounded good to him.
I'm not sure what all we're doing this weekend. Jamie mentioned the Home and Garden show, so perhaps we'll have a little expedition.
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It was so warm and pleasant last night
March 09, 2005 by Adam in Family
It was so warm and pleasant last night. We were all outside around seven o'clock, looking up in the stars. I was in my shorts and a tank top and it wasn't too chilly. Emma loved looking at the stars, noticing that they were "blinking". I explained to her and Sam that that's where the "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" song came from.
We've been playing outside a lot, taking advantage of the weather. My bike rides into work are now down to a single thin windbreaker in the morning, and nothing in the afternoon.
Poor Sadie called over the weekend while she was walking through a foot of snow. Poor girl. When will she figure out that Eugene is the paradise she needs to return to.
Also, it sounds like Mount Saint Helens threw off some smoke last night. Exciting stuff.
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Yesterday was great
March 07, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was great. It started with an elaborate breakfast of french toast using halla bread, along with coffee and sausage. My mom played with the kids while Jamie and I did some scrapbooking together, going through pictures of our honeymoon nearly ten years ago. It's amazing how young and skinny I looked.
Later on we went to Hendrick's park to run around on the trails. Emma made a friend of another little boy that was hanging out on some big rocks. She kept handing him flowers and called him "sweetie" once (which what his mom kept calling him). I suppose we should start getting used to it.
The kids and I had a crazy bubble-bath last night. If you turn on the jets with soap in the water, it foams up to epic proportions. Sam lingered in the bath for over a half-hour, getting bubbles all over everything. Good times.
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It was a good day yesterday
March 06, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It was a good day yesterday. The weather was great. The woes of work were a distant memory. Sam and I got a ton of time to hang out together. Jamie and I got some time while the kids slept or watched shows. Towards the end of the day we wandered over for my dad's birthday.
It was nice seeing everyone, though every time our family gets together I find myself missing Sadie. Emma liked playing with everyone. Sam and Dez played on the PS2 for nearly the whole time. Everyone had a good time.
Today, our hearty breakfast starts in a few minutes. My mom's coming over to partake in Jamie's delectable treat, as well as hanging out with the kids. Should be another good day.
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I haven't quite yet hit the mocha part of Moc...
March 04, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I haven't quite yet hit the mocha part of Mocha Friday. I'm still slowly waking up and preparing to face the day. I had a two hour phone conference before I left work yesterday, so I know there's a bunch of e-mails waiting for me.
The kids were in good spirits yesterday. Sam ended up watching an extraordinarily dumb television show, obviously designed to appeal to his age group. It was so bad it was funny for about five minutes, especially when Emma would yell out "Time Warrior!"
The weekend starts tomorrow, with my dad's birthday right around the corner. He's probably the hardest person I know to shop for. It's too bad I can't just make a cube out of marshmellows and toothpicks like when I was five.
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I'm not sure what it is, perhaps the sunshine...
March 03, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I'm not sure what it is, perhaps the sunshine and blooming trees. Maybe it's the mellow music I'm listening to or everyone at home feeling better today. Maybe it's that I'm slowly catching up with projects at work. Whatever the cause, my mood seems much more cheerful today.
Sam and I watched Hero last night, which had beautiful cinematography and martial arts scenes. It's got me excited to see House of Flying Daggers. It seems that the kung fu movies I watched on Saturday afternoons as a kid have been rediscovered, along with sizeable budgets. With that and the superhero movies, it's hard to keep up with all the great stuff that's coming out these days.
I'm very much looking forward to this weekend. We might see the play this weekend. Next year Emma might go to Sam's old preschool, though she somehow still seems to be a baby in our eyes. It would be hard letting her loose among other toddlers at this point, though in some ways she's far more social than Sam was.
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Poor Emma was really sick yesterday, running ...
March 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
Poor Emma was really sick yesterday, running a fever and throwing up. I've been a little under the weather as well, but nothing that Advil and caffiene couldn't fix. Jamie's been a real trooper, taking care of Emma, Sam, and myself without batting an eye. In a small attempt to make life easier for everyone I picked up some Thai food and the SpongeBob Square Pants movie, which Sam very much enjoyed. Even I laughed out loud at some parts, though it probably says more about me than the movie.
I'll be heading into work shortly, trying to catch up on the zillion requests that came in yesterday. Busy, busy.
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Yesterday was filled with kids, starting at 6...
February 28, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was filled with kids, starting at 6:30 in the morning when Emma got handed to me and ending at 8:00 that night when they went to bed. Fortunately they were good and cute and funny, which made it all worthwhile.
Emma, Jamie, and I took a long walk to get money and bread while Graham played with Sam. Jamie was invited to an Oscar party at the Hilton, so she spent half the walk talking on the phone to get help on her fashion emergency. After lunch she ran off to visit Kirsten's house and go to the store, briefly returning to dress and do her hair before leaving for the event. Evidently all the men were in tuxedos and the women in gowns, so I suppose it was all worth it. She had a great time too and came back right before the kid's bedtime.
Sam and I played while Emma napped, with him doing this elaborate drawing game. Once everyone woke up, we played outside in the sunshine, then went inside for Spiderman and dinner. I'd whisk Emma away for the scary parts, though she still ran around for the rest of the night yelling "Jump Spiderman!" Then it was bathtime, Jamie's return, and bed.
Emma got ahold of Jamie's boots at the end of the day and clomped around on the floor. Unfortunately her balance wasn't all that good and she bonked her knees falling down. I rushed upstairs and caught the aftermath on film.
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I was feeling stressed out yesterday, though ...
February 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I was feeling stressed out yesterday, though I'd calmed down a bit by the end of the day. I made it to the library and took care of a book they lost (by finding it in the stacks and bringing it to them). I also found a way onto the roof from the balcony and spread moss killer on the roof. The kids and I also spent a lot of time outside since the weather was so nice. The sandbox has been a big hit lately.
Towards the end of the day, Jamie's family began to arrive. Dave was the first, showing up in full pirate gear. The kids thought all the pirate stuff was great and I'd put together a CD of pirate songs to add to the ambiance. Pretty soon it was non-stop running around, watching kids and organizing dinner and such.
At the end of the day I was exhausted from the excitement and waking up at 4:30 that morning. I took a long hot bath, watched some Alias, and went to bed. Hopefully today we can all take it easy.
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I was all ready to leap onto the roof last ni...
February 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I was all ready to leap onto the roof last night to lay down a lethal coat of moss-be-gone. Sadly the new windows open in the middle, making it impossible for anyone to get to the roof. I'm not sure if I should curse the window company, or thank them for getting me out of an annoying task.
Work has been crazy busy as of late. We're still dealing with the coming together of the two teams. Dave and I noticed that Glen was beginning to go mad, so we had an intervention and we're trying to see if we can find ways to ease his pain a bit. Unfortunately I think it means that I'll be bearing some of that.
It's my Mocha Friday, though I've yet to get to work to enjoy it. I'm very much looking forward to the weekend. Jamie's family is coming down to throw a birthday party for Dave. I'm pretty sure that explains the "Happy Birthday Cap'n Dave" poster hanging in our hallway.
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Wednesday already
February 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Wednesday already. My how time flies. Work has been really frantic the last few days, to the point where I'm overjoyed to return home to the kids.
Emma's stringing together complete sentences these days. She's very good and expressing what she wants. She makes a really funny grumpy face, to the point where we usually just laugh when she wants candy and whines.
Sam's been really getting into making friends. Renee came over yesterday, as I discovered when I found a toy gorilla in my closet. Evidently they were pretending to be spies, though I didn't ask how the gorilla worked into the game. Sadly Renee will be leaving soon as her father was recently layed off.
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Well, I got the new camera
February 22, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Well, I got the new camera. It's quite easy to use, taking only a couple minutes to put it together and take a few snapshots of everyone. In theory the number of megapixels is smaller than my Kodak, but the image quality is great so far. I was even able to reuse my old memory card, pulling off the last pictures before it decided to blow up.
Sunday went well, with Angie and Jamie whipping up all sorts of tasty treats while drinking wine and chatting. The weather was so nice that we opened up the sandbox and the kids got exceptionally sandy. With that and the park, they managed two baths, a shower, and a sink rinse off between them.
Well, my family pointed out one flaw with the new camera. It makes me look old.
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Well, the image isn't from my new camera, but...
February 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Well, the image isn't from my new camera, but rather my video camera that's still working after all these years. I even whipped up a new movie, this one is Emma trying out her musical talents.
It was pretty busy yesterday, with Emma waking up early. We also managed a massive gardening project in the morning, moving large amounts of dirt and a big rose in preparation for replanting a bed. Sam exclaimed "now that's gardening!" after moving a particularly large glob of dirt. That's my boy.
Robbie and Isabell came over in the afternoon to exchange CDs and drop off their dead laptop. I haven't decided whether to try to fix the LCD or punt and just hook up a monitor and mouse, which sort of defeats the whole laptop thing. Sam had a particularly good time with Isabell, who is transitioning from being a toddler to a big kid and thus more entertaining to Sam. Dave and Kirsten arrived later on to join the social event. Finally, we settled down to watch Shark's Tale and eat popcorn.
I don't think we're doing anything too exciting today. Angie is coming over to cook with Angie. There's lots of miscellaneous tasks Jamie has assigned to me. We'll see how it goes.
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Sweet, sweet mocha Friday has come once again
February 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
Sweet, sweet mocha Friday has come once again. This morning before I left for work, Jamie and Emma came down to visit. Emma is extremely cute and not particularly happy that I was headed to work today. It's nice to feel loved, though I wish my leaving didn't make her feel so bad.
Sam has another play date today, going over to Ethan's house with Caden to watch Star Wars and eat pizza. It's fun watching him slowly figure out how to make friends and play with people other than his parents.
My new camera should arrive on Monday, which is a good thing. I'm having camera withdrawl, wanting to post images of all the wacky things that the kids do.
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Emma was up early this morning, handed to me ...
February 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
Emma was up early this morning, handed to me by a tired Jamie as she woke up. Emma was in fairly good spirits and we played on the computer, pretended a monster was after us, and ate a bowl of cereal together. Eventually Jamie got up and I biked through the cold to work.
Sam's been having lots of play dates with people in his school. He had a good one with Caden yesterday, playing with Legos and GI Joes. I think there's another one on Monday with yet another kid.
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Happy Valentine's Day to all
February 15, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Happy Valentine's Day to all. I actually enjoyed going to work today, taking care of all the things that had piled up the week before. It also helped that I worked through lunch and left around one o'clock to head home to my sweetie.
We had lunch and Jamie gave me a card and assorted goodies, one of which was an espresso scented soap bar. I kept saying bad words to see if she'd wash my mouth out, but it didn't work. Later we played with Emma in the park and generally hung out. Sam went to Renee's house after school, so he came home later than normal.
The kids got a couple red shirts in the mail from grandma Judy. In general, they seemed pretty excited about the day's events. Sam in particular got lots of candy which he gratiously shared with Emma.
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It's the end of the weekend
February 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's the end of the weekend. I'm pretty exhausted, with my day starting around five this morning with Emma deciding to get up early. Since Sam was at Dave's house, it was just the two of us until Jamie woke up a few hours later. Fortunately Emma is very cute.
The three of us went on a shopping expedition around noon, returning with assorted goodies. Sam returned later that afternoon, fairly wound up from hanging out with Dave and Josh for so long.
Now I'm watching Alias, eating my cereal, and looking forward to getting some sleep tonight.
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Friday at work came and went, another painful...
February 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Friday at work came and went, another painful all day meeting. It was a relief to return home and play with the kids.
Saturday was fairly exciting for everyone. Emma and I had an adventure when she first woke up, going out to eat pain au chocolate and listen to music at Metropol bakery. I took the kids outside in the rain later that morning while Jamie went to have coffee with a friend. After lunch, Josh, Sam, my mom, and I all went to see the new Natural History Museum at the U of O. Finally, Dave, Josh, and Kirsten had dinner at our house and took Sam away for a sleep over.
Emma went to sleep early and Jamie and I had an unheard of evening to ourselves. We watched fifteen minutes of a bad movie, played Trivial Pursuit, and chatted while I rubbed her feet.
It's been nice that everyone's relatively healthy and happy this weekend. Emma's still not sleeping quite as smoothly as we'd like. She was up at five this morning and is playing away on the computer beside me.
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I just got word that my old friends Jason and...
February 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I just got word that my old friends Jason and Bridget just had their baby last week. We've drifted apart a bit - I haven't really had time for anything other than work and family - but it was neat to hear from him.
Soon enough I'm sure they'll be knee deep in diapers, sleepless nights, and communicating to their spouse primarily via phone and email.
Work was nutty today. I essentially did no work, instead going from meeting to meeting and cranking through endless e-mails. The next two days are filled with all-day meetings too, so it'll get worse before it gets better.
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Wednesday already
February 09, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Wednesday already. The days seem to pass in a blur. Emma still seems a little sick, though much better than Sunday when she had a fever. She's still on antibiotics for her ear infection, which I hope is done with after this.
There seems to be a rash of babies being born or conceived lately. We have two pregnant team members, one of which will likely not return, at least fulltime. The wife of a coworker is pregnant again, and one of my customers just had a baby yesterday. There's something in the water, I guess.
Sam and I had a lot of fun last night doing acrobatics in the basement. We did the old "walk up dad" standby where I hold his hands and he climbs up my legs and flips. From there we progressed to swings and other tricks. It's a good thing I work out as I otherwise would have thrown out my back. At 52 pounds, I can officially say that Sam's a big kid.
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Destin's tenth birthday was yesterday
February 06, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Destin's tenth birthday was yesterday. Sam and I swung by a computer game store to pick up an odd little game involving rolling a sticky ball around that picks up stuff. Then it was knee-deep in kids running around and adults trying to either supervise or ignore them. We had a good time, arriving home tired and ready for the pizza that Jamie made.
Today looks to be fairly quiet. I think we'll mostly hang out here at home and do domestic things. If I'm really brave I'll see if that bolt I lost painting the bathroom fell into the bucket of paint that's now somewhere in the storage area under the porch.
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My dad and Yayoe were over last night
February 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
 My dad and Yayoe were over last night. Everyone had a good time, with Yayoe playing playdough with Sam and my dad playing with Emma in the basement. Jamie even snuck off to have some time to herself in the middle of it all.
This morning we hiked down to the library and picked up some new books. Going back was a little rough as I carried both kids up the hill for a couple blocks. I knew there was a reason I worked out every day.
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Mocha Friday
February 04, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday. I think everyone in the household is mostly healthy. Emma's second ear infection is being treated and she doesn't seem to mind the taste of the antibiotics so much. She hasn't been sleeping very well, though. My attempts to put her to bed were thwarted and Jamie had to take over.
We had my mom over for dinner last night, which was very pleasant. Sam in particular really had a great time playing pretend with her. Tonight my dad and Yayoe arrive for dinner. What a social week it's proving to be.
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Mid week already
February 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mid week already. Whew. I was in all day meetings at work yesterday, and it'll be half of today as well. It was the first time I'd met a number of the new people on our team, so it was quite informative. Later on we went to my manager's house for dinner, with Emma shouting out "pizza party" all the way there.
Poor Emma might have yet another illness. She was having troubles sleeping last night and was up early wimpering a bit. I always feel bad when my kids are in pain, so I'm fretting a bit.
We have a busy week ahead of us. Two more dinners with family, then Destin's birthday party this weekend.
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I think that global warming is slowly turning...
January 31, 2005 by Adam in Family
I think that global warming is slowly turning Oregon into California. It was so sunny and warm Sunday, quite a departure from the typical cold and wet winters of my childhood. Emma and I had a long walk around the neighborhood, visiting with the various neighbor kids. Sam had nonstop play time, first with grandma Sue, then Graham, then Ben and Sebastian, and finally me.
Jamie and I just enjoyed the weather, glad to be finally over all these various illnesses. The upstairs bathroom had the last coat of paint applied. Now we just need to find a bolt that mysteriously disappeared when it fell out of a ceiling fan. Our suspicions are pointing to it falling in the paint bucket, but neither of us have taken the steps to search there.
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Saturday is coming to a close
January 30, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Saturday is coming to a close. I feel okay, if more tired than usual. As usual, it was kid playtime from sunup to sundown. We split up the kids a bit differently today, with Jamie and Sam going to the park while Emma and I played at home. There were stories, playing pretend, learning how to use toy tools, painting, and a little television at the end. I did manage to find ways to restrain her when she got out of hand.
The main productive thing of the day was painting the upstairs bathroom. It was a bit on the pinkish side and now it's a light green. We've got another coat to lay down, but it's coming along.
At the moment, I'm with both kids in the basement. Sam's shooting it out with an invisible opponent. Emma's pushing buttons on her talking toys. Same ol', same ol'.
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It's late Friday, right before bedtime
January 29, 2005 by Adam in Family
It's late Friday, right before bedtime. I managed to make it to work, even get myself my normal Friday mocha. Work was pretty frantic, but I muddled through and played with the kids upon my return. Poor Emma bonked into Sam as they were playing - she's starting to look like a boxer with all the scrapes and bruises.
Sam's starting to become quite the reader. We've been reading every night - he does a little and then I do a little. Seems to work out pretty well.
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Yesterday afternoon I got really, really sick
January 27, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday afternoon I got really, really sick. It was the writhing around on the floor and wishing for death sort of illness. I was really nauseous and my head hurt more than it has in a decade.
Jamie was upset and distraught, Sam was disappointed I couldn't play with him, and Emma was beside herself with grief. It was sweet, if troublesome, to hear her call out "Daddy!" all through the night.
Fortunately blissful unconsciousness finally overtook me and I woke up at three in the morning feeling much better. I had a bowl of cereal since I had skipped dinner, then fell back into bed until this morning.
I've been working from home, sending off e-mails and doing work. Jamie enjoyed giving the kids to me so she could take a shower. I generally feel okay as long as I don't have to move around a lot. Hopefully it's just a short viral thing that will quickly pass. I suggested that it might have been food poisoning, but Jamie didn't appreciate the accusation very much.
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It was a long day yesterday
January 25, 2005 by Adam in Family
It was a long day yesterday. Work seemed somewhat frantic and Jamie left after I got home to have dinner with Victoria. Emma started crying fairly constantly towards the end, asking "Why?" every time I told her mom was away. Somewhere around 8:00 I staggered downstairs to stare bleary-eyed at the computer and eat my cereal. I then worked on my gaming hobby, debugging code in a card game. I got up a couple times during the night to put Emma back to sleep, which she fortunately did fairly well.
This morning I rode through the fog, greeted only by my fellow bike commuter neighbor Todd. Now I'm sitting at my desk here at work in the quiet before the masses arrive. My tea is steeping. Soon I'll put on the headphones and dive into the code once again.
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I finally gave up with Josh's computer, forma...
January 24, 2005 by Adam in Family
 I finally gave up with Josh's computer, formatting and starting from scratch. Fortunately it all came together pretty quickly after that and he gets to go home with a basic but functional computer.
Sam and I put in a ton of playtime today, from time travel pretend games to playdough surgery. Later in the day we went out to minature golf with Dave, Kirsten, Josh, and Ray. Sam got a hole in one. Emma ate pizza. A good time was had by all.
Sunday is coming to a close and I'm feeling a little worn out. Hopefully Emma sleeps well tonight.
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Saturday seemed incredibly busy, though it do...
January 23, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Saturday seemed incredibly busy, though it doesn't feel like we accomplished all that much. I made breakfast for a change, while Jamie watched the kids. Then it was playing with children until Seraph, Robbie, and Isabell arrived. Sam and Isabell quickly descended to the basement to play Star Wars while the adults chatted. It was very nice to chat with Seraph and hear what she's been up to. Eventually they had to leave and go off to visit my mom.
I took Sam out to the park to play, which he seemed to really enjoy. Then it was more play time until Jamie's dad arrived to deliver belated Christmas presents. The kids loved that part, and perked up yet again once Dave and Josh arrived.
Since the computer that Dave was going to give Josh died, I decided to resurrect one of my beat up computers to give to him. It was all going quite well until something went horribly wrong and it's currently not booting up properly. I'm not sure if it's the antivirus, an issue with the hardware, or something else equally dumb. Sigh.
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Mocha Friday
January 21, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday. I feel fairly perky today, though we'll see if I can make a dent in the large piles of work that await me.
It's promising to be a busy weekend. Seraph and her crew are coming into town, as is Jamie's dad and Josh. Seraph is handing me her old computer to try to resurrect, though I'm not sure how easy it'll be. We're trying hard to get Sam and Josh some time to play together (and Emma too, who adores Josh).
I have some practical things that are on my list. My bathroom heater is broken and permanently on. We have a replacement but have yet to find the time to stick it in. Busy, busy.
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After a year and a half, Jamie's finally begu...
January 20, 2005 by Adam in Family
After a year and a half, Jamie's finally begun roping me into getting Emma to sleep at night when she wakes up. The good news is that I seem to be almost good at it, getting her to sleep two of the three times last night. I suppose helping with three younger sisters must have done some good.
As usual, it was a kid-filled night last night, ending with Emma chasing Sam and I in circles around the basement.
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It's been a bit nutty today
January 18, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's been a bit nutty today. Poor Jamie called late this morning asking if I could come home. She's got the brunt of this latest cold and went in to see a doctor. It would be nice to tell her to get more sleep an exercise, but small children tend to exclude that.
Emma's been fun. We wandered around outside for awhile, enjoying the incredibly warm weather. She's got the sniffles too, but seems almost used to the constant illnesses. Sleeping is hard for her, though.
Sam's been practicing his spelling skills. This morning he spelled out "ugly mom + dad" on the refrigerator. He though it the pinnacle of humor.
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The weekend is coming to a close, another Sun...
January 17, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is coming to a close, another Sunday winding down. I actually got some sleep last night, though Emma did wander down around seven in the morning to visit. After breakfast we bundled the kids up and hiked down to the library. It was pretty fun and we all ended up with something interesting to read. We stopped for a bagel and I fortified myself with a mocha before hiking back up to our house.
Jamie ran off to help my mom to clean her kitchen, which I think secretly meant that she'd do anything to escape the children for a couple hours. Fortunately she returned, and brough Shrek 2 for us to watch until dinner time.
The kids and I played some more in the basement, coming up with silly games that involved stuffing balls in their clothes. No one was hurt and they had a great time. I even recorded the experience and put together a new movie detailing the things we do in our basement these days.
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Yesterday was admittedly pretty exhausing
January 16, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was admittedly pretty exhausing. I woke up around 5:30 with Emma deciding it was time for everyone to get up. After that, it seemed a blur of kid stuff throughout the day. I picked up Thunderbirds and I, Robot at Flicks and Picks. Everyone went to bed early and Sam and I read a ton of books together.
There were some highlights of the day. We got lots of little icicles on the pergola that covers our patio. I got some for the kids and then Emma sent me out repeatedly to get more for her to eat. We moved the antique card table upstairs for Jamie to use in her craft room. The kids were exceptionally funny at dinner, with Emma pressing her face against the glass of the kitchen door. Good times.
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Happy Probe Day! The probe that descended to...
January 14, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Happy Probe Day! The probe that descended to Titan, one of Saturn's moons, seems to have landed just fine. It's sending back data and everything looks good. Hopefully we'll get some pictures or even sounds from the microphone later today. Nifty stuff.
Other than that, it's a pretty busy day. I had my morning mocha and am slowly wading through work. We have a few things to do this weekend, but it's otherwise relatively open. Maybe we'll try to get to some snow, which would be fun.
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It's another Mocha day for me, for medicinal ...
January 13, 2005 by Adam in Family
It's another Mocha day for me, for medicinal purposes of course. Jamie came down with the cold that the kids had yesterday and it seems to have snuck up on me late last night. I was given Emma to watch during my normal 8 pm Wednesday Lost viewing time. I kept it going, trying to distract her from the invisible monsters stalking people by playing with her talking puppy toy. Hopefully her dreams were filled with "itsy bitsy spider" and not the manevolent forces that haunt the forbidden isle.
Since Jamie was sick I was sent out to get food at Tasty Thai. It was a complete madhouse. It turns out they were giving all their sales to the tsunami relief effort, so I guess I accidentally gave $19.65 to charity. Emma absolutely loved the curried tofu, gobbling it down in between exclaimations of "More tofu!"
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My new computer desk arrived yesterday, with ...
January 12, 2005 by Adam in Family
 My new computer desk arrived yesterday, with some assembly required. It quickly became a huge project that consumed the evening and perhaps our very souls. I optimistically thought I could simply sit down when I got home from work and put things together. I did the desk before dinner time, letting the kids play with the packing material.
Little did I know that the styrafoam blocks quickly broke down into tiny balls that clung to everything. Before I realized the danger, they covered the kids, the couch, and the floor. Jamie came down and announced that I might as well put the hutch together.
It turns out that the hutch was seemingly ten times more complicated than the desk. Finally, at about nine o'clock, we had everything assembled, cleaned up, and I moved Sam's computer to its new home. Now the only problem is that the network cable barely reaches it and I think I jiggled something to make the network card fail. I'll take it apart sometime later.
Otherwise, it looks great and the extra storage is quite handy. Let's hope I can continue to stay organized.
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The kids came over this morning and I enterta...
January 11, 2005 by Adam in Family
 The kids came over this morning and I entertained them while Jamie worked out. I got a flu shot finally, something that is my normal thing to do at work in November. Sam decided that I was very good so we went out for hot chocolate. Emma had a good time making smiley faces at the college students and rearranging the chairs.
In theory my new computer desk arrives today. I'm excited to set it up and get rid of the wobbly card table I'm currently using. Emma likes to push on it and watch it rock back and forth, something that's not a good idea with a huge 19" monitor on it.
Other than that, everything's going well. The kid's latest round of sniffles seems to be fading pretty quickly. I continue to brave the cold and ride my bike into work. One of these days it would be fun to take the kids to play in the snow, though I'm not sure we'll get organized in time.
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Mocha Monday you ask? Even better, free Moch...
January 10, 2005 by Adam in Family
Mocha Monday you ask? Even better, free Mocha Monday. I went down to Starbucks to use up my Christmas card, there was some hijinx with their computer system, and I ended up with a free coffee which tastes even sweeter.
The big event of the weekend was definitely the shindig last night when Jamie's girlfriends came over. Though she'd planned a movie, they instead sat around eating yummy food and chatting. Sadly there was no pyjama wearing and pillow fights, but they did leave some tasty looking snacks to take to lunch the next day.
The kids, Dave, and I were stuck down in the basement for three hours. Dave was fresh and played a ton with the kids. I made sure they were fed and relatively content. Eventually the guests left and we got everyone to bed fairly late. A good time was had by all.
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We somehow fumbled our way into Sunday
January 09, 2005 by Adam in Family
We somehow fumbled our way into Sunday. The kids both seem to have a cold again and Jamie and I had headaches yesterday. Winters are killers around here it seems. Still, everyone seems in relatively good spirits today. Dave came over to help put up cabinets in my office which ended up looking very nice.
Today I'll probably continue to play with the kids until Jamie's party this evening, at which time Dave will return to assist.
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Mocha Friday
January 07, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday. It's a good thing too, as my day started around 4:30 with Emma convinced that it was time for her parents to get up and play with her. Jamie and I descended into the basement and I spent the next hour and a half playing away. Of course, now my stomach is complaining about the change in schedule and I'm in a coffee-induced perky stupor.
I'm hoping we get some time to work on my office this weekend. The cabinets are assembled and need to be hung on the wall. The tricky part is coordinating that and kid watching. If anyone out there wants to come over to help, give us a call.
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Jamie let me know yesterday that her nagging ...
January 05, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Jamie let me know yesterday that her nagging cold is finally better. Emma still has the last lingering sniffles, but hopefully the last of the winter illnesses are behind us. Sam returned to school yesterday and seemed to enjoy it. Dave and Kirsten joined us for pizza and kid entertainment.
It looks like this Sunday Jamie's going to be hosting a girl's night and locking the kids and I in the basement. Fortunately Dave offered to help out so I won't go completely mad.
It's been really cold the last few days, with a tiny chance of snow this Friday. Riding to work has been especially fun. I've been walking my bike down the ice-covered hill on the way into work as I have this fear of sliding down into the middle of Willamette street. Silly me.
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It's was a good first day yesterday, hopefull...
January 02, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's was a good first day yesterday, hopefully setting the trend for the new year. I tried hard to give Jamie some time to rest and recover from Emma's sickness-induced lack of sleep. Sam and I played with Legos while Emma watched parts of Disney movies on the computer. Jamie also snuck off to return with cabinets for my office which are currently going unhung due to lack of adults to coordinate both children and heavy objects. Dave's promised to help out once he returns from the beach. I also picked out a desk to replace the rickety card table I'm currently using. Hopefully my new office shall be complete in a week or so.
Sam and I went for a halfway hike up Skinner's Butte. It was wet and muddy and cold, so after Sam's second slip we decided to turn around and head back. Then we finished up the last part of the last Lord of the Rings movie while Jamie rather loudly guessed at what would happen next.
The big excitement for the day was dinner at my dad's with most of my family. It went really well, with the kids both having a great time and Jamie getting a chance to relax and chat. Sadie's been teaching herself the banjo, so we had some dueling banjo-ukulele action with Yayoe. Emma was mesmerized.
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Happy New Year to all
January 01, 2005 by Adam in Family
 Happy New Year to all. Since we don't have a real baby New Year hanging about, we'll make due with our own. Emma simply did not want to sleep last night and stayed up until ten o'clock (her semi-official bedtime is eight). She'd act tired, I'd take her upstairs to Jamie, and a few minutes later she'd get dropped off downstairs again. Fortunately she was really cute and we played non-stop.
The only thing on our agenda this weekend is to get the cabinets for my office from Dave's house. If we're lucky we'll put those up today and organize a bit. Jamie brought down a cardboard box and made me purge all the stuff I never used. I appeased her by tossing a bunch of computer part manuals, which I can probably get online anyway.
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It's the last day of 2004 and the hours are s...
January 01, 2005 by Adam in Family
 It's the last day of 2004 and the hours are slowly slipping away. It's doubtful we'll actually make it to midnight. Emma was up a lot last night with a bad cold. Finally I went to the guest bed and left poor Jamie dealing with the grumpinator.
Today was rather nice. Sadie came by early in the morning and had a great time playing with the kids. There was lots of pretending to be pirates today, playing my new Pirates! game, watching Pirates of the Caribbean, and generally swashbuckling about. We all went on an expedition to buy a new computer desk, but mostly got wet and returned empty handed.
The kids have been exceptionally cute tonight. Sam and Emma are having a great time playing together. We told Sam he'd earn a penny if he played with her and now he doesn't want to stop. These are the good times indeed.
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