The Last Mocha of 2009

December 31, 2009 by Adam in Family

I just finished my mocha on this rainy winter day.  I left the house when all was quiet.  Emma had woken up in the middle of the night, afraid to go to sleep.  After trying to comfort her for awhile, she asked for mom and I took her downstairs.  It's strange to think that in a few weeks, it'll just be me.

It's the last day of 2009, traditionally a day of reflecting on the past and looking to the future.  It's been a year of ups and downs, taking Sam to England, Emma beginning 1st grade, and Jamie and I starting the process of getting divorced.  I had a couple of really lousy months in there, but find myself surprisingly happy lately, grateful for all the wonderful things in my life.

Jamie and I continue to be cordial to each other.  Though there's certainly tension at times, we're focused on the kids and making sure they're doing well.  She's been quite reasonable with many things and I hope she makes a good ex-wife.

The kids are a little nervous, with Emma being the most vocal.  I think Sam will have a hard time at first, as he's never been fond of changes.  Emma will miss whichever parent isn't around.  Still, they're smart and resilient kids and I think in time they'll adjust.

As for me, the future continues to be increasingly clear.  There are still challenging transitions to move through, but I know where I'm heading and excited to get there.

Short term, a surprising number of things are going on.  I'm hanging out with the kids tonight, Jamie leaves for the coast tomorrow, Sadie and Greg arrive tomorrow at noon, and we're having a dinner party Saturday night.  In a week or so, Sadie, Joanna, and I plan on getting tattoos.  In a couple weeks I'm taking Sam in to get contacts.  Towards the end of next month, Jamie moves out, the kids go between houses, and I likely have a new work schedule.  Life's busy, but good.

2010 is going to be a great year.

Notes to Daddy

December 29, 2009 by Adam in Family

The kids are back home, filling the house with chaos and happiness.  I bought them an air mattress for Christmas, and they spent an hour giggling and jumping on the thing.

As I was putting the kids to bed, Sam asked if I'd seen the note Emma wrote me.  "She really missed you."

Back to the Daily Grind

December 28, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm back at work, writing code and generally staying out of trouble.  I'm hoping the assorted crises get resolved, but it has meant that I'm working more than I want this week.

The post-Christmas weekend was busier than I thought it would be.  I had a few hours on Sunday night to myself but otherwise stayed busy.  Saturday the new mattress arrived, I made banana bread and gnocchi, and hung out at the house.  Sunday morning I spent working on house projects and running errands.  In the afternoon I met Anna, dad's new girlfriend.  Towards the end of the day I actually got to play on the computer for a couple hours and enjoyed a luxurious bath in the quiet of the house.

One of my projects was to drill holes in the living room floor and move a network cable around.  The livingroom TV can now stream Mythbusters from the caverns below via the netbook, which will hopefully entertain the kids.

Jamie called to let me know that the kids are coming back today.  I haven't talked to them since they left and have been missing them.  It'll be nice to have them scurrying about.  A house filled with constant conversation reminds me of my childhood.

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm at home by myself, tidying up after the chaos of the last couple days.  Christmas Eve went relatively well.  I came home early and the kids opened their one present.  Emma got a Barbie guitar and Sam got the Settlers of Catan.  Sam and I tried to go to Avatar, but it was sold out.  Instead we invited the neighbors over to play Sam's new game.  We had a great time, playing until dinner time.  Sam declared it the best game ever, which seemed like a good sign.

I cooked ham for dinner, which went over well.  My neighbor Todd joked that I should write a book called The Vegetarian's Guide to Cooking Meat.  Jamie was out all night, so it turned into a pretty typical evening.  There was a funny moment with the bar of soap Sam got me, which read "Face" on one side and "Butt" on the other.  Emma later took a bath, sung Jingle Bells, and used the soap according to the instructions.  Sam also took out his loose tooth later that night, which ended up a mixture of gross and funny.

This morning I woke up with the kids, opened stockings, and made crepes and sausages for breakfast.  Jamie arrived and we opened the rest of our presents.  It's always interesting the things that end up being popular.  I bought an air mattress on a whim, the last one played with the death, and they seem to like this one equally well.  I also got Far Cry 2 for Sam, which he declared, "This is the best game ever.  I shall treasure it always."  Emma also liked her Flitter Fairy, which ended up being technically tricky, but fun.

Jamie went off afterward and I took the kids to my dad and Jenny's house.  It was pretty low key, with food, movies, and present opening.  Jenny put on The Polar Express and then gave out bells to all the kids.  It was pretty neat.

I'm going to continue to clean and tidy a little more, and then head back.  It'll be a treat to talk to everyone without kids, though I admit to missing them already.  Emma was asking why I wasn't going with them to Portland and my explanations seemed to fall short.  It's a strange Christmas, an odd mix of joy and sorrow, but I have faith that everyone will be okay.

Mocha Christmas Eve

December 24, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm working today, my traditional mocha resting before me.  Work has been nutty lately.  I suppose I should be flattered to have our VP tell me to drop everything and work on this project so that the doctors can get paid.  It does put me in a weird place, as I have other projects due by the 1st, which aren't getting done.  Thus, I'm working today and all of next week.

I'm going to leave work after gym, take Sam to see Avatar, and then whip up a ham and potato dinner with baklava for dessert.  The kids get to open a single present and the last Lego Advent calendar afterward.  Jamie's off tonight, but will be here in the morning for breakfast and a mass opening of presents.  Next I take the kids to my dad's, returning home after noon so they can head up to Portland until Tuesday.

As for me, I'll be hanging out with friends and family and maybe having a few moments to myself.  Last night I bought a new mattress, so I'll get that properly set up.  My list of house projects is endless, and it would be nice to work on one or two.

Life's still occasionally bumpy.  Jamie and I have some heated discussions at times, and I know I'm getting increasingly impatient with the sometimes slow pace of transitions.  I also very much appreciate her being reasonable about many things.  It's strange to consider, but I think she'll make a good ex-wife.

I'm thankful for the support of all our friends and family during these challenging transitions.  Emma especially likes it when I list all the people who love her, which seems to reassure her deeply.  Dave, Josh, and Kirsten came over to watch the kids earlier this week and they had a great time.  My hope for the future is that this continues, our odd extended family helping raise two great kids.

Best wishes to everyone this Christmas. 

Another Weekend, Come and Gone

December 21, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend is coming to a close, with the kids finishing up dinner as I wait for the chocolate sponge pudding to finish baking.  I'm getting on a cooking kick, something I haven't done much of in years as Jamie always preferred I watched the kids.  It's been fun, and I continue to try new things.  So far I have Sam eating radishes and green beans, so I'm enjoying the small victories.

Jamie and I continue to divide up kid time, and everyone is slowly adjusting to the new schedule.  I went out Saturday night, returning this morning.  Jamie left for the coast today, coming back Tuesday sometime.  It's nice to have the opportunity to do my own thing, figuring out how to be a person in addition to a dad.

Today I took the kids to Hendrick's park and we roamed the back trails for a couple hours.  Sam reverted to his Mighty Hunter role, whacking things with sticks and talking caveman talk.  Emma went along and thought it a most excellent game.

Last Mocha Friday Before Christmas

December 18, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm still at home, but will soon be on the road to work, stopping by to pick up that delicious nectar of the gods along the way.  It's also pizza and Mythbusters tonight, something that hasn't quite worked out with the kids for a couple weeks now.  Sam will be estatic.

Life continues to move along.  Jamie's working through the details of getting a loan and negotiating repairs on her new house.  I'm getting a little antsy about getting the house to myself, and at the same time I appreciate how easy it's been to have her help with the kids.  Once we have two households, I expect to drive around a lot more.

Emma's had a bit of a rough week, crying a lot for Jamie when she's not around and she woke up one night with nightmares.  Part of it may be that she's getting sick, as she woke up this morning with a cold.  I suspect it's all the talk about moving out, which is making it all feel more real to her.

Sam continues to be his usual self.  Our nightly routine is that he'll read until Emma goes to bed, and then watch Lost next to me.  Last night he made up a game involving sliding down the stairs in a sleeping bag, which he greatly enjoyed.

Sadie called from Danica's last night.  We didn't do our usual game night, as Emma was painting pottery with my mom, but Sadie and Sam discussed young adult finction.  She gave a hysterically obtuse speech about one book with some "mature intimacy" that Sam and I couldn't stop giggling about.

Winter Program

December 17, 2009 by Adam in Family

I went to Sam and Emma's winter program today.  They've been practicing for weeks and the house has been filled with holiday songs of various kinds.  The video is a little short, as I ran out of batteries, but you can tell they have spirit.  I was especially proud of Emma, who was nervous about today.  She did great.

Changes

December 14, 2009 by Adam in Family

We put lights on the Christmas tree, my mom coming over to help.  Emma was excited to move the presents over and behold them in all their glory.

Jamie's offer on her house was accepted.  In roughly a month, she'll be moving out and we'll figure out a new kid schedule.

I realize this is not my usual wordy post, but I'm exhausted and going to bed.

Christmas Tree Hunt

December 13, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was a busy Saturday, full of kids, laundry, cooking, and chores.  Hanging out with Sam and Emma was pretty fun.  My mom and Emma went out to cut down a Christmas Tree, which we plan on decorating tomorrow.

Mocha Thursday?

December 10, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm giving myself the luxury of a day off tomorrow, with Jamie politely vacating the house to let me do whatever crazy antics I might think of.  As is the way of my people, that also means I can partake of my Mocha a day early.  It's been a little frantic at work, with lots of projects due at the end of the year.  The end result may be that I'm busier than I'd like around Christmas, but maybe I'll get lucky and some of the deadlines will get pushed out.

Sam continues to be a little sick, though I think I'll send him off to school tomorrow despite his protests of illness.  Jamie called today and reported he was in the basement, likely playing computer games until his eyeballs pop out.  He kept reporting how bored he was, so perhaps going to school will be a welcome relief.

Emma's cute as a button, as usual.  We practice our spelling each night and she helps me make dinner most days.  Tonight is hamburgers and oven-baked homefries, coupled with game night with Sadie.  I have a counseling session after work, but hopefully we can fit it all in.

Jamie made an offer on a house just a couple hours ago, near where Yayoe lives.  I've been getting a little anxious to move things along lately.  It'll be nice to get the inevitable transition moving forward, including moving my clothes out of the basement and into the main bedroom.

As for me, I'm doing quite well.  I have great kids, a satisfying job, a comfortable home, and the future looks bright.  Swing dancing last night was tremendous fun.  I'm looking forward to the weekend, getting a tree and setting up the Christmas decorations.  Life's good.

Two Days Without Morning Showers

December 09, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's been cold, really cold.  When it gets this cold, the external heating unit starts having parts that freeze and the end result is that I don't get my morning shower.  I've been falling back to my pioneer roots, filling up a Pyrex container with cold water and microwaving it until I could bathe with a washcloth.

Life continues, with the usual ups and downs.  Sam's sick with a cold.  Jamie's looking for houses still.  I'm going out swing dancing tonight and trying to take some time off on Friday.  My assorted projects are falling behind a little, with my compost tumbler half-painted and waiting for a little love.  Maybe I can sneak in some spraying before I go out tonight.

Christmas plans are starting to come together.  On Christmas Eve, we're planning on being together at home, then celebrating Christmas together in the morning.  I'll try to take the kids to Jenny's house for a family gathering and then Jamie will take the kids up to Portland.  It's a little strange, but Jamie and I are working well to get the details sorted out.

The kids continue to be great and funny.  Emma and I made pork chops and rice pudding.  She told me while eating the pudding, "This is so good!  It makes me wiggle my butt!"

Another Fading Weekend

December 07, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend is nearly over, and I'm off to my mom's shortly, so I'll keep this brief.  Jamie's been house sitting for Victoria, so the kids and I did a lot of puttering around.  Saturday Sam went to John's to play while Emma and I went shopping at Fred Meyer's and Holiday Market.  She was very fun to run around with, and picked out a fairy crown as a prize for herself for being so good.  Later that night the neighbors returned a borrowed VGA cable, empty applesauce jar, and a movie for us to watch.  The neighborhood trade balance was thus maintained.

Sunday morning I ran errands, worked on the shed, and went food shopping.

There were other things, which were lots of fun, but Emma's crawling on me and it's time to go.

Sweet Mocha Friday

December 04, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's my favorite day of the week, which has felt like a strange and wacky one.  It feels like winter finally arrived, with frosty weather and putting on thicker clothes.  At work, I went to a two-day Renewal Experience that had been recommended to me.  It was good, going over communication skills and things I've come across over the years.  I did like the phrase "Remember to remember."  I find it's easy to fall into old habits unless I consciously try otherwise.

The kids have been good.  Last night Josh came over and the kids played frantically while Sadie and I Skyped each other.  We didn't quite make it to playing a game, as we usually do on Thursdays.  I don't think Emma trying to get Sadie to guess a bad word that starts with "sh" really counted.

Jamie's house sitting for Victoria until Monday, so I'm feeling like I'm getting a preview of the months to come.  So far, everything's fine.  I've managed to cook reasonably healthy meals and convince Sam he couldn't watch a second episode of Lost before going to bed.

She also made an offer on a house, though it was fairly low and it's hard to know if it'll happen.  They're still negotiating.  What's interesting is that the house is at 25th and Van Buren, which is where I lived when growing up.  It's a 1930's bungalow style house in a good neighborhood and close to Roosevelt, all good features.

As for me, I'm hopping in the shower, getting the kids ready for school, and enjoying a delicious mocha as my reward.

Happy Birthday Robbie

December 01, 2009 by Adam in Family

I wanted to wish Robbie a hearty happy birthday today.  Cheerio, old man!

Hanging out with the kids

November 29, 2009 by Adam in Family

The kids are doing their responsible things, homework, chores, baths, and so on.  Emma's reading a book about China while she does her flouride rinse.

Jamie made crepes for breakfast and went off for the day.  I took Emma to her friend Stella's house, where they had a great time.  Sam and I hung out, played on the computer, had a nerf gun fight, and built a catapult.  As we finished, I had to rush off to pick Emma up.  Fortunately not much damage was done.

We had a little quiet time, then headed out to Mount Pisgah to explore and play.  Sam in particular wanted to stick around until well after sunset, but I finally dragged him back to the car.  For dinner I made home made hamburger buns, Sam cooked hamburgers for he and Emma, and I made french fries in the oven.  Very tasty.

Jamie's watching the kids tomorrow morning.  I'll probably finish up the compost tumbler I worked on today, and head over to the library to get new treasures for the kids.  Then it's back to work and the normal routine.

Life's pretty good.

Leftovers in the Fridge

November 27, 2009 by Adam in Family

We went off to my mom's for Thanksgiving, with me returning briefly to cook the dishes Jamie had prepared (they were much appreciated).  The kids did their usual running about, both of them enthralled with the open fireplace.  Destin and Jordan arrived, presents were opened, boys with Nerf guns ran about, and everyone seemed pretty happy.  Eventually there was food, birthday cake, and exhausted people heading home.

Emma went to bed pretty quickly after a bath.  Sam and I watched the season finale of Being Human and now I'm headed for bed myself.

Life is an interesting mix of sad, content, and joyous, all at once.

Turkey Boy Turns Eleven

November 26, 2009 by Adam in Family

The kids and I are hanging out at home before Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's.  It's also Sam's birthday, and he increasingly seems eleven to me.  Lately he's been doing really well taking care of chores, homework, and reminding me to sign things from school.  It's hard to believe that eleven years ago, everyone was out in the hospital waiting room, eating turkey off plates and waiting for Sam to appear.

Jamie brought down presents before breakfast.  He appreciated having Sadie's woodcut nicely framed by Jamie.  At the same time, we appreciated Jim and Judy's socks and underwear, which Sam very much needs.  Jamie also made Sam's breakfast of choice, a breakfast burrito with hashbrowns inside.

Life continues to have ups and downs, but appreciate that Jamie and I continue to get along.  I think we're doing all the things we're supposed to be doing, working through the transitions ahead.  I'm also thankful for the kids, who are wonderful and funny.

My mom made the mistake of asking us to make a centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table, giving us some supplies to get started.  Soon enough we had the Turkey Political Action Committee assembled, complete with protest signs (click on the picture to make big).

Mocha Wednesday?

November 25, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and in the time honored tradition of my people, I'll be having a Mocha today.

The week has moved along, relatively uneventful.  Work had the potential for being frustrating, a recent peer review of my code resulting in a number of changes.  It ended up being fun to go through and fiddle with things, learning tidbits along the way.  Jamie's been off in the evenings, so it's just been the kids and I.  On Monday night we made fortune cookies, and last night Emma wanted custard.  It turned out okay, but neither of the kids were that enthusiastic.  I think next time I have to use whole milk to get the proper amount of fatty goodness.

I'm getting better at moving the kids through dinner, chores, homework, bath, and bedtime.  Sam's really been stepping up in terms of being responsible for what has to happen next.  I still sometimes forget to review and sign his homework sheets.  As a treat and bonding experience, he and I have been watching shows after Emma gets to bed.

As for the long weekend ahead, some parts are busy and others are uneventful.  I'm thinking of going swing dancing tonight, now that I feel vaguely competent on the dance floor.  Tomorrow I have the kids and will make my way over to my mom's house sometime for food and Sam's birthday (2 of 3).  I may have some time to myself on Friday, perhaps finally finishing the compost tumbler and doing some online shopping for Christmas.

Another Weekend, Come and Gone

November 23, 2009 by Adam in Family

I just got the kids to bed, Jamie's out having dinner with friends, and the house is quiet.  It was a pretty good weekend, as weekends go, full of kids and events and practical things.

Friday night was swing dance for me, which is always uplifting.  There's something about moving around the floor and listening to classic tunes from the 40's that always cheers me up.

Saturday was mostly a hang out with the kids day.  Sam had gone to John's birthday party until midnight the night before, so he didn't wake up until nine.  Jamie left after breakfast and the kids and I just hung around the house and yard.  I put some time into the yard and shed, doing a little Fall clean up.

Saturday night Emma and I went to a house warming party at an old friend's house, a woman named Maggie that I knew back in high school.  Her kids are almost exactly the same as mine, so Emma spent nearly three hours in her girl's room.  I kept checking up on her and she kept saying she was having a great time and didn't want to leave.  As for me, I spent the first half of the party talking to a couple with a very cute baby.  Victoria Whitman, Jamie's friend, wandered in.  It was a weird coincidence and we had a good time chatting about our respective lives.  Since we're both in the process of getting divorced, we had quite a few "you still doing that?" moments.  It was good, though, and Victoria has always been a great conversationalist.

Sam went over to my mom's to paint with Josh.  All day today he'd hold up his paint-speckled hands to his friends and make them guess what he did the night before.

We all had breakfast again this morning and then I ran off to the library and the store.  After that, we had a birthday party for Sam and the pizza place.  It was chaotic, noisy, and full of kids - exactly what he wanted.  Upon our return, Sam broke out the remote control helicopter I got him and learned to fly it after a few crashes.  We played with that and Legos and whatever was handy, with me eventually breaking away to make dinner.  Then bath and stories and the usual routine.

Tomorrow I'm off to work, which I'm strangely excited to get to.  Thanksgiving the kids and I are going to my mom's, where she's promised some sort of cake-like thing for Sam.  Friday night Jamie and the kids are going to Dave's house for Thanksgiving.  I think we're all doing okay navigating the holidays.

Mocha Friday

November 20, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm still awhile away from that delicious nectar of the gods.  After this post, I'll hop in the shower and away I go.

It was a good day yesterday.  I came home, Sam was on the computer and Emma was off with Yayoe doing art projects.  Jamie went off and I grabbed a broom and started sweeping leaves.  Along the way I found the last rose of the season, which I pointed out to Emma when she arrived with a bag of art objects.

Soon Sam and I were playing Sorry while Emma turned ear plugs into little people, adding hair and making a tiny home for them out of a box.  She started writing in a diary, and asked me how to spell "dear diary".  From then on, she declared she was writing in "kid writing," which appears to be mostly a phonetic spelling of words.

Dinner was Mac and Mythbusters.  I made mac and cheese for the kids, which generally went over well, and we watched Mythbusters since Sam's at a birthday party tomorrow.  While I cooked, Sam helped Emma with her spelling test for tomorrow, which was extra sweet.  Sam hunkered down and did his while Emma took a bath.

Emma got a little teary-eyed when calling Jamie at bedtime, but seemed to do okay after I read her her new National Geographic Kids magazine (thanks, mom).  After I got her down, Sam and I hung out and watched the BBC show Being Human.

We have a pretty busy weekend ahead of us.  Sam's going to a birthday party tonight and I have my swing dance class.  Tomorrow I have a party at 4, likely somewhere I hardly know anyone.  Sunday morning I'm off to dad and Jenny's for brunch.  In the afternoon is Sam's birthday party with his friends.  Somewhere in there I'll hit the library and maybe even relax a little.

Testing. Testing. One. Two. Three.

November 15, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm trying to see if the new site is working.  Beyond the new familyofadam.com URL, there's a bunch of new functionality behind the scenes.  You can still use adamandjamie.com to get here, and no one's e-mail addresses have changed.  Feel free to add comments below if you have any feedback.

Sunday Morning Gray Skies

November 15, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's a gray, dreary morning.  Everyone's still asleep.

Emma was on the mend yesterday and managed to get through the day without any pain medication.  She was exhausted by the end, even forgoing icecream in order to get to bed sooner.  She was up once, asking for water, but otherwise has seemed much better.  Hopefully we can go to the birthday party today.

Yesterday was a typical "hang with the kids" day.  After crepes for breakfast, Jamie went to the gym, and the kids and I played Legos in the basement.  Later I hauled them both outside to build fairy houses in the dirt while I worked on the garden.  Jamie and I reached an agreement where I can spend money on the house as long as I track it carefully.  I was very appreciative and am excited to start getting a garden in.

Jamie returned to do some shopping and watch the I'as I got Sculpey at the art store, then headed off to M's for the day.  The kids and I made an assortment of little creatures, played some more, ate tacos, and then started in on the bedtime routine.  After Emma went to bed, Sam and I stayed up watching Stargate Universe and playing a few games.

As for today, Jamie's watching the kids this morning.  I'm trying to have coffee with my coworker/old-friend Kate Weaver (used to be Sturdevant).  She's very pregnant, and happens to be down from Portland, so this may be the last time I see her in person for awhile.  Next is the library and I might sneak out to a garden store or try to work on the compost tumbler.  If Emma's up for it, we're off to the birthday party.  I'll see if I can lure Josh over to hang out with Sam while I'm gone.

I just finished the last of my mocha, much ap...

November 13, 2009 by Adam in Family

I just finished the last of my mocha, much appreciated after a somewhat restless night. Emma was pretty sick yesterday, staying home from school with a fever. I managed to get her to bed okay, but she was up at 3:30 am, and didn't ever go back to sleep again. Since she slept for five hours yesterday, I think she's fine with sleep, though I'd be happy with a few more hours myself.

When I came home last night, Jamie ran to the store to get ice cream and then went out. Emma evidently hadn't eaten all day, so it was cereal, ice cream, and a little candy to build up her strength. Sam ate a more normal fare, for while he technically stayed home yesterday, he was basically fine.

We managed to connect with Sadie and Emma was up for playing the drawing game. Soon we were sketching all manner of odd objects in varying styles. I loved Emma's anime pirate, which I think is a style she practices at school. The best part was the "arr" in the word bubble.

Soon Emma grew tired and all she wanted to do was watch cartoons on the couch. I think she started to feel pretty bad, so I left Sam as a snuggle substitute while I made my lunch and got ready for bed. After some classic Donald Duck, with Sam pointing out the culturally inappropriate parts, I got Emma to sleep relatively easily. Sam and I stayed up a little as he wanted me to play our new computer game. I wrapped it up early and climbed into bed myself, as I was pretty exhausted.

As for the weekend, I have plans but I'm not sure how much I can manage with Emma under the weather. I have dance lessons after pizza and Mythbusters tonight, with my mom watching the kids. Saturday there are assorted free museum events. I have endless projects to work on, such as finishing up my compost tumbler. Strangely my free time never quite materializes.

I think my mental health is doing okay these days. I'm trying to be patient about all the changes going on and I continue to worry about the kids. As always, I'm endlessly thankful for everyone checking up on me. It really helps.

Veteran's Day is winding down, the kids out o...

November 12, 2009 by Adam in Family

Veteran's Day is winding down, the kids out of school and I took the day off. At the moment, Sam and Emma are playing with Legos, the previously peaceful village and museum turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with ninjas and giant radioactive spiders. Though it may be obvious, Emma and I were playing earlier and now Sam has joined in the fun.

It was a fairly low-key and relaxing day. Sam made soft boiled eggs for he and Emma, I made coffee and scrambled eggs, and then we played while Jamie went to the gym and work. In the afternoon Jamie and Emma went swimming while I hung out with Sam. As the afternoon faded, I made pizza dough, did a bunch of car maintenance tasks, and made it home for dinner.

The one big news of the day is that the house appraisal came in, very close to what I estimated. It was $8K less than my guess, which means a little extra cash for furniture replacement. I'm a little giddy, as it's the last financial unknown that could have caused problems.

Tomorrow I'm back to work and the kids go to school. It's game night with Sadie and we're going to try extra hard to play the drawing game. Good times.

I just wanted to bid my dear sister Seraph a ...

November 10, 2009 by Adam in Family

I just wanted to bid my dear sister Seraph a wonderful birthday today. It doesn't seem that long ago when Jenny and I would toss her in a laundry basket and carry her around the house in her "space ship". Her stroller was a moon buggy. Good times.

It's Sunday night and the kids are in bed

November 09, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Sunday night and the kids are in bed. The day has been strange, but I think everyone's relatively okay.

This morning Jamie and I practiced what we'd say to the kids and went over other miscellaneous things going on, from finances to holidays. We've been trying to communicate in passing when one of us is about to leave, and it hasn't worked very well.

Sam and I hung out while Jamie went to get Emma, playing card games in the basement. Emma cheerfully arrived and told us about shopping and going to PF Chang's, evidently the highlights of the trip. After making sure they were well rested and fed, we nervously sat the kids down in the living room.

Essentially we told them that Jamie was going to buy a new house and that the kids would spend time at both places. We said again that it wasn't their fault and that we both loved them, even though we weren't going to be married. I was a little emotional at one spot, but not overly so. It was mostly factual and didn't get into why we were getting divorced.

Emma started on Jamie's lap, squirmed out of it and sat on mine for awhile, then bounced between the two of us. Throughout the day she asked about the schedule and wanted to make sure it was fair. She's been trying really hard that both Jamie and I felt okay. I do worry about her not having time to just be a kid. At the same time, it's very sweet.

Sam's more opaque. He cracked a lot of jokes, which reminded me of how I was after the house fire. Sam tends to have a harder time with change, seeming relieved that nothing was imminent. I could sense a nervousness about moving from place to place as well. Mostly I'm trying to be sensitive to what they might be going through and see how I can help.

Jamie went off to the gym and later went out with Victoria. The kids and I watched old Disney cartoons before Josh came over. As the kids adore Josh, the afternoon became very festive and fun. He and Sam fought zombies on the computer, which hopefully was cathartic. Sam showed off his mad kazoo skills using his new kazoo that Yayoe gave him. Emma and I played catch, clothed and fed her babies, and made hamburgers together.

Dinner was home made buns, hamburgers, fries cooked in the oven, and a little applesauce for Sam. It was quite tasty and Emma cheerfully gave a bunch of candy to Josh in hopes of luring him longer. We finally bid him farewell and did the usual bath and bedtime routine. Sam and I watched Stargate: Universe and he's now in bed reading.

It's getting to the end of a wet, dreary Satu...

November 08, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's getting to the end of a wet, dreary Saturday, the Ducks are losing, and the house is quiet. I'm doing my best to stay busy until Sam returns in an hour or so.

Friday I returned home early from work, saying goodbye to Emma before she went to Portland. Sam and I hung out in the afternoon, with Josh coming over in the evening while I went to my swing dance class. They threw some tricky moves at us, but I think I managed them at the end. Afterward I went to pick up Sam from Hodgepodge where my mom took he and Josh to dinner and listening to Yayoe's ukulele band play. I missed the festivities, but chatted for awhile before heading home. Sam and I watched the new Stargate: Universe and went to bed.

This morning I taught Sam how to make soft boiled eggs, and we had a fine hearty breakfast. Jamie arrived mid morning and Sam and I went out to Mount Pisgah to take advantage of the break in the rain. They were having Play in the Rain Day, but the weather was beautiful. We stayed at the organized gathering long enough to roast some marshmallows, before heading off by ourselves into the woods.

Sam made up a "sneak up on someone and poke them in the back" game. He was far better at it than I. He's been reading the Ranger's Apprentice series, and so lurking about in the woods has a great appeal these days.

We returned and Jamie came to pick him up to go rollerskating with M and Chase. I started some laundry, went to the library, and picked some food up at the store. Jamie called and asked if Sam could stay at Chase's for longer, so I'm twiddling my thumbs a little longer before getting dinner started.

Tomorrow Emma returns, which makes me happy. We're also telling the kids we're getting divorced, which makes me really sad. If there's anything people can do to help the kids feel normal and loved in the weeks ahead, I would be most grateful.

It's another Mocha Friday, that sweet elixir ...

November 06, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday, that sweet elixir simply a memory now. I'm listening to some of Sadie's music as I write code and catch up. Aretha Franklin sure could sing the blues.

I went to the kids' parent-teacher conferences on Tuesday. They're both doing well, with Sam in the TAG program now. I'm really proud of how well they've adjusted to school. I was a little shaky earlier in the week and ended up teary-eyed. Fortunately everyone was very nice to me and promised to keep an eye on the kids.

Jamie and I plan on talking to the kids about what's happening next, likely after Emma returns from Portland. They've both picked up that things haven't been normal for awhile, but it'll be good to let them get ready for the adjustments ahead and reassure them that they're loved and will be okay.

As for the rest of life, it continues on despite the occasional bumps. Last night Jamie went over to M's house. The kids and I played in the basement and had pizza and Mythbuster's, since Emma would miss it tomorrow. As it was a pirate special, it was pretty awesome. Sadie and Greg Skyped at the end and due to Emma's tired level, we ended up playing 20 Questions instead of our drawing game. There was lots of laughter and giggles, then it was off to bath and bedtime. Sam and I worked on my game project for awhile, to our mutual enjoyment.

As for this weekend, Jamie's taking Emma to Portland this afternoon so I'm going home early. I'll hang out with Sam until my swing dance class, taking him over to my mom's or having Josh come over. Tomorrow Jamie returns and plans on taking Sam skating in the afternoon. On Sunday, Emma returns and we'll probably have a low-key day after talking to them.

The house assessment happened earlier this week, so I'm hoping to get that number soon. As long as it's not too far off from the original estimate, I can start the refinance process right away.

I had way too much fun at work Friday, dresse...

November 01, 2009 by Adam in Family

I had way too much fun at work Friday, dressed up like a pirate. I decided to get into my gear on Saturday morning and take Emma to the library. She wore her witch costume, which seemed to be popular among the librarians, so she was in good company. We returned home from looting the books and Sam and I hung out and Emma watched a video. There was a break in the weather and the kids took their bikes down to the park. Emma's on the cusp of being able to ride by herself. I held on to the back of her jacket in case of emergencies, but otherwise she was on her own. Sam found the biggest mud puddle and rode through it repeatedly. Soon enough, everyone was soaked through, so we headed home, took showers, and ate a snack. Sam declared that his life was luxurious. Jamie returned home and made lasagna before we all got ready for Trick-or-Treating. Once again I donned my pirate outfit, Emma was a witch, and Sam was a Zombie for the second year running. We headed out into the darkness as rain poured down. The amount of candy given out was tremendous, as I think the duck game and the weather kept most kids off the streets. We wandered over to my mom's to show off our costumes, but no one was there. By the time we returned, our sacks were heavy with ill-gotten booty. The kids returned to survey their candy, laying it out into neat piles. This morning they engaged in assorted trading, which as expected ended in conflict and recriminations. Fortunately all seems to have been forgiven and the kids are playing well together. Jamie and I had a good talk after breakfast, going over next steps. Soon I'm off to the store to buy parts for the compost tumbler. It makes for a good garden project while the weather is gray and drizzly.

Yar! It be another sweet Mocha Friday, not t...

October 30, 2009 by Adam in Family

Yar! It be another sweet Mocha Friday, not to mention dressing like a pirate at work today. Emma put on her witch costume for school, so we had to pose for the camera.

The week has generally gone well. Sam had one day where he was a little sick and stayed home. Jamie took a day trip to Portland yesterday, with Josh entertaining the kids after school, much to their delight. I spent last night helping Sam with math and Emma with spelling. For bedtime I started reading Emma Harry Potter, and afterwards Sam and I played with the Dragon Age toolset building sunken ruins.

I need to sit down and spend some quality time with my loan application, but with luck there will soon be another big gob of cash put into our savings account. Once that's combined with the stocks cash-out, I think Jamie should have everything she needs to start looking for a house. I know she's nervous about moving out and worrying about a job. Mostly I'm trying to get everything in place for when she's ready.

Game night with Sadie was cut short due to sleep needed for our East Coast relatives. We might reschedule for this weekend. I was excited to hear that she and Greg would be coming to town towards the end of December.

As for the next few days, it turns out I have one more dance class tonight. Tomorrow I'm taking the kids Trick or Treating. Sometime I need to go to the library and maybe work on the compost tumbler. When I went over to dad and Jenny's on Wednesday, he helped cut a hole in the side. The rest is up to me.

The week continues to zip along, already half...

October 28, 2009 by Adam in Family

The week continues to zip along, already half over.

Sam was home sick yesterday, with a touch of a cold and headache. Fortunately it wasn't particularly bad and he headed in today.

I ran into Jamie in the lobby this morning, waiting for her job interview, so I stopped and wished her luck. She's applying for a teaching position with PeaceHealth Laboratories in the building where I work. It's a good professional job that she's perfectly qualified for, so I think there's a reasonable chance of her getting it.

Having my ex-wife work in my same building sounds like good material for a sitcom, but I honestly hope she gets the job and it's unlikely we'd cross paths anyway. I had a good friend work in my same building for a year before we managed to see each other.

Jamie's off to Portland tomorrow. I've got Emma's costume ready for Friday's school party. Now I just need to make sure I have all the appropriate clothes, props, and tattoos for my pirate costume. I'll take any excuse to talk like a pirate for the day.

It's Sunday morning, the kids are fed, the ki...

October 25, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Sunday morning, the kids are fed, the kitchen clean, laundry going, and the kids are playing with Legos. I managed to make hash browns and pancakes, along with a morning mocha. My wonderful kids assisted and generally stayed out of trouble. I think my favorite moment was finishing cleaning the kitchen and walking out to discover Sam and Emma brushing their teeth just as I'd asked them to. Ah, the joys of older children.

Friday night was my final swing dance class. I finally got the hang of the thing, doing inside turns and tuck turns without thinking about it much. Now I just need to practice more, or get a dance partner taller than Emma. Josh watched the kids while I was out, as Jamie went to the coast. They had such a good time that they demanded he return today.

Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity. After a crêpe-filled breakfast, we had my friend Joanna arrive with her husband and two kids in tow. Her husband is a glassblower, so the kids both got nifty glass flowers. The kids cheerfully played in the basement, then cheerfully played with playdough in the kitchen, and finally cheerfully drank tea and ate goodies.

Next I took Emma off to Isabella's birthday party. Initially she was hesitant to go, but perked right up once she arrived. Isabella's mom Heather was a whirlwind of frantic activity, managing to get the kids doing balloon-carrying races, dress-up, piñata whacking, cake, and present opening. Emma returned home with more presents than she arrived with.

We had some down time after that and then headed out a final time to pumpkin carving at Jason and Bridget's house. All sorts of old friends were there, including BJ and her family. The kids had a pretty good time and ate a surprising amount of food. Again, they returned with prizes and collapsed at home after a quick bath.

Josh is on his way over and the plan is to take it easy today. I've got assorted domestic chores to do and hopefully can find a few moments to simply enjoy life in between all the things that must be done. Playing in my garden sounds like a fine idea.

Mocha Friday already, though I'm still patien...

October 23, 2009 by Adam in Family

Mocha Friday already, though I'm still patiently waiting until I head into work. Somehow oatmeal with raisins doesn't quite compare.

The week seems to have gone so fast. Jamie's off to the beach this weekend, Josh is coming over for pizza and Mythbusters, and it's my last dance class tonight. Saturday is filled to the gills with play dates, birthday parties, and pumpkin carving. Sunday is more of a laid back day for us, just hanging out with the kids. Maybe I can sneak a library run in there somewhere.

Life's been going relatively well. The dividing of assets has started in earnest, with two really big checks arriving from the sale of our stocks. The money's from some gifts that my grandparents gave us when my grandfather was dying. It probably wasn't their intent to help us divorce well later in life, but without it I probably couldn't have kept the house. So thanks, Dorothy and Franklin.

The mortgage refinance is next. I basically have to gather up paperwork and make it happen. After that, the bulk of our assets should be ready for dividing. All that remains is adjusting our retirement funds, which can only happen after we get legally separated or divorced. I suspect we'll do a final calculation with the accountant to come up with a number, and then hold off until we're formally divorced to make it happen.

The next big thing is talking to the kids when Jamie starts looking for a new house. I've been generally okay emotionally for a couple weeks now, and I know the kids haven't had the same time to adjust to things. It could be a little rough, especially when Jamie finally gets a new place.

Even though there's a lot of hard things going on, the kids and I continue to have fun, Jamie and I seem to be working well together, and I'm optimistic for the future. Especially the café mocha in my future. I can taste it now.

It's Monday night, Emma's in the bath, and Sa...

October 20, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Monday night, Emma's in the bath, and Sam's helping her with her spelling homework. Tonight when I came home, Emma dropped to her knees, exclaimed "All hail Daddy!" and began worshiping. I have great kids.

Sunday wasn't quite as busy as the day before. Jamie had the kids in the morning after breakfast, so I went food shopping, stopped at the library, and did some miscellaneous chores. Jamie returned with Emma and went back to M's house until late afternoon. Emma and I had a wonderful time working in the garden. I did a little bit of work towards the new garden plan, but there are still endless projects to work on.

This morning Jamie and I went to the counselor and later to the accountant. There were no huge surprises. The monthly amount I'm paying Jamie initially is higher than expected, but as part of the initial division I'm getting a little more savings than expected. The first couple years will end up being pretty tight, but hopefully we can get through it. It's still a little tricky with the assumptions of job and salary and when she'll move out, so adjustments are to be expected. As for me, the next step is to sell our stocks and work on getting the house refinanced. Relatively soon, there should be a big chunk of change for Jamie to work with.

What a day! After breakfast, the kids and I ...

October 17, 2009 by Adam in Family

What a day! After breakfast, the kids and I dug into the Halloween decoration box. Soon we had dangling skeletons and jars of odd potions scattered around the house. I'm going as a pirate to work on Halloween. Since bringing the flintlock rifle could possibly result in my dismissal, I opted for one of Sam's foam swords. We had a broken one, which I repaired, spray painted, and added some leather to. The kids thought it immediately awesome. Sam wasn't keen on going to the pumpkin patch, so Emma and I headed out to Thistledown Farms. The rain was monumental and we wisely opted to take the horse-drawn carriage out to the pumpkin patch. I think it took as long to wash off the mud as it did to pick the pumpkins, but we both had a memorable time. Upon coming home, Sam was off at a friend's birthday party so Emma and I diligently worked at apple sauce production. It was a tremendous amount of work and we ended up with only five large jars as the output. Perhaps next time I'll use industrial vats to get the right economy of scale. Now Josh is over, trying to kill the children with foam swords. I promised him zombie-themed games, so we'll probably head up to play Give Me The Brain or Zombie Fluxx. Life's good.

I just downed my Mocha Friday beverage and I ...

October 16, 2009 by Adam in Family

I just downed my Mocha Friday beverage and I feel the liquid optimism coursing through my veins. Life continues to be both hard and wonderful. Occasionally things between Jamie and I are awkward, but we're also working well together to take care of the kids and get through the business of getting separated and divorced. I've spent the last few days trying to figure out all the mortgage issues and trying to understand what all the fees mean. Monday we have another counseling session and meet with our CPA to go over finances.

Emma was going to go up to Portland to visit her grandma, but Judy hurt her back and so we've postponed the trip. I'd planned a boys-only Saturday night with Sam and Josh playing zombie games. I'm trying to think of ways to work Emma into some of that without getting her too freaked out before bed time. Give Me the Brain is a funny card game that Emma would probably enjoy. Left 4 Dead, not so much.

As usual, I looked through Eugene Weekly, trying to come up with things to do. I think I'll take Emma to a farm to get apples and pumpkins, one for applesauce and another for carving. I like the idea of Halloween projects, from picture frames with moving images to apothecary jars filled with strange things. In years past, they've loved doing that. Between the two of them, they've started a perfume making business, mixing strange things about the house in hopes of making their fortune. Maybe some of those odd tinctures can be put into cleverly labeled jars.

I had my second to last organic gardening class on Wednesday, which is endlessly inspiring. I'm feeling the urge to make cedar raised beds and a compost tumbler. My dance class is tonight, and I'm hoping my ankle will cooperate. Both finish at the end of the month, so I'll need to find other things to do with my Wednesday and Friday nights. Perhaps I'll just keep that time open and work on house projects or visit with people as desired. It's been good for me to stay busy, but I'm also noticing I don't have a lot of free time.

Emma and I made applesauce tonight, using equ...

October 14, 2009 by Adam in Family

Emma and I made applesauce tonight, using equipment borrowed from a friend at work. It generally worked out pretty well, and the kids seemed enthusiastic enough about the taste that I may make up a bigger batch this weekend.

I had a bit of a fall Monday at work. I was getting out of an office chair and my leg fell asleep. Moments later I put my weight on it, rolled my ankle, and fell down hard on my butt. My coworkers were great, getting me an ice pack and endless sympathy. I managed to get to the gym both days, but no running for awhile. Sitting has been uncomfortable today, bothering me more than my ankle. Hopefully I'll be mended enough for my Friday dance class.

Jamie and I continue to work together to take care of all the things we're supposed to be doing. She's looking hard for work, which she reports as not being frustrating yet. I've been working to fill out paperwork for both my mortgage broker and the CPA.

Neither has been done yet, as Jamie and I briefly went over finances, I ran a new network cable to Sam's computer, and then I had the kids full time. I conked out when putting Emma to bed, woke up enough to eat cereal, and now I'm going to crawl under the covers myself.

The weekend is coming to a close, Emma's asle...

October 12, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend is coming to a close, Emma's asleep and Sam's reading a Batman reference book.

This morning we had crepes and Jamie and I went over finances. Everything is extremely preliminary, but I think we can just barely afford paying two mortgages, utilities, food, and all the other necessities of life (including TV and Internet) for the near future. True, we won't have any savings to speak of and things like vacations are postponed, but at least we won't be starving with our children in burlap clothes. Jamie and I have been working well together on these sort of issues, which makes me hopeful that we'll continue to be good co-parents in the years ahead.

Emma decided to cut a couple holes in a sheet for a traditional ghost costume. We'll see if this supplants the black cat she's been for the last few years.

I went off for a hair cut and grocery shopping, and then Jamie went off to Corvallis to meet with Carrie. The kids were playing really well together in the back yard, hunting for bugs, burning things with a magnifying glass, and generally enjoying being kids. I weeded like a maniac, filling our yard debris bin with all manner of invasive plants. I hopefully made some sketches of the back yard, trying to figure out where to put raised beds and plant flowers.

Afterward, Emma and I made a library run and then practiced more bike riding at the park. As evening rolled around, the kids had quiet time and I whipped up some dinner while they did battle in the basement with foam swords. Next came chores and home work. Emma did great with her spelling words, mostly thanks to Sam who practiced with her the day before.

Now the house is quiet and work starts tomorrow. I'm not sure if I want to do something frivolous or curl up in bed with the Good Divorce book. Ah, decisions.

We had quite the busy day today

October 11, 2009 by Adam in Family

We had quite the busy day today. It's nine o'clock and already I'm tuckered out.

Jamie made pancakes for us this morning and headed off to the gym. I dragged out the ping pong table and we played until it was time to go to Rewild. It's a "back to nature" group and they had an assortment of activities going on. Sam caught swords (bamboo Kendo ones), tied ropes, and tried to start a fire using friction. Emma and I tried acorn flour pancakes which I thought were pretty good.

After that we headed home and Sam went off to a Percy Jackson themed birthday party at Zack's house. Emma and I made sourdough bread and hamburger buns, measured the backyard in preparation for garden planning (semi-homework for my Wednesday class), and then went to Saturday Market to pick up produce. Emma is a treat to hang out with, and we ate noodles and picked up all manner of tasty vegetables.

We returned home, got Sam, and started getting ready for dinner. Dave, Kirsten, and Josh arrived and mightily entertained the kids while I got everything ready. Dave graciously made the hamburgers as I think it's been over twenty years since I cooked meat.

We ate outside on the patio, and the food turned out well. After dinner we hung up an old sheet and Dave set up the LCD projector and laptop. From the kitchen, you could look out the window and it looked like the Canadian Rockies were right outside the window. In reality, it was just the wallpaper from Dave's laptop.

We watched Pixar movies to everyone's amusement, and then I got Emma into a quick bath and bed. Emma was amazed by the stars as it's been awhile since she's been outside in the dark. Now it's late and I'm feeling pretty worn out. Time for bed soon.

It's another sweet Mocha Friday and the antic...

October 09, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another sweet Mocha Friday and the anticipation of that delicious elixir is palpable. Only a half an hour to go. As soon as I came home, I was on kid duty, though it wasn't particularly difficult. Sam played his new Batman game and I helped Emma draw scientific illustrations of imaginary animals. After dinner we had game night with Sadie and Greg. The kids both love playing charades, which is an easy choice when we haven't prepared much. As we were winding down for bed, I pointed out that Emma had her first list of spelling words to practice. That seemed to invigorate both of the kids and soon Sam was helping with her homework as she took a bath. It was one of those awesome parent moments when I was proud of both of them simultaneously. For those of you hoping to lurk about my house and plot my demise, the robot should be currently active. I upgraded the netbook to Windows 7 and the whole setup is a little twitchy, but it generally seems to work.

The kids had Jog-a-Thon today at school, rais...

October 08, 2009 by Adam in Family

The kids had Jog-a-Thon today at school, raising money for their art and music programs. I ended up running with Emma, or at least alternating running and limping. I think she drank a bit too much water and ended up with a side ache towards the end. Still, she ran more than two miles and felt pretty good at the end. I saw Sam briefly as he zipped about, giving him a macho fist bump before I left. The school took some pictures, which you can see here.

Jamie and I went over our assorted "to do" lists this morning. Next step is to get our house appraised and contact a CPA to go over how to best divide up all our assets. I also asked Jamie to make a list of all our furniture and mark which ones she wanted. There are still plenty of unknowns, and there aren't any firm timelines, but I think we're doing all the things we're supposed to be doing.

The weekend is drawing to a close (though t...

October 05, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend is drawing to a close (though the thought makes Sam very unhappy). This morning Jamie made crepes and then took the kids swimming and to lunch. I had a leisurely trip to the library, returning with countless goodies for the kids and gardening books for me. I did some laundry, made lunch, worked on getting the robot functional, and then the kids descended on me once again. Jamie helped M buy remodeling stuff, Emma watched a movie, and Sam and I played Left 4 Dead. Fighting off zombie hordes creates a very special father-son bond. Our neighbors brought over pumpkin pie, which we promptly ate. Next we headed to the Asian kite festival to make kites and enjoy the music. The kids had a great time running around and listening to the drums. Emma hit the 14 second mark riding alone. Since then, we've been taking it easy. Dinner will be soon, and then the typical bedtime routine. Just the way I like it.

It was a pretty low-key day with the kids today

October 04, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was a pretty low-key day with the kids today. Jamie made breakfast this morning, then went to the gym and later to M's for the rest of the day. Sam was feeling a little draggy, possibly due to an impending cold. We played cards and puttered around until close to noon, then Emma and I went to the park for a picnic and bike riding. She hit a new record of twelve seconds solo riding.

Upon our return, Sam was wanting to play on the computer with me, so it was quiet time for Emma while the two of us had some bonding time. Afterward, the kids played with walkie-talkies and ran about the house while I did some cleaning in the basement.

As the afternoon wore on, I took the kids outside for some sun. They decided to script their own fight scenes, then act them out for me. Evidently this one kick of Emma's was so powerful, it caused purple bolts of energy to shoot from Sam's head. Well, at least that's what showed up on the camera.

We then went to Yayoe's for dinner. It's always nostalgic for me to go to that house. I don't know how many countless meals I've had with the old clock ticking away. After that it was baths and bedtime snacks and stories. Emma's getting quite good at reading, and cheerfully read a Doctor Seuss book to me without hardly a mistake.

My ballroom dancing class went relatively well. It was two other couples, myself, and the two instructors. I got a fair bit of individual attention from the woman instructor, which was nice. It was a very different style than my college class, but I think I'm picking it up quickly. I'm still trying to figure out if this is something I want to turn into a regular hobby.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. If the weather holds, I'd like to take them to the Asian kite festival at the nearby park.

It's another sweet Mocha Friday, not to menti...

October 02, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another sweet Mocha Friday, not to mention Pizza and Mythbusters Friday and Swing Dance Lesson Friday. It's my first class tonight, something I haven't done in twenty years. We'll see if I remember any of the moves. Everyone was pretty tired last night. Emma in particular seemed to be having a hard time of it. After her bath, she threw a huge fit. Jamie and I have been trying to get to the point where either parent could get her to bed, but Emma wasn't cooperating very well. After Jamie read bedtime stories, I got called in to settle her down. Maybe we'll try getting Emma to sleep together, and get her to the point when either of us can get her to sleep. To top it off, Emma had a dream that vampires killed Sam, so we went downstairs this morning to ensure he was still alive. Still, Emma is also adjusting relatively well to school. She's doing great with her reading and writing, amazing me with her ability to read an entire book to me. She's starting to make friends at school and I think her recesses aren't as lonely as when school first started. Sam, of course, is a trooper when it comes to school. He's got the routine down and has a good group of friends. Last night he was saying how he and his friends had memorized the lyrics to The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny. He's quite good at getting through tough times with his good sense of humor. I'm feeling strangely optimistic today, perhaps because the future is seeming more clear. Even though change is coming, it's not as scary as it once seemed. Jamie is very organized and loves the kids, so she'll make a good co-parent even if we live in different houses. The thought of having time without the kids started getting me excited about the thought of house projects, setting up a garden, and maybe joining a local hiking group. We'll see where my interests fall. In terms of the weekend, it looks a little dreary weather-wise. We're having dinner with Yayoe this Saturday and there's a kite flying celebration on Sunday. I'd love to get Emma riding her bike, though it may end up as a mud derby. Maybe we can hang out, watch movies, and make bread and soup. Of course, according to Emma's weather report, we could be seeing sun, rain, and snow, perhaps at the same time:

It was a long and full day

September 28, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was a long and full day. I'm pretty worn out, having spent hours at the park getting Emma to the point where she can ride by herself for brief moments. In the afternoon, the kids staged their epic shootout. At one point, we had ten kids ranging from 6 to 17 carrying all manner of Nerf weaponry. Emma came in first as exhaustion set in, cheerful but tired.

Dave and Josh stopped by to chat, which was very nice. Josh is getting all settled at my mom's house, despite the fact that his room isn't quite finished and may not be for awhile. It'll be nice having him so close again, as I fondly remember the days when he'd stop by after walking home from Roosevelt.

I made noodles for the kids, two different types as their tastes are different. Emma put away a tremendous amount of yaki soba, her new favorite meal. Sam was more subdued with his, begging for some of the root beer left over from the party.

After Emma got to bed, Sam and I watched a little Chuck, and now it's time for me to turn in myself.

It's Sunday morning and we've all had breakfast

September 27, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Sunday morning and we've all had breakfast. I made myself a mocha because, well, I can. Sam's playing computer games and Emma's giving advice. In awhile, our day of plans will begin.

Friday afternoon Sam went to Zach's house to play, while I took Emma down to the park to practice bike riding. Jamie got pizza and joined us for our traditional pizza and Mythbusters. We're having some issues where Jamie feels like the kids are always with me, so we're trying harder to coordinate kid play times. There was also a little miscommunication in the evening where I wanted to take Sam to an astronomy event after sunset and Jamie wanted to go out. Still, it was a little spur of the moment and Emma took longer to get to sleep than expected.

Saturday morning I took Emma for a play date with her friend Stella. I really like her parents too, and might invite them over for dinner sometime. The dad is a kindred spirit, into gaming and works as a web developer. While Emma was away, Sam and I worked on his web site, doing some programming for his site's games.

When the play date was over, I took the kids down to campus to see the Superhero art exhibit at the U of O Art Museum. Sam was more interested than Emma, though she liked some of the crafts in the kid area. Wandering around campus always brings back a sense of nostalgia from when Jamie would bring the kids to me when I worked at the hospital there.

In the afternoon we got ready for my Buffy party, with Jamie helping the kids make cookies. The party itself went relatively well, though I wasn't sure what to do with the vast quantities of food and wine everyone brought. Jamie went over to M's house to provide moral support for remodel projects. I cleaned up, got the kids in bed, and Sam and I watched an episode of Chuck before retiring for good. Emma woke up crying when I went upstairs, and I ended up falling asleep while trying to get her back to sleep.

We told the kids that Jamie and I were having problems at breakfast, giving them reassurances that they'd be okay. It was very high-level, and they didn't really seem to understand the implications yet. I'm sure that once we start talking about living arrangements and such, the reality will sink in.

As for today, I'll do a library trip with Emma, take the kids to the park for more bike riding. Sam still wants a shootout with the neighbor kids. Jamie's taking C to the park in early afternoon and hopes to invite the kids along. We may end up having dinner with everyone tonight. We'll see how it goes.

Though parts of my world may be crumbling, th...

September 25, 2009 by Adam in Family

Though parts of my world may be crumbling, there's always Mocha Friday. I've yet to hop in the shower and gather that delicious elixir, so I'm eager with anticipation. I was somewhat down after yesterday's counseling session, but I'm feeling somewhat better. Though it's clear that Jamie and I's marriage is over, I'm hoping we can work through a transition to get us to a better future. It would be great if we could keep everything civil and shield the kids from some of our contentious issues. For now, I'm trying to be patient and live with this somewhat uncomfortable situation until we figure this out. In terms of the weekend, I hope to take the kids to the U of O Art Museum tomorrow, as it's both free and showing off a superhero art exhibit. In the afternoon is a Buffy party I've thrown together with assorted work friends. Sunday I have a shootout planned between the neighbors and our kids at high noon. Somewhere in there, my dad has offered to help fly kites. All-in-all, it promises to be a fun-filled weekend. Sadie, Greg, the kids, and I all had a wonderful time playing charades over Skype. Emma in particular loved acting out her chosen movies and books.

We've had forest forest fires the last few da...

September 23, 2009 by Adam in Family

We've had forest forest fires the last few days, the air outside filled with smoke. This morning my car was sprinkled with ash and a blood red sun rose in the sky. I suppose if I was superstitious, I'd see them as omens and portents for our counseling session tomorrow morning.

I'm hoping that tomorrow marks the start of a transition out of our current situation. Things have been really hard for the kids lately. I got an apologetic call from Sam's PE teacher, saying that he'd been acting up in class, which she added never normally happens. Emma's been having a lot of fears of school and everything else. She had a nightmare a couple nights ago, of creatures attacking her and Jamie and I getting divorced. I really want to get to the point where Jamie feels comfortable talking to the kids. I keep telling them that we love them, it's not their fault, and they will be taken care of. I'd like to do more.

In some ways, life continues as normal. Sam started fencing yesterday, which he said was fun. Emma and I drew, performed science experiments, and played with her stuffed puppy last night. She only woke up once, early in the morning. I lay next to her for a long while, rehearsing what I was going to say in the counseling session and hoping I can keep my family as safe and happy as I can manage.

Jamie's back from Edgefield

September 22, 2009 by Adam in Family

Jamie's back from Edgefield. She was here a little early and surprised me by being at Sharon's house when I arrived to get the kids. It was somewhat awkward, but I got the kids home. Emma's playing next to me with the neighbor kids and Sam's working outside in exchange for cash. Since he discovered Nerf guns, he's all about money.

Sunday was strange, but I made it through. The kids and I did some shopping, and I got Sam a new pair of boots that he seems to like. I did a bit myself, and the kids were generally enthusiastic about my choices.

In the afternoon we wandered over to Todd and Victoria's house. The kids had a great time running around with the neighbor boys, each coming up with some Nerf gun or another. Now Sam's lamenting how short it is and asking to get another set up for next weekend.

I'm still breathing, which helps. The outpouring of support from all corners has been phenomenal. It's been great just hanging out with the kids and doing fun things.

Today was Jamie's 40th birthday, as well as T...

September 20, 2009 by Adam in Family

Today was Jamie's 40th birthday, as well as Talk Like a Pirate Day. At the moment, the kids are in bed, Jamie's off with friends, and things seem very still.

Last night was a little rough, as Emma was feeling pretty sick. I spent most of the night next to her, as she was sporting a fever and fairly miserable. Fortunately the Motrin has kept her cheerful today and I think she's on the mend. Unfortunately Sam seems to have it now. Somehow I've missed it so far, but it's probably just a matter of time.

This morning Jamie made breakfast and went to get her hair done. Emma and I started the sourdough bread while Sam played on the computer. I took the kids to Toys-R-Us so the kids could buy Nerf guns, and then over to Home Depot to pick up some supplies. Next we dropped Sam off at Zach's house and returned home to work on Jamie's birthday cake.

The sourdough bread turned out quite well, and that ended up being our lunch. I zipped off to pick up Sam and then we had a short birthday celebration for Jamie. Around three, Jamie went to her main birthday party at Pat and Carlanne's. I took the kids across the street for the first of the epic Nerf shootouts. I traded Todd and Victoria cake and bread in exchange for some split pea soup.

Eventually the kids wandered home for some quiet time. I took the opportunity to replace the electrical outlet in the shed with a black one, and put the nice brass plate over it. I also took out the tattered tarp that covered the sand box and put in a new one. I managed a bit of weeding and ripping out the fig tree before Emma wanted to play with me.

The kids were both seeming under the weather, so I decided to skip the Talk Like a Pirate Day party. Instead we had a quiet dinner, played Sorry!, took baths, and got kids to bed. Sam really wanted to watch Chuck with me, so we had a brief viewing before I sent him to bed too.

Tomorrow Jamie's off to Edgefield for her post-birthday trip. I'm mostly hanging out with kids, and perhaps having dinner with the neighbors while our respective children shoot it out.

It's yet another sweet Mocha Friday

September 18, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's yet another sweet Mocha Friday. I'm using the cup Jenny got me, with a shrunk down version of Sadie's Mocha Friday poster put inside. It works beautifully and is quite stylish. It's hard to tell, but I might have actually had a little extra beverage put in by the barrista compared to the normal cups.

Last night was a bit of a whirlwind. As soon as I got home, Sam was complaining about homework. I rushed him out to the shed (or the "Chamber of Learning" as I called it). Soon enough he was trudging through his spelling homework, even though he got 100% on the pretest and doesn't actually have to take the spelling test today. I tried to give him a little hope by saying that he's a candidate for the TAG program and might get to do some more interesting things.

After that, I gathered up the kids and headed down to the basement for our weekly gaming session with Sadie and Greg. Jamie went off to visit with Victoria, so we had the house to ourselves. The game of the night was Elephunt Hunt, which Greg taught us as we went along. The first game was a little touch-and-go, as Emma had a sore throat and I had to take her away to finish her homework. The second game was just Greg and Sam, which Sam won handily. We were later talking about Greg and I said that I liked him. "Greg's awesome," was Sam's feelings on the matter.

I gave Emma some Motrin for her sore throat, and after an hour she perked right up. After bath, she went around selling things around the house, to Sam and I's great amusement. This morning she was still feeling under the weather, though, so she's staying home from school. Depending on the babysitting situation, I may go home to watch her while Jamie works.

I'm trying hard to spend time with the kids this weekend, with relatively minimal running around and doing things with other people. That's not to say the weekend isn't filling up.

Saturday I'm taking the kids to Toys-R-Us to stock up on Nerf weaponry while Jamie gets her hair done. Then we're baking a cake and sourdough bread for Jamie's very small birthday party. In the evening I hope to take the kids to a Talk Like a Pirate Day shindig.

Sunday morning we have D&D in the shed (Sam's been begging me to continue the campaign). Emma has requested that we teach her to ride a bike. In the afternoon we have a tentative movie run. In the evening, I'm hoping to use the recently purchased Nerf arsenal to engage in a shootout with the neighbor boys across the street. Should be fun.

Another weekend comes to a close

September 14, 2009 by Adam in Family

Another weekend comes to a close. This morning Jamie made Challa french toast and then headed off to the gym. I played with the kids for awhile in the basement and then headed to the library to stock up on new books. We handed over Sam to Menina for a play date with Sophia. Emma ended up with a play date with Stella, her parents dropping her off while running errands.

It was the strangest thing, having Sam gone, Jamie gone, and Emma occupied. The two girls played so well together that I could do endless chores and periodically check on their well-being. I managed to clean up the scrap drywall, clean out the garage, do the laundry, and clean my bathroom. It was pretty incredible.

Jamie returned and picked up Sam to go the movies with friends. Sam returned later, a little disappointed in the movie. Jamie went off again for drinks and dinner. The kids and I went to my mom's for Bob's birthday. They loved the food, as did I. The sangria and homemade beer were tasty too, though I only had it in small amounts.

We got home, and joined the neighbor boys for a short Nerf shootout. The kids got things ready for school, had baths, and went right to bed. Tomorrow we return to work and school, back to the new routine.

Last night was our traditional pizza and Myth...

September 12, 2009 by Adam in Family

Last night was our traditional pizza and Mythbusters night. I stuffed myself with pizza and enjoyed the assorted fire and hypnotism myths.

This morning Jamie made crepes as Sam ended up not wanting to make breakfast at the last minute. She's feeling a little under the weather, but still felt up to going to Portland to see the Escher exhibit with a friend.

The kids and I met up with Jason and Riley in this big wetland in west Eugene where they were having Family Exploration Day. They handed out nets for catching bugs, binoculars, and a backpack full of assorted books and goodies. Jason had great luck finding things, catching several dragon flies, a frog, and a preying mantis. Even though Emma didn't want to go, she had a great time once she got there and it took some effort to get her home.

I'm taking a short breather before we collect John and head to Splash for the afternoon.

It's another Mocha Friday, though I've yet to...

September 11, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday, though I've yet to leave home and pick up that delicious beverage.

The kids started school this week. Sam seems to have picked up right where he left off, nonchalantly talking about math tests and spelling homework. For Emma it's been a bit harder. Last night after school she seemed very tired, and it took all my effort to get her to finish her homework. She explained how she hated school, and when I started to list all the different aspects of going to school, she told me it was all of them. Hopefully it will get better with time.

We managed to sneak in a little gaming night with Sadie and Greg via Skype. Emma was pretty exhausted, but she acted out some of the phrases I was trying to get them to guess. Sam got in on the action and was able to guess a few they threw our way. Still, it was necessarily short as Emma had to get to bed quickly.

The kids have also loved the foam swords my mom got them. For the last couple nights we've had epic fights in the basement. Unfortunately Emma found out the hard way that we may need to move our old t.v. cabinet. She's very brave, but bonked heads still hurt.

As for me, I continue to try and reinvent my life. My goal continues to be to take care of myself and the kids. Surrounding myself with people helps immensely, and I'm trying to set up activities for the weekend as much as possible. Saturday we have an expedition to some wetlands and Splash in the afternoon. Sunday is more tentative, but I'm seeing if I can set up a play date and perhaps take Emma to the movies in the afternoon.

When it comes to Jamie and I, I don't know what's going to happen. I go from bleak despair to glimmers of hope and back again. I love her, and hope we can work this out. After a comedy of errors, I finally have a joint counseling session scheduled for next week. Perhaps that will help.

I'm back at work, having got an unheard of te...

September 08, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm back at work, having got an unheard of ten hours of sleep last night. I put Emma to sleep and conked out in her bed. After crawling back into mine, I slept pretty solidly until six when Emma showed up and I had to go to work. "See you at the ice cream social!" she told me, referring to tonight's pre-school gathering.

Sunday the kids and I played at home until after noon, with Emma taking a small break to help me make home-made hamburger buns. We then headed off to my sister's for a short visit. Emma was nervous about their puppy and I carried her a lot. Sam had a great time hanging out with the older boys and wished he could stay longer.

When we got home, I started getting ready for dinner with the neighbors, shucking corn and that sort of thing. The kids played amazingly well together, occasionally bringing me in to play the part of a troll or dragon. Around dinner, Todd showed up with his grill and our assorted children began to play. Dinner was very tasty, and everyone returned home satisfied. The kids were soaked, having brought out the water guns, but happy as we tucked them to bed.

We're back in town

September 07, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're back in town. Jamie was gone when we arrived, so we went to the Eugene Celebration and had a good time. The kids were starving, so we found noodles and hot dogs. We later ran into Zach and his family, so the boys played together while Emma and I did virtually every free craft thing in the kid zone. "What about my snow cone?" asked Emma just now. Yes, they both got snow cones as a celebration treat. All the way back, Emma dripped snow cone juice on my head as I carried her on my shoulders. We'd walked there, so when we returned, everyone was tired. Jamie was driving away when we walked up the hill, but she came back and briefly said hello before going out to dinner with someone. I whipped up a quickie dinner, and now we're making obstacle courses in the basement.

We had such a full day

September 06, 2009 by Adam in Family

We had such a full day. Jim and Judy left early to go to the Beaver game. Emma was up before 7 am, and Sam was up soon afterwards. I had Sam make his own breakfast, and he did a pretty good job. "I made a bagel with eggs and cream cheese," he commented over my shoulder just now. After hanging out for awhile, we headed through the heavy rain to OMSI. It was great getting there so early, as it was so empty. We then proceeded to spend six hours there, having all sorts of adventures. Almost at the beginning, Sam managed to rip the tip of his sandal off while riding up the escalator. Emma was initially afraid of the CSI exhibit, then loved it so much she made us go back two more times. Emma was also fond of the animals, including a giant centipede. Sam's favorite thing was the "shock box", which didn't have much of a wait to use. Basically one person holds on to two copper tubes and waits for someone to turn a crank. It then shocks the first person, causing their muscles to fling backwards to great amusement. Sam talked me into try it and I wacked him in the face. We had a break for lunch, but otherwise it was non-stop science. When three o'clock rolled around, I finally pulled the kids out. Emma was a little sad, as she could have stayed even longer. On the way back, I stopped by a nearby stored called Rejuvenation, which had all sorts of wonderful antiques and reproductions. Though I could have easily spent thousands, I settled for a handful of trinkets ("and do-dads!" says Sam). There's something hopeful about making one's home a better place. Now we're back at Jim and Judy's, waiting for them to return with pizza. Yesterday we did Thai food, so the Friday tradition of pizza and Mythbusters was shifted to today.

We made it to Portland, safe and sound

September 05, 2009 by Adam in Family

We made it to Portland, safe and sound. Traffic was horrible, and we ended up getting into town around 5:30. Jim and Judy took us out to dinner at a nearby Thai place. The kids really ate a ton, loving the pot stickers and Phad Thai. We'd hoped to go to the school playground to work it off, but everything was closed due to construction.

I set up my new cell phone and it generally seems to work. I've finally joined modern life.

I'll have to run upstairs in a minute to get Emma to bed. Staying busy, as always.

It's another Mocha Friday

September 04, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday. Soon I'll be heading off to pick up that delicious drink, hoping its mystical healing powers will cure all my ills.

Last night I took the kids to Mystic Pizza to listen to Anna play. While we didn't actually get to hear her (Emma got too tired), we did have a pretty good time eating pizza, playing chess, and chatting with Anna and her family. I don't think the kids actually go downtown much, so Sam in particular thought it was pretty cool. As a measure of my mental health, I was actually hungry for a change. There's something about beer and pizza that deeply satisfies.

I'm off to Portland as soon as I come home from work. I think I've lined up a Eugene Celebration visit with Jenny and dad for Sunday. I've asked the neighbors if we can do a Labor Day BBQ. Since we have no grill, I'm hoping they accept.

Dave, Kirsten, and Josh came over last night ...

September 03, 2009 by Adam in Family

Dave, Kirsten, and Josh came over last night for dinner. Jamie made a fine lasagna. Dave and I managed to move the huge monstrosity of our old entertainment center down into the basement. I'm not quite sure what we'll do with it there at the moment. Jamie's thought is that it would eventually become a kid entertainment center. Once we moved it, it triggered an immediate need to rearrange the living room, which is halfway towards some new state of perfection.

Just to put my plans out there for the next few days, I'm planning on taking the kids to Cosmic Pizza around 7 pm tonight. Hopefully we can catch a little of Anna's music before everyone gets too tired. Friday after work I'm taking the kids to Portland to visit Jamie's parents and OMSI. Sunday I'm heading back and going to the Eugene Celebration. Monday is a little more fuzzy, but I'm thinking of taking the kids to Splash and trying to get a BBQ together with the neighbors.

If anyone wants to go to the Eugene Celebration with the kids and I, give me a holler.

I took the kids over to my mom's house last n...

September 01, 2009 by Adam in Family

I took the kids over to my mom's house last night for a BBQ. Sam found a foam sword and I was handed rolls of wrapping paper. When my Christmas present arrives with torn and dirtied paper, I'll accept it with a smile.

Life continues to be rough, though I think I'...

August 31, 2009 by Adam in Family

Life continues to be rough, though I think I'm finding that elusive path out of the brambles.

Sunday morning the kids and I went out to breakfast with my mom. I think I ate half of half an order of oatmeal and a piece of toast. As a sign of my stress levels, I only managed two cups of coffee instead of my usual four. This morning I managed to eat my oatmeal without much problem, which seemed positive. Perhaps it was my night of staying up and formulating action plans. It's almost funny how little sleep I need these days.

On Sunday afternoon Jamie, the kids, and I all went over to Dave and Kirsten's house to have a picnic. The kids went swimming in the murky reservoir water, having a wonderful time. I waded around, not really keen on complete submersion. Jamie told her dad and brother about what's going on between us. It surprised me a little, as she usually keeps those things to herself. I suppose it's a sign of how serious she's taking things. I had fun riding back in the car with Emma as she tried on her paper magician's outfit.

I'm going to hop in the shower shortly. Perhaps when I get to work I can start making to do lists, which seem to lift my spirits immensely.

It was a very busy day

August 30, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was a very busy day. After breakfast, the kids and I played in the basement, creating rocket ships out of couches. Later we met up with my dad to get Jordan and the model rocket supplies. Last night Emma really wanted to make a rocket, so I dutifully took her to Eugene Toy and Hobby to pick one out. We had a great time launching them. Even our first launch where I forgot to take off the safety cap was pretty funny. We had a few times when we almost lost them, missing the school roof by a few feet, going into a construction zone, and getting caught in a tree. Fortunately my dad had a really long pole, so we rescued it and went off to lunch at Humble Bagel. After that was a library trip. Sam was getting pretty tired since he had very little sleep last night. Emma made out like a bandit, but Sam was content to stick with rereading his Harry Potter books. We finally returned home for quiet time before going on our final adventure. We drove over to my dad and sisters, playing in the pool, hot tub, and trampoline. The kids had a pretty good time, with Emma and Jordan spending a ton of time in the pool. Eventually Jenny called us inside for dinner. It was quite pleasant, a nice contrast to the usual massive gatherings. Eventually it was time to go. Sam had a little leftover pizza, and Emma's nearly finished with the cheesecake I made last weekend. The kids bundled off to bed pretty quickly and now the house is very quiet.

I'm hoping that the mystical powers of Mocha ...

August 28, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm hoping that the mystical powers of Mocha Friday can lift my spirits today. If not that, then maybe pizza and Mythbusters night can manage.

It's been a hard week, and I'm working hard to get moving in the direction of okay. On a positive note, I had my annual review at work yesterday. I was rated extremely well. Sadly with the pay freeze in effect, it's just a pat on the back, albeit a nice one.

I think tonight will be our traditional pizza and Mythbusters, as mentioned previously. Sam's been wanting to shoot off rockets, so I'll see if I can get my dad to meet up with the kids and I in a park and launch assorted things. Later on we're going to my sister's for swimming and dinner.

Sunday we're meeting up with Dave, Kirsten, and grandpa Ray, then heading to Fern Ridge for a picnic. Hopefully the gorgeous weather will continue.

I'm tentatively planning a trip to Portland with the kids next weekend, giving Jamie some time to herself and having a final adventure before school starts.

I was up for hours last night, trying to get ...

August 24, 2009 by Adam in Family

I was up for hours last night, trying to get Emma back to sleep. The eventual trick seemed to be talking her with my dad's dentist voice, to the point where she calmed down and went to sleep. She's had this elevated sense of fear ever since we left for England. Part of me feels really bad for her. The other part is hoping my tea kicks in before I have to drive to work.

It was nice seeing everyone yesterday after my long solitude. I had made chocolate cheesecake and homemade hamburger buns for dinner. After unpacking, the kids and I played with the hose in the back yard and generally ran around. Jamie was off for a little, but fortunately returned when it was time to cook the buffalo burgers (I had a gardenburger).

Hopefully life can return a little more to normal before school starts.

Another sweet Mocha Friday

August 21, 2009 by Adam in Family

Another sweet Mocha Friday. I just sat down at work, starting to go through e-mail and get ready for the day. The picture here is from England, when we visited my mom's cousins on the way to Stratford-Upon-Avon.

It's been an odd week with Jamie and the kids away. I've been trying to accomplish projects to stay busy, but managed to get the wrong size lumber for the shed windows. Instead of cutting them to the right width, I plan on shamefully returning them and getting the right size. I was also a little sick for the first part of the week, likely something picked up from Emma. Fortunately it was pretty mild and all that happened is that I ran a little less for a couple days.

I've also managed to keep the household together, going shopping, doing laundry, and watering the plants every day. Last night I got sick of cereal and sandwiches and made some fettuccine with tofu, mushrooms, and peanut sauce. Sadie also Skyped last night, so I spent a wonderful hour being social with the Eastern branch of the family. When I'm too tired to do anything else, I've been watching Mythbusters.

As for this weekend, I need to hunker down and finish the two big projects I've seemingly saved for last. The shed is the big priority, and I'm hoping to get those done. It would be great if I could talk to Jamie and the kids, as I haven't since Monday. I keep calling her cell phone and the beach house, but no answer. Maybe if Judy reads this today, she can nudge Jamie towards the phone when they go to the beach house this weekend.

How time flies

August 19, 2009 by Adam in Family

How time flies.

Jamie and the kids are off at the beach for a few days, escaping the hot weather that's currently baking our little valley. I have a lengthy list of things to do while they're away. Yesterday I uncloged Emma's sink, pulling out globs of weird things that I couldn't identify. I also managed to paint the side of the house where the old balcony was attached.

I had a touch of a headache, though, that's continued until today. I may see if I can get the supplies to finish the shed today. If I'm still feeling lousy, I'll just head home and take it easy.

It's another sweet Mocha Friday

August 14, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another sweet Mocha Friday. The Mocha Friday woodcut that Sadie made me is looking down approvingly. Friday is also pizza and Mythbusters night. Sam exclaimed last night that "everything good happens on Friday". Too true.

We've had a relatively low-key week, trying to readjust. I think my sleep patterns are mostly back to normal. Emma was having these unnatural fears (directed at Wormtail from Harry Potter), though they seem to be fading some. I can't decide if it was due to Sam and I being away or just one of those brain growth spurt things. In any case, it seems to be improving.

I think my own brain has been struggling to readjust to life in the states. I had dreams last night about driving on the left around a roundabout. People's accents have stopped sounding funny after being so used to UK accents.

Last night after work, Emma wanted to sit on my lap while I played Prince of Persia. She's not quite up to the multiple jumps and moves, but she enjoys watching. After dinner the kids and I went to the park where we played with a Frisbee and climbed the cheese structure. Sam and I tested our ninja skills by balancing on this wobbly log structure and throwing the Frisbee to each other. Our record was five consecutive throws.

Hopefully we can have a good family weekend together, doing ordinary things, as next week Jamie's taking the kids to the beach. I have a long list of projects to work on, from finishing the shed to staining the balcony to painting the house. I don't mind, though, as it keeps me busy so I don't miss them too much.

Hopefully today I can dig into the lengthy list of work projects that await me. Such is the price for being away for two weeks.

I'm back at work, with 441 e-mails awaiting m...

August 10, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm back at work, with 441 e-mails awaiting my perusal. I've been slowly adjusting to life in the states again. My sleep schedule has been a little off, getting up in the middle of the night thinking it was time to wake up. Driving into work seemed a little surreal, with everyone on the wrong side of the road and trying to suppress the urge to use a clutch. Still, I made it in safe and sound and now it's time to get back into work mode.

Yesterday we drove home and tried to settle into normalcy. Jamie went off to a friends house, so the kids and I played in the basement until dinner. Emma hasn't had anyone to play pretend with, so I think she was happy to have us back. She's also been having nightmares, scared about Wormtail from Harry Potter. Hopefully now that the family is together again, those worried feelings of hers will settle down.

It's early Sunday morning

August 09, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's early Sunday morning. Sam and I got to Jamie's mom house at a reasonable hour and stayed up until nine or so. Both of us had a hard time sleeping, but are generally okay and happy to be back. Emma just woke up and climbed into my lap. We'll be heading home soon after breakfast.

We're in the Vancouver airport, waiting an ho...

August 08, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're in the Vancouver airport, waiting an hour and a half before we can board the plane. They have free wireless Internet access, unlike the last two places we stayed. I'm going to try uploading videos, but it's a pretty slow connection.

I'm really excited to see Jamie and Emma again. Can't wait.

(This was written earlier while on the plane ...

August 08, 2009 by Adam in Family

(This was written earlier while on the plane heading home) It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Such was our final day in England. If you've been following our trip from the beginning, you'll remember that while in Bath we ended up picking up someone else's bag. There were endless bad attempts to connect with her, but it finally happened several days ago. While at breakfast, my mom announced that we were going to drop off the bag at the woman's house, north of London. There was a fairly heated conversation between everyone. Words were exchanged. The end result was a plan to go to Blenheim Palace and then drop off the bag. Blenheim Palace was amazing. It was by far the most impressive of anywhere we've gone, with golden orbs towering above gorgeous architecture. Everything was on a massive scale, from the endless lawns to the ceilings far above. Every room was decorated with incredible tapestries and paintings, each with some historical significance. With Churchill born there, there were several exhibits about his life which put things in context. After touring the palace, we walked through the gardens and on to the massive lawn. After walking for five minutes or so, we finally crossed it and made it to the place they'd set up for the jousting. First off was a falconry exibition, which everyone thought was pretty cool. They flew falcons and hawks, all the while hoping they didn't fly away forever. Next up was the jousting, which was a cross between Monty Python and the circus. The tourney knights were wonderful characters, outrageous and hysterical. There was jousting, hand-to-hand combat, parading about, and pulling the occasional squire behind a horse while tied in a bag. It too was pretty cool. I'll keep the next step short. We drove, at least when not stuck in traffic for hours. It took about six hours altogether. We dropped off the bag, drove to the airport without stopping except for gas and quick food, and dropped off the car sometime after nine. My happiest moment was realizing I never had to drive on English roads again. We made our way to the hotel and collapsed. This morning I woke up early, nervous about the trip. We got on a bus to the airport, got our tickets, made it through security, and sat down for a hearty breakfast. For airport food, it earned high praise from Sam. Soon after, we were playing with magnets at the gate, doing experiments with magnetism and copper pences. They boarded us early, and we had fun watching movies on the in-flight video system. Now we're somewhere over the Atlantic, heading home. It's a good feeling.

(This was written earlier and posted once I f...

August 06, 2009 by Adam in Family

(This was written earlier and posted once I found an Internet connection) We're at the Holiday Express outside of Oxford at the moment. Though it's your basic run-of-the-mill hotel, it seems like blissful sanctuary. Sam's reading Harry Potter and I'm watching Mythbusters before bed. Our clothes are drying out in assorted places around the room, but I'll get to that later. The day began at the Moonraker with a tasty breakfast. We drove the short distance into town and went to see the Shakespeare's Birthplace tour. Considering that it's basically just an old house, they did a good job about it. There was a short part where they showed off various Shakespearian and period artifacts, then out through a gorgeous English garden and into the house. In each room, they had someone talking about its function. Basically they crammed everyone into very small spaces and furniture was incredibly expensive. It seemed odd to think of Shakespeare writing about castles and kings while coming from such a humble beginning. We decided to drive over to Avebury to see the standing stones there. Once we got there, it began to pour and we all got incredibly soaked. It's been so warm and sunny since we got here that it almost came as a shock. Still, the stones were interesting and we spent some time at a converted barn that explained them in more detail. As a bonus, it was warm and dry. The way to our hotel ended up taking far too long. The roads were horrible due to the rain and we accidentally took a trip into Oxford during rush hour. Coupled with a wreck on the road out of town and bad directions to the hotel, we ended up stopping for dinner before checking in. Sam was happy since we found a pizza place, though. Tomorrow is our last full day in the UK. The plan is to go to Bleinheim Palace to see the jousting. Hopefully the weather clears up.

I think Sam has succumbed to British television

August 05, 2009 by Adam in Family

I think Sam has succumbed to British television. He's now watching Big Brother, which has a bizarre Alice in Wonderland themed set of challenges. Soon I'll make him turn it off and go to bed, but I suppose the point of travel is to expand one's horizons. We went to the town central and ate at one of the oldest pubs in Stratford. It's odd eating somewhere that's older that my country. The dinner was okay, quite rich, but it was nice to have a lengthy, chatty dinner. I think tomorrow we'll go take the tour of Anne Hathaway's house, then go off to see some standing stones. Eventually we'll make our way to Oxford tomorrow and then we're going to Blenheim Palace. It's the last event for Sam and I before heading home.

We're in Stratford-Upon-Avon, staying at the ...

August 05, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're in Stratford-Upon-Avon, staying at the Moonraker. As you might think, there are artsy pictures of James Bond on the wall and the Moonraker DVD in the room. Sam's watching television as we all relax, and I think he's hoping to find a channel with bowling. This is the outdoor lawn style bowling, not the American ball and ten pins version. Yesterday Sam was rooting for Scotland and it was actually fairly interesting to watch. In the meantime, he's watching a quirky game show involving lying, which is a sight better than the weird kid superhero game show than this morning.

Seraph, Robbie, and Isabell just arrived and we're settling down before going into town. It should be a ten or fifteen minute walk and we can scrounge up dinner and pay our respects to Shakespeare on the way.

We had a relatively lazy day today, our secon...

August 04, 2009 by Adam in Family

We had a relatively lazy day today, our second in Chester. Seraph and Isa drove to Liverpool to pick up Robbie from his side trip. Unfortunately they got the time wrong and ended up hanging around the train station for several hours. In the meantime, mom, Sam, and I went into Chester with the stated reason for doing laundry. We dropped off my mom and headed to the town center. With no destination in mind, we climbed up on the city walls that ring the town center. There was a lovely view of the river Dee and the thousand year old bridge that crosses it. We worked our way over to the ruins of a two thousand year old Roman fort, where some local kids were doing parkour, jumping from column to column. Next was the amphitheater. The strangest part is that both were in the middle of a modern city, with busy roads all around them. Next we passed the ruins of an old church and circled back to pick up my mom. Instead of rushing back, the three of us visited a little coffee shop. Sam tried yet another new food item, a ham and cheese blintz with crips (potato chips to those of you from the states). Another thumbs up from Sam. This afternoon we've spent hanging out in the hotel room, taking a vacation from our vacation. There was a little reading, television watching, card games, and computer games. I think we'll head to bed early so we can get an early start on things. Tomorrow we're off to Stratford-Upon-Avon to stay at a place called the Moonraker. Thursday we're at the Express By in Oxford. Friday we're staying really close to the Heathrow airport. We got the chance to chat with Jamie and Emma briefly this afternoon, which was a treat. Jamie sounds like she's been busy, taking Emma to the coast to beat the heat. We managed to get Skype working, except for their webcam. It'll be nice to be home and see them in person.

Sam and I are hanging out in our room in Ches...

August 03, 2009 by Adam in Family

Sam and I are hanging out in our room in Chester, taking a break after running around all afternoon. Downtown Chester is an interesting place, set inside old Roman walls from 2,000 years ago. The Rows are old market rows, now modern shops with tons of people running around. Out first stop was the cathedral, where the walkway around it is paved with gravestones, the bodies buried underfoot. As usual the architecture was amazing. Afterward, we headed to the old Chester castle and saw the military museum there. Jamie's friend Pat would have loved it, especially the stories that went with the various medals that were housed there. Tomorrow we can sleep in as much as we want, which excites me terribly. We might head out to a nearby castle, or go back into Chester and see even more sights. It's nice to have a slow day before our lengthy drive to Stratford-On-Avon.

We had an uneventful trip to the DoubleTree i...

August 03, 2009 by Adam in Family

We had an uneventful trip to the DoubleTree in Chester. It's a fairly modern hotel, which to be honest is somewhat nice after cool but quirky B&Bs. Robbie got off to his train just fine and we reconnected with Seraph. Fairly soon we'll be headed to the town center to see the castle and some museums.

I'm alone in my room at Ruthin Castle

August 03, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm alone in my room at Ruthin Castle. The kids are in the other room, playing Magic while my mom takes a bath. Seraph has driven Robbie to Liverpool to catch a train to visit an old professor. We're rendezvousing in Chester, with Robbie coming in a day later. The next couple days should be relatively slow. It's a short drive to Chester and we have a couple days in town. Chester is over 2,000 years old and was a Roman town back in the day. Should be fun. Everyone has arrived and we're heading to breakfast.

We made it to Ruthin Castle, which amazingly ...

August 02, 2009 by Adam in Family

We made it to Ruthin Castle, which amazingly enough has Internet access. I'll be posting more in a bit, but now I have to get cleaned up for dinner as we're all starving.

Update: I'm back in the room, feeling stuffed. Sam and Isa are playing before bedtime. I'm tuckered out.

The day started in Gaer Farm. We gathered up our belongings, only to discover that we had an extra piece of luggage. Sure enough, through a comedy of errors we ended up taking someone else's bag from Bath. We've managed to let the poor woman know it wasn't stolen, but still need to figure out how to get it to her.

The drive to Ruthin was long, but we took a fair number of stops. The driving was actually pretty good today, with good roads and beautiful scenery. I have a new appreciation for the macho motorcycle riders of Wales, who would ride at insane speeds in between lines of traffic.

Our first stop was at Hay-On-Wye, a town of endless bookstores. Robbie was blissful, but we finally dragged him away. We ate lunch, including a mocha for me, despite it not being a Friday.

We drove and drove, eventually stopping by a ruined abbey. The kids loved running around and exploring, while the grownups read plaques and appreciated the history. After a foiled attempt to grab some food, we headed to the castle.

The castle grounds are quite beautiful, and so everyone trooped around. We discovered the peacock, which is now cawing somewhere outside as I type this. There were also some vaguely druidic stones off in a field. After getting everyone appropriately tired, we had a good and lengthy dinner. Now it's time to throw Sam in the bath and get the dirt scrubbed off him.

Final Update: I posted yesterday's video.

This was recorded earlier and only now posted...

August 02, 2009 by Adam in Family

This was recorded earlier and only now posted (Gaer Farm had no Internet connection, as expected). We woke up bright and early, wandering down to the hostel kitchen tucked away past the courtyard. There was a young British couple and another young man from Brazil, and we danced around each other trying to get breakfast for everyone. Sam's developed a liking for tea, so he had tea, toast, and a little cereal. Afterwards we decided to split the party. My mom would make reservations, I'd take the kids to the Roman Baths, and Seraph and Robbie would go to the Fashion Museum and then Hay-On-Wye for the bookstores. We had a great walk to the Roman Baths, which we ironically walked a hundred feet away from the night before. It was early and not very crowded. Since Isa had already gone through, she gave us the guided tour. The baths were surprisingly interesting, with a lot more than just a hotsprings. There were massage areas, a temple, and a complicated drainage system. After that we met up with my mom, who had run into some issues booking rooms. She went for coffee and upon her return, the wireless stopped working, so after Ruthin Castle it's still a bit of a mystery where we're staying. I'm going to see if we can make some phone calls this morning and at least book some rooms in Chester. The drive to Gaer Farm took most of the day. Getting into Wales was the hard part, with rain, closed bridges, and a grumpy driver (me). I spent most of the afternoon apoligizing to my mom for being so snappy. Once we got to Wales, the roads widened, the signs were better, and the traffic was relatively light. We stopped by a place called Brecon Beacons, found a tiny parking place up an alley, and immediately saw a pizza place across the street. It was Sam's fifth pizza and my first, which was surprisingly good. We ate in a park by the river and admired the bridge across the way. Next was a final push to the farm. We got side tracked in a rock quarry, but eventually figured out where we were going and made it without incident. Sam and Isa played really well together the whole time. Once we got out and settled, the kids entertained the local dog and kitty. Seraph and Robbie arrived soon afterwards with a big loaf of bread. With the peanut butter I'd picked up earlier, it made for a lovely dinner. As the sun set, Sam, Isa, and I walked down the road and made sheep noises. Sam declared that this was his favorite place to stay. Sam's still sleeping, though I'll be hauling him out of bed soon for breakfast. After we eat and pack, we'll all return to Hay-on-Wye and then drive up to Ruthin Castle for the night.

We're still in Bath, waiting for the rest of ...

August 01, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're still in Bath, waiting for the rest of our crew to wake up. My mom was going to try and see a coattail relative this morning, but I think we'll trade that for a trip to the Roman baths instead. Seraph and Robbie are headed elsewhere, meeting up with us at Gaer Farm tonight. My mom and I will be taking Isa and Sam. Fortunately the kids have done a great job entertaining each other. While we travel in Wales, I don't think we'll have any Internet connectivity. The next time I'll likely post is Monday night in Chester. I think we're staying here, but we've yet to book rooms. After that is Stratford-Upon-Avon and Oxford, though we've yet to book anywhere yet. After we checked into the hostel and settled down, Sam and I went exploring, just barely missing the Roman Baths. There were some pretty amazing sights along the river path, though, and it was fun to just wander around for a bit. The weather was beautiful, though it started to rain last night. We had some brief excitement where we thought we'd lost mom. She was going to take a nap and then do laundry at a nearby laundromat. Unfortunately no one had seen her there by the time we returned. It turns out she just took a long nap. I'm letting Sam sleep a little more while I get ready for the day. Our room at the White Hart is a little funky, with fairly cold showers. The beds were comfortable, though, and Sam and I are sleeping relatively well these days. Off to our next adventure . . .

We made it to Bath

July 31, 2009 by Adam in Family

We made it to Bath. I woke up this morning, feeling pretty good with a full night's sleep under my belt. Sam and Isa hung out in the back and Robbie was my trusty navigator. We got to the ferry in time after a few wrong turns, then had an incredibly easy time getting to Bath. Unfortunately the place we're staying has no parking and it's nearly impossible to park anywhere. I just got back from trying to move the car and ended up getting lost while trying to go around the block. Fortunately I made it back to my original spot, which is theoretically only two hours long. Sigh. I'm going to go exploring with Sam, seeing if we can find the Roman baths. My mom has generously offered to do laundry. Hopefully I can post in the morning before heading to Wales, where we'll likely be out of touch for a couple days.

I realized the last posting was rather exciti...

July 30, 2009 by Adam in Family

I realized the last posting was rather exciting, made from one of those airport kiosks. Immediately after posting, we found Robbie. As expected, some miscommunication resulted in just missing each other several times in a row. Now we're at cousin Mary's house. Sam and Isa are having a wonderful time chasing cats in the backyard. Soon we'll go out for dinner. Yesterday was a little more exciting than I wanted. We connected late and picked up the cars. It was clear we'd miss the first ferry, so we rescheduled tickets to 7 pm. We also ended up with two cars, almost immediately losing each other as we headed down. Driving was just as stressfull as I recall. According to Robbie, Seraph swore like a sailor. We also ended up missing several turns, but eventually mom pointed me in the right direction. Sam and Isa had a great time, playing in the back seat. Even though the two cars got separated, we reconnected a half hour before the ferry left. I was just about ready to give up and stay in town, but fortunately it worked out at the last minute. I also couldn't back up the car, as I couldn't get it into reverse. I embarrasingly had to push it backwards. Eventually Seraph called the rental place and there's a funny ring you have to pull up before shifting into reverse. We got into Ryde Castle fairly late, went to dinner at some pirate place, and headed to our rooms. They didn't have enough cots, so they ended up going out and buying inflatable mattresses for Robbie and Seraph. I slept pretty well last night, except for Seraph waking me at six in the morning, as she read her clock wrong. Sam fortunately slept for a few hours more and we had a good breakfast. The sightseeing trip for the day involved heading to the Roman ruins, nearly a thousand years old. The mosaics were pretty incredible and even Sam thought it was fairly cool. We went back to the hotel and I did some laundry in the sink, then took the kids to the beach. Sam dipped his toes in the English channel, Isa collected shells, and I simply enjoyed the warm and sunny weather. A hovercraft came blazing up to a nearby landing, which the kids enjoyed. Later Sam and I wandered the streets, looking for a WiFi connection and snacks. We found a good bakery and enjoyed a tasty snack, and I found a cash machine and took out a hundred pounds for walking around money. No luck on the Internet connection until now, though. Yet again we returned to the hotel where Sam and Isa watched British kids cartoons. Sam declared them "weird", possibly because of the part where the lion peed on some guy hiding in the bushes. Once again we braved the roads and found our way to cousin Mary's town. Sam found a little toy to spend his pounds on in a nearby shop. Strangely enough, it reminds me of a "happy fun ball" toy that he had as a kid. Tomorrow we return to the ferry and drive up to Bath. After that we go up to a Welsh farm. I think we're finally getting the hang of driving about. So, all's well. I best check on Isa and Sam.

This is a note for Seraph - we are at Heathro...

July 29, 2009 by Adam in Family

This is a note for Seraph - we are at Heathrow Airport in Terminal 3, next to the Avis desk (at the group meeting point). We will continue to wait there until we see you. Mom is going to look around other terminals in hopes she sees you. She has her cell phone.

And for everyone else - yes, we're having issues meeting Seraph, but hopefully everything will work out. I've dutifully fed Sam and taken him to the bathroom. It may be that I'll just ditch my mom and head to Portsmouth, though only as a last resort. With two cars and a second ferry at 7 pm (ours is at 4 pm), it gets a little tricky.

Ah, the joys of travel.

It's our last day in London

July 29, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's our last day in London. Sam's reading Harry Potter and we've just come down from breakfast. I think my mom is going to try to fit in one more visit to somewhere. After checking with Sam, I think he'd like to take it easy for a couple hours before we join up with Seraph, Robbie, and Isa. Sam didn't get quite as much sleep as the night before, and was up until close to midnight.

My mom is currently booking a second ferry ticket to the Isle of Wight now that we're taking two cars. Hopefully all of that will get sorted out and I'll manage to drive properly once we pick up the car. Once again, I'm not sure when I can post next. We'll see if somewhere near Ryde Castle has internet access.

We're back in our room, resting up before hea...

July 28, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're back in our room, resting up before heading out to dinner. We had another exciting day, going off to the Tower of London, eating lunch there, and then we were off to the Natural History Museum. The Tower had a Henry VIII exhibit, commemorating the 500th anniversary of his coronation. They had a pretty amazing collection of armor and weapons, including these crazy shield/gun combinations that seemed unwieldy at best. They also had a grand collection of cannons, some of which seemed truly gargantuan. Towards the end we saw some previously used crowns, the gems taken out and reused. It was a far shorter line than that for the crown jewels, which we passed on. The Natural History Museum had a grand entrance and wonderful exhibits. The dinosaur bones were a sight to behold, especially housed in the incredible main hall. I kept ignoring the displays and admiring the architecture. We didn't manage to see it all, but it was time to head back and get some rest. We just sorted out a couple bits of important business. We know now where and when to meet Seraph. As expected, the car we rented wouldn't fit all of us, so we'll end up taking two. I assured Sam that we could totally ditch the rest of our party if they become too unruly. Update: It's right before bed and Sam and I have assembled another of our daily travelogues. I'm not sure if we'll have Internet connections after tomorrow, though maybe we can find a cafe somewhere. It's possible Ryde Castle has wireless Internet. We went out to an Italian restaurant opposite the one we ate at a couple nights ago. Sam likely had his last pepperoni pizza for awhile. My mom thought our Italian waitress was flirting with me, but my guess is she was just being nice because she forgot my order. I assured my mom gravely that my heart belongs to another (that's you, Jamie).

We have been watching, and note a distinct fa...

July 28, 2009 by Jamie in Family

We have been watching, and note a distinct fatigue...hope you catch up on sleep soon. We want to hear more from the cinematographer and less from the incoherent sidekick (or allow him to compose his thoughts in prose and post after some consideration) We miss you both.
It is 100 degrees here (literally) and will be all week. We are envious of the cloudy skies you all are enjoying.
From Emma:
"I miss you...a lot. I hope you have fun Dad and Sam. I love you once more. It's hard to sleep because of the monsters. I hope you get me a souvenir. Once more I say this: I love you. Back to mom...."
Take care, global travellers! BH and Emmy

What a whirlwind day

July 27, 2009 by Adam in Family

What a whirlwind day. We took the tube to Central London and spent the drizzly part of the morning on the tour bus. It was actually pretty good and we saw all the major sights of London. Sam picked the one place he wanted to spend more time at, the London Dungeon. We circled back to the tour bus company, bought tickets, and hopped on the bus again to ride over. The second bus operator was pretty funny, telling of the amusing parts of London as we drove past. Eventually Sam and I got out for the London Dungeon while my mom wandered about for a couple hours. Sam had a pretty good time. The dungeon was a combination house of horrors and history lesson, telling of the more gruesome parts of London history. Sam and I kept discussing the mechanics of the ride, such as the mechanical seats that "cut your hair" for the Sweeney Todd room. After wandering about for awhile, we ate at a pub by the river. Sam enjoyed his bangers and mash, while I stuck to the salad. We took the Queen's Walk along the Thames, passing by the Tate and crossing the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral. A quick tube ride to the bed and breakfast and now it's time for bed.

Ah, sleep! Sam slept for eleven hours and I ...

July 27, 2009 by Adam in Family

Ah, sleep! Sam slept for eleven hours and I slept for about ten. The weather this morning made us feel quite at home, with rain turning to an overcast day. Since it's not cold, I think we'll be fine today. Sam's in great spirits today, wanting to get out and walk around. I'm so glad he's improved from yesterday.

We had an interesting breakfast this morning, chatting with the other travelers. First was a couple from Japan. The man was a student of English, and he cheerfully grilled Sam on his school and interests. Later we talked with an American living in Paris, visiting her sister. After downing a lot of toast and coffee, I finally got the courage to wake up my mother.

I think we'll soon head back to the tube and go to central London. The plan is to buy tickets for the bus tour and stop off at some of the various places we pass by.

We made it to London, safe and sound at the b...

July 26, 2009 by Adam in Family

We made it to London, safe and sound at the bed and breakfast. Though it's deep in London, it's surrounded by big trees and run by a very nice older couple. The upstairs bathroom has a submarine-like door, which Sam thought was very cool. Getting here was fairly challenging. Sam couldn't sleep on the long trip, and he wasn't partial to the food. By the time we got to London, he'd been up until the equivalent of 3:30 in the morning, with very little to eat. I got water into him, but otherwise not much else. The plane itself was pretty cool and had a built-in movie player. I managed to sleep for four hours and got a cup of coffee in the morning, so I'm relatively okay. Upon reaching London, my mom wasn't there to greet us. We looked around, found that there was a flight from New York coming nearly three hours later than expected. Sure enough, my mom arrived and we hopped on the Underground. The Underground was a giant mess, with a track closed due to someone "under the tracks". Later we discovered the line we were supposed to take was closed for the day. After a lot of hiking around and stopping briefly because Sam got sick, we made it here. Now we're off to find food for Sam, hopefully keeping him up another hour or two.

This is mostly a dry run for future video pos...

July 25, 2009 by Adam in Family

This is mostly a dry run for future video postings from abroad. At the moment we're sitting in the Portland airport waiting for our Calgary flight to arrive. Jamie dropped us off with kisses and we went in to get our tickets. Unfortunately they printed wrong and it wasn't until the fourth try before they came out right. I think we're all good now. Sam's good at least, when I asked him just now.

Happy Mocha Friday to all

July 25, 2009 by Adam in Family

Happy Mocha Friday to all. It's nearly the end of the day and we're safe and sound at Portland before we leave to England. I worked all morning, then came home to do a final packing. Most of all, I have my trip folder, which has everything from confirmation numbers to Google Map directions to everywhere we go.

Late tomorrow morning we fly out, stop by Calgary, and then take the long way to Heathrow. I'm going to try hard to sleep on the plane if I can, as we're showing up in London in the morning after a very long day. Hopefully I can post once we arrive.

Mom and I had our communal birthday party las...

July 22, 2009 by Adam in Family

Mom and I had our communal birthday party last night. It was full of family and food and the usual amount of chaos. I got a ton of presents. Since she wasn't there, I'd like to publicly thank Seraph for her awesome temporary tattoos and skull and crossbone ice tray. They're very cool.

I'm still in a daze thinking about the upcoming England trip, with only three days to go. Friday we're heading to Portland, and then Jamie's driving us to the airport to start our journey. Mom's been a madwoman this last week, getting places booked left and right. So far we're staying in two castles, a university dorm, and a farm house. Hopefully we can get a place in Oxford before we leave.

I still have stuff to get ready, but I'm feeling increasingly organized. My folder of driving directions, confirmation codes, and dates and times is coming together nicely. Hopefully by the time I leave I'll feel relatively content.

It's been a whirlwind last week

July 20, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's been a whirlwind last week. Mocha Friday came and went, as I was watching the kids while Jamie left to prepare for the wedding. In the morning we went blueberry picking with Sadie, Greg, Jenny, and the boys. In the afternoon I made jam and entertained the kids.

Saturday we made a quick library trip, and then we were off to Coulton for the wedding. As with most weddings, there were boring parts and exciting parts. Sam and I discussed why so many people cried at weddings. Eventually the kids and I went to bed while Jamie stayed up with the other grown ups.

Sunday was my birthday, and I got an impromptu singing at breakfast by a bunch of strangers. The kids and I explored the stream near our cabin, having a great time finding crawdads and jumping across rocks. The drive home seemed faster with Jamie driving, and we settled into an afternoon of unpacking and taking it easy.

I'm in my last week of preparation before our England trip next weekend. I'm feeling disorganized still and will likely spend the next couple days making reservations for places to stay and printing out directions, contact information, and the rest.

The weekend has come and gone

July 13, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend has come and gone. I'm sneaking in a quick post before I have to rush off to work again.

I spent a big chunk of the weekend working on the shed. Saturday we took a family expedition to Jerry's and loaded up on supplies. I spent most of the day painting the interior, stopping only when dinner rolled around. Emma and I had made bread, and that coupled with Jamie's delicious dinner and work-induced appetite really hit the spot.

On Sunday Jamie was gone for most of the day hiking and eating dinner with Pat and Carlanne. I took the kids to a library before the thunderstorm arrived. Emma helped with the shed, puttying baseboard. Eventually the kids started collecting spiders in the back yard, creating a terrarium out of an old fish tank. I finished the baseboard and put up one of the window casements. Unfortunately the second will have to wait as I ran out of supplies.

In general I'm really happy with how the shed has turned out and eager to let Jamie furnish the insides.

It's a bit of an odd week for me. Wednesday I'm off to visit with Greg and Sadie. Friday I'm off to watch the kids as Jamie gets ready for Dave's wedding. Somewhere in there I need to get Sam and I packed for the trip the weekend after next.

I have a few more sips of my Mocha sitting on...

July 10, 2009 by Adam in Family

I have a few more sips of my Mocha sitting on my desk. My boss is out today and I'll likely hunker down and focus on one of my bigger projects for our work's new Internet site. It's always nice when people are out, as then I can finally get things done.

Jamie and I had a lovely anniversary. The kids went to Dave and Kirsten's house while we went out to dinner and watched old movies. I haven't eaten at Adam's Place since they switched from "super fancy" to "local, sustainable, and affordable". I really liked their food and want to get back soon.

The kids were a little wonky yesterday, probably due to lack of sleep from staying over at Dave's. Sam managed to hurt Emma a couple times, though by the end of the day they'd mostly calmed down. The kids and I finished the first episode of the latest Monkey Island game. As expected, it was wonderful and very reminicent of days gone by.

We're having tea with my mom, Anita, and her niece tonight. As for the weekend, I'm hoping to do some serious work on staining the balcony and painting the shed. I'm incredibly busy for the next four weekends, so it's now or never.

I also wanted to encourage people to play with the Robot, which I resurrected after being turned off for a month. At that rate, he'll never take over the world.

It's already well into the new week

July 07, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's already well into the new week. Already the pace of life seems to be picking up again. Tomorrow my lovely wife and I celebrate fourteen years of wedded bliss. Next week Sadie comes to town. I've got a birthday after that and Dave's getting married. Towards the end of the month, I'm off to England. Yee haw.

In terms of our 4th of July weekend, we had a pretty good time. Jamie and Sam went up to Salem with Pat to watch a Civil War reinactment. Sam said the cannons were very loud and Jamie picked up a period bonnet for Emma. That night the kids stayed up really late setting off and watching fireworks. This was Emma's first year getting excited about the event, as previous years she'd just run and hide inside.

I spent Sunday with the kids while Jamie went and hung out at Fall Creek with Angie. We had a long hike at Hendrik's Park, with Sam making several unexpected nature observations. He correctly identified a weird growth as something from the potato wasp. Later on we stopped by Humble Bagel and then worked on art for the afternoon. The day was capped off with Jamie and I watching the last Foyle's War, a bittersweet ending to the series.

Yesterday Sam worked away at my mom's house. Getting paid for chores was evidently highly motivating. I'll have to remember that the next time I need my car washed.

It's Mocha Friday, though I've already downed...

July 03, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday, though I've already downed the last of that delicious ambrosia. Most of the folks at work have taken the day off, hopefully leaving me to work on my backlog of projects that has built up while I was away.

I think Jamie and the kids have settled into their Summer routine a little better than earlier in the week. Sam and Emma are generally playing well together and Jamie is figuring out how to get things done while managing both kids.

I've been having way too much fun turning the shed into a little home in our backyard. These days I'm globbing on putty to texture the walls, something I should finish up soon. Maybe in a couple weeks it'll actually be ready to move into.

Jamie and Sam are going up to Salem with Pat to watch a Civil War reinactment. I'm not sure what Emma and I will do while they're away. Maybe we'll set off some fireworks, go swimming, or just work on art projects.

July already

July 01, 2009 by Adam in Family

July already. Weird.

It's been a fairly strange week, adjusting to work for me and Summer vacation for Jamie and the kids. I've been swamped with work and struggling to stay on top of things.

Jamie's been struggling with the kids. Emma didn't go to her camp today, as she was emphasizing her dislike through running around and sobbing. Sam kept saying he was bored so often that Jamie started charging him each time he said it. Last night I made a list of things he could do. He thought the coolest items were setting fire to things with a magnifying glass and installing a fire escape ladder for the balcony.

We're back home

June 27, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're back home. Sigh. We still have the weekend ahead of us, and plenty of work awaits me. I stained a little of the balcony while watching Sam and Emma pour water in the sand box. Maybe tomorrow I'll try to do the rest. Here's the rest of the Bend trip, in exciting Thrill-o-Vision ™.

Its our last day in Bend

June 25, 2009 by Adam in Family

Its our last day in Bend. We're at Brant's house, hanging out and staying cool. Emma's playing on the Wii and Jame and Sam are walking around the grounds. We've had a quiet and lazy morning, going to a nearby water park to run around and swim.

We're hanging out at the Silverleaf Cafe in B...

June 24, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're hanging out at the Silverleaf Cafe in Bend after a long walk over. Jamie and Emma are finding a place to sit outside. Sam's gone off with Jim and Brant to catch some fish. It's yet another very lazy day.

Emma went horseback riding and loved it, drawing pictures of Snickers the horse when we got home. Yesterday at the pool she made me be Snickers and rode me around the pool.

Yesterday Jamie, Brant, and Sam floated down the Deshutes and returned home exhausted. Today everyone was up early to get Sam ready for fishing.

I think we'll take it easy today and hit Smith Rock tomorrow. Friday we return home to real life. I have work on the shed and balcony waiting for me.

Our lazy week in Bend continues

June 22, 2009 by Adam in Family

Our lazy week in Bend continues. This morning after breakfast I took the kids down to the river and we had a wonderful, muddy time. Jamie's watching them play by the pond at the cafe and then we're off to Emma's first horseback riding lesson.

We made it to Bend, safe and sound

June 21, 2009 by Adam in Family

We made it to Bend, safe and sound. I've managed to snag a wireless connection by driving to the nearby cafe at 5:30 on a Sunday morning while everyone else sleeps away. Hopefully I can get Skype working to wish my dad a happy Father's Day.

Everyone is definitely in vacation mode. We rented bikes and rode around Eagle Crest. Dave's here for the weekend and the kids and I went swimming with him. There have been lots of movies and playing Sims 3.

I suspect the rest of the week will be much of the same. It's very nice to be lazy from time to time.

It's Mocha Friday, and I just finished the la...

June 19, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday, and I just finished the last drop of that delicious elixir.

We're also off to Bend this afternoon. I spent this morning getting everything packed. I'm getting quite good at stripping down and preparing my computer for transport. We've all been playing Sims 3, which arrived earlier this week. Last night I decided to make a Sim for Sadie, who is well on her way to becoming a rock goddess.

Speaking of Sadie, I Skyped her after work from my little netbook. It was great to be able to carry her out to the shed and show off my work. She kept remarking how sunny and nice it was, so I tried to play up how gorgeous it's been in our little valley.

Sunday is Father's Day, and I'll sadly be far away from my dad. I'll throw out a premature "Happy Father's Day" just in case. There's an open wireless connection at Eagle Crest's cafe. I may try to sneak down and Skype him from there. Dad - if you get a call from "Robot", that's me.

I think we're all pretty excited to head off to Bend. I'll see if I can post while we're there. In a sense, it's a dry run for our England trip, which I'm hoping I can stay connected while we run about. Our days will likely be filled with swimming, hiking, and lounging about. Sam's scheduled for a few fishing trips with Jim and Brant, plus a trip down a river in intertubes.

Another weekend has come and gone

June 15, 2009 by Adam in Family

Another weekend has come and gone. I had dreams of puttying drywall last night, a testament to the amount of work I put into the shed. Sam helped me for a couple hours on Saturday and then everyone pitched in to help put up the ceiling. Now the lower part of the shed has all the walls up, and with a bit more putty work, I'll be ready for painting.

Emma was a little under the weather, so we didn't do anything too exciting. Saturday we made strawberry jam, which ended up tasting wonderfully. Saturday we walked around the neighborhood and went to the park. In between was a library trip and lots of playing with kids. Emma's reading is improving and last night Emma, Sam and I played a modified game of Apples to Apples. She would sound out the words and get it right about half the time. It's pretty exciting watching her figure it out.

The kids have a few more days of school and then we're off to Bend for next week. Fun, fun.

It's a fine Mocha Friday, a full cup of that ...

June 12, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's a fine Mocha Friday, a full cup of that delicious nectar of the gods resting before me.

It was an odd morning, with Sam over at John's house. As I went out the door, I heard a knocking from upstairs and Emma wanted to say goodbye before I left. She seems to have a bit of the sniffles, allergies perhaps. She was also disappointed that her day off school didn't include a day off of work for me.

Last night was the carnival at Crest drive. Sam ran off with his friends, Jamie manned one of the games, and Emma and I ran around winning prizes. She didn't do the crazy hair thing like years past, but did partake in the traditional squirt gun fight.

Jamie's taking the kids strawberry picking today. Hopefully that means we can do some jam making over the weekend. I also have plans to get more drywall for the shed and a ton of other things, so we'll see how ambitious I end up.

To top it off, tonight is pizza and Mythbusters. Jamie's off to have dinner with Angie's, so I'll have to make due with cramming on a tiny couch the kids, watching things blow up.

The week is halfway over, strangely enough

June 10, 2009 by Adam in Family

The week is halfway over, strangely enough. Yesterday the pollen count was the highest it has been in years, according to the paper. I was actually sniffling at work, which is unheard of.

The kids helped with the shed after work this week. I use the term loosely, as it typically involved sanding or puttying until the task became boring. Still, it's nice to build something tangible after my day job creating imaginary things. Hopefully this weekend we can pick up the rest of the drywall and start getting it up.

And a happy belated birthday to Sadie.

I'm laying in bed next to Emma, the parent fo...

June 07, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm laying in bed next to Emma, the parent for the morning. I have my cute little laptop perched precariously on my lap as I try to type on the little keyboard with my massive fingers.

Yesterday went pretty well, though Emma was under the weather the whole day. We had a stray dog wander into our yard. After trying the Lassie trick of tying on a leash and saying "go home", we were led around the block to no avail. Eventually we called animal services, which picked up the dog, and later the owners came by and I put them in touch. The dog's name was Honey, it turns out.

I managed a bit of project work, staining 1/4 of the new balcony and putting up some more drywall in the shed. I'll see if I can get the kids to help me some more today.

Chase came by and played with Sam for a good long while, too.

It's another Mocha Friday, though I'm here at...

June 05, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday, though I'm here at home instead of work. As such, I made my own brew this morning, cheerfully steaming away as the kids ate breakfast.

Jamie's off to the coast with Pat, Carlanne, and the rest of the crew. I'll be watching the kids and trying to work on the house when I can.

June already

June 03, 2009 by Adam in Family

June already. I can't believe that Sam and I will be in England next month. I guess we better figure out where we're staying soon, lest we become tramps and live under bridges.

Sunday was pleasant, with Sam and I working on the shed. I insulated about half of the inside and put up a couple sheets of drywall. The drywall was taking awhile, as I picked the most challenging part of the shed to do first. With Jamie out this upcoming weekend, I may not be able to finish for awhile, but hopefully I can get some more and wrap things up.

The balcony is basically finished, waiting for us to stain it and paint the side of the house where the old balcony was attached. Last night in the middle of the thunderstorm, I stood out on it and watched the rain pour down and the lightning light up the sky.

We had a wild and wacky day today

May 31, 2009 by Adam in Family

We had a wild and wacky day today. Jamie made a wonderful breakfast and it was another hot and gorgeous day out. I fiddled with the shed some more, taking measurements in preparation for putting up walls. Then Sam and I met up with my dad and saw the new Terminator movie.

In the afternoon, Jamie went to Pat and Carlanne's. The kids and I played, with Sam and Emma making up a game involving dice, plastic hex pieces, and monster figurines. Eventually Jamie returned to take Sam to a play date with Chase, leaving Emma and I to get in trouble with Playdough and bubbles.

Now I'm sitting next to Sam as he takes a bath, typing on my new netbook, and getting ready to show him the videos I took of them eating Pop Rocks this afternoon. Life doesn't get any better.

It's Mocha Friday once again, another incredi...

May 29, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday once again, another incredibly beautiful day here in the Willamette Valley. Sadie Skype'd me the other day and she was showing off the birthday present she's making me. It's a big woodcut poster that looks like an Art Nuveau advertisement for coffee, except it reads "Mocha Friday". I'm horribly excited.

The house has been absolutely gorgeous these last couple weeks. Jamie and I have both been working hard to get the garden together, set up the patio, and generally keep things nice. We ate outside last night and felt very European. Hopefully the balcony will be finished up today and we can start on the landscaping in earnest.

Sam's excited to put walls up in the shed, after last weekend's successes. I'm going to see if I can coordinate with my dad to move sheetrock and insulation around. I think this shed may end up being pretty nice looking.

Tonight is pizza and Mythbusters. I believe the episode involves blowing up ice. Well, in the end something is bound to explode.

It was quite the fun-filled weekend, with bir...

May 26, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was quite the fun-filled weekend, with birthday parties galore.

On Saturday, it was mostly the kids and I hanging out after the usual morning library trip. We ended up exploring behind the new hospital, looking at fish in the river and walking about. Later we hit up Michael's and did craft projects for the rest of the day.

Sunday was Emma's birthday, which was Chinese themed. The weather was gorgeous again, so we hung out outside and ate really good food.

Monday morning, Sam and I put in flooring for the shed. It ended up looking so nice that I've decided it needs walls next. In the afternoon, Emma and I went to Jenny's party. We jumped on the trampoline, hung out in the hot tub, and played with the new puppy.

It was all great fun, and strangely I'm a little excited to get to work today. I'm in the middle of an interesting project and I'm looking forward to get into it again.

It's another Mocha Friday, though that delici...

May 22, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday, though that delicious nectar is long gone. It's also becoming "Pizza and Mythbusters" day, when the kids and I cram on to a couch and watch the other Adam and Jamie blow up cars and do weird things in the name of science.

We've had a few highs and lows over the week, though generally things are going well. Sam finally got his multiplication tables memorized after a lot of hard work, which earned him a copy of the Braid game. Of course, he's too busy playing Plants versus Zombies, which is lots of fun.

Emma turns six next week, but we're having a birthday party on Saturday. Jenny's is on Monday, so it looks to be a busy weekend for all. I'll be taking Monday off to fit it all in.

It was a wild and wacky weekend, with more hi...

May 18, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was a wild and wacky weekend, with more highs and lows than usual. The weather was gorgeous, feeling entirely like Summer. We dined out on the patio and ran around with minimal clothes on.

We got a new neighbor who has two kids that are roughly the same as our own. Saturday night, all the neighborhood kids had an epic squirtgun fight and I finally drove them off my yard so I could throw my own in a warm bath.

The low was Sunday afternoon, trying to get everyone to go on a canoe trip. It quickly devolved into a Voyage of the Damned. I admittedly lost my cool, yelling at Sam after his behavior devolved into tyranny. On the trip back to the car, I felt like flogging someone. Fortunately by nightfall, everyone seemed to be on better terms.

It's another Mocha Friday already

May 15, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday already. Time certainly goes quickly these days.

Last weekend was pretty typical, with a family walk to the library and playing around the house. Over this last week, the kids finally seem over their assorted colds and went back to school full time.

The balcony is nearly done and we've been walking around on it to check out the view. This weekend I might screw up my courage and start working on the shed floor and the rest of the painting. Supposedly the weather will be gorgeous, so I'd love to take the kids on a canoe ride in the mill race.

Jamie's gearing up for Emma's Chinese-themed birthday party. Tonight is pizza and Mythbusters. Life is good.

Another Mocha Friday, at least in another hou...

May 08, 2009 by Adam in Family

Another Mocha Friday, at least in another hour when I head in to work. We had a bumpy work week, with lots of technical problems. I'm hoping that they're finally done with and I can get back to my usual computer tinkering.

Sam was sick and home from school for a couple days. He listened to the audio book Little Brother, which he really enjoyed. Now he's moved on the Larry Niven's Draco Tavern, I think. Even though we had lots of jokes about swine flu, I think he just had a cold.

Emma continues to be a bit out of sorts as well. She's been very sensitive and seems to be hit with a wide variety of aches and pains. The other day I came home to her crying and demanding "Mac and cheese!" over and over. I think she must be going through some growth period, as it's a little out of character.

As for the weekend, I'm hoping Sam, my dad, and I can all see Star Trek. Tomorrow is a festival at a winery that Jamie was thinking about taking the family to, but the weather may put that on hold. Sunday is Mother's Day, of course, so I'll give a quick shout out to my dear old mother.

The weekend has come to a close and I'm back ...

May 04, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend has come to a close and I'm back at work.

Saturday was a little unusual, with Emma and I spending a lot of time together. Sam wasn't interested in going to the library or going swimming afterwards, so it was just the two of us. Emma rarely gets alone time with me, so I think it was a bit of a treat.

Sunday morning we braved the outdoors and headed to Mount Pisgah. The weather was gorgeous in the morning and we headed out for the summit, walkie-talkies in hand. Once again, Sam decided he didn't want to go along, so we left him standing on the trail for twenty minutes or so as we headed upwards for awhile, then came back down and took some lower trails. I sent Sam off by himself with one of the walkie talkies, which he thought was terribly exciting. He returned exhausted, right before the rains started to fall.

Jamie had friends over in the evening and the kids and I huddled in the basement. We played a long list of games and dug out some of the old toys that we no longer touched. Then it was the typical bath, snack, and bedtime, with me sneaking away for a few moments of peace before collapsing to sleep myself.

It's already Mocha Friday, though I'm still a...

May 01, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's already Mocha Friday, though I'm still at home, marveling at how quickly the week went by.

Emma's had a rough time of it these last couple weeks, spending a lot of time at home from school. She's also been eating a ton of food, so we're thinking it's a combination of a cold and growing pains. Fortunately she was much more perky yesterday and went to school, so I think she's returning to normal.

Our big house project is nearly done. When we first bought the house, it had this great balcony that the inspector informed us had dry rot. It's been on our list for years to replace it, and it seems that today it'll finally be finished. It's a much larger balcony, and already I can see Jamie scheming what to do with it. I'll likely end up painting something along the way.

I think we're trying for a very normal weekend, with no one going anywhere or doing anything. Theoretically I have all the supplies to put the floor down in the shed. Actually accomplishing it may require quite a bit of liquid courage, or "coffee" as Jamie calls it.

On a travel nerd note, I added an "England trip" link to the left where Seraph, mom, and I are planning our trip. I'm fond of the Google Calendar/Yahoo Maps mash-up that combines the calendar events with where we'll be. Hopefully we can add more as we know where we're staying when.

It's Monday morning and I'm off to work soon

April 27, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Monday morning and I'm off to work soon. Jamie made it back safe and sound.

Sunday started with crepes this time, and we hung around the house until it was time to go off exploring in the swamps of Alton Baker Park. Sam had a great time, to the point where I had him change his clothes in the car. He had a good time wading through the millrace and exploring tributaries. Emma thought the baby Canada geese were cool.

We've had a very exciting day, making lots of...

April 26, 2009 by Adam in Family

We've had a very exciting day, making lots of things. At the moment, the kids are upstairs, threading spaghetti noodles through hot dogs. I mentioned that someone invented such a thing recently and they begged me to try it. I'll report how it went later.

Emma had a really bad ear ache last night, which seems completely better today. Otherwise we've been having a good time. I made pancakes, bacon, and grapefruit for breakfast, which everyone loved. After that we went to the library, ate bagels, and returned with treasures. On the way home we stopped by Jerry's and picked up some flooring for the shed. Fortunately the instructions say to wait, so I won't be able to work until next weekend.

I best run back upstairs, as I'm not sure how long they'll last on their noodle and hot dog project without me.

Update: They loved the noodles and hot dogs.

I'm finishing up my Friday Mocha, after makin...

April 24, 2009 by Adam in Family

I'm finishing up my Friday Mocha, after making some changes to my work's home page.

It's been a generally good week, though we had a few moments here and there. Emma had a bad cold or allergies during the beginning of the week. I came home and found her in the bath, looking sad. She informed me she was sick and "bleeding internally," holding up her finger to show off a blood blister.

Jamie's off to Portland tonight. After dinner yesterday, the kids and I were making a master plan of everything we wanted to do. Jamie was a little sad that we were having so much fun without her. Sam reassured her that it's all things we'd normally do, but since my memory is so bad, we have to make a list. Always the diplomat.

For tonight, it's pizza and Mythbusters. After that, I want to get the kids outside and do a few projects. I suggested to Sam that we put in flooring for the shed. "Hey, I can use area! We're doing area in math," he informed me.

The house project is also in full swing. Earlier this week they poured concrete and yesterday they took down the existing balcony. Before too long, I expect we'll have a new balcony ready to go. We opted not to do the stairs down to the back yard, which I think is a wise decision the cost and room it would take were a bit much.

Happy Earth Day to all

April 22, 2009 by Adam in Family

Happy Earth Day to all. As I was leaving the house this morning, Jamie suggested that the kids go kiss a tree or something. She's always so helpful.

Poor Emma is sick, I think with more than simple allergies. Jamie was over at a friend's last night, so the kids were stuck with me. I did my usual chick patties and mashed potato dinner, and distracted them all with an episode of Mythbusters.

I had a touch of a headache as well, probably from running outside on the concrete. Fortunately it was pretty mild and some quiet and a bowl of cereal hit the spot. I ended up incredibly warm last night, tossing off the covers and throwing open the window. It's so weird that last week it was snowing in town.

It's been a wild weekend, with endless partie...

April 20, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's been a wild weekend, with endless parties and family events. Friday night was the grand Firefly party. Poor Emma was nearly in tears on the way over, tired from a busy week. Fortunately she perked right up when we got there and all the kids had a great time playing on the trampoline. It was a rare treat to hang out with my sisters, combined with the fact that I got to play Mal Reynolds, the captain of the Serenity. Any party with nerd references is a success in my book.

Saturday was more low-key. Jamie and Sam went over to my mom's to cook. Sam and Isa built a fort in the backyard while Jamie made perogies. Emma and I went to the library and played in the backyard as the weather was so nice. Eventually we all returned home and had a quiet evening.

Today began with Jamie's fine crepes and fresh fruit. Once fortified, I headed to the back yard to mow and paint. After that, we stayed outside in the sun as much as possible before heading to Easter dinner. There was endless food and chatting. In particular, I felt quite happy getting the grand England trip sorted out.

Hopefully the memories of a fun-filled weekend will get us through the week ahead.

It's another of those wonderful Mocha Fridays...

April 17, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another of those wonderful Mocha Fridays, though I've yet to head into work and partake of that delicious ambrosia.

It's been a very full week, with Sadie, Seraph, and Isa in town. Jamie's been busy in the evenings, which I fortunately covered for with an early Mythbuster's night (the rocket sled part was awesome, especially Adam's reaction).

I took yesterday off and Seraph and I got into all sorts of mischief. After a long breakfast at the Glenwood, talking about politics and long-term plans, we embarked on a grand shopping expedition. It was immensely successful and my wardrobe feels entirely refreshed. I ended up with new shoes, shirts, and pants, all of which I was forced to try on at Old Navy to get Sadie's advice. In the afternoon we hung out at home, entertaining Emma, the robot, and ourselves.

Tonight is the Serenity party which should be mad fun. As for the weekend, there's Easter and vacation planning with Seraph. I know Jamie's headed to help with the cooking madness tomorrow. Hopefully in between all these things we can manage a bit of rest and relaxation.

A big "oops" from me, as the site was down fo...

April 14, 2009 by Adam in Family

A big "oops" from me, as the site was down for several days. I finally got into my router and did the necessary brain surgery. Hopefully all is working again.

It was quite the exciting weekend, extremely ...

April 13, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was quite the exciting weekend, extremely full of events. Friday night was pizza and Mythbusters, with Jamie going out for dinner with friends. Saturday we headed out with Sadie to pick up Firefly-themed outfits from Goodwill. We also ended up dyeing eggs, with Emma being fond of of my candy-corn colored one.

Easter had the kids hunting for eggs around the house, but otherwise just hung out and enjoyed the lazy day. Towards the evening we headed over to my mom's for Easter dinner.

Good times.

Ah, sweet Mocha Friday

April 10, 2009 by Adam in Family

Ah, sweet Mocha Friday. This has quickly become a favorite day for Sam as well, as the day wraps up with pizza and Mythbusters. Both the kids are out of school today, and Jamie has a day of activities lined up. I think Friday is Jamie's favorite day of the week too, as it marks the transition to having a break from the kids for awhile.

The week has gone along fairly well. Sam continues to work on memorizing the multiplication table, doing sevens and eights this weekend. Emma's reading and writing continues to improve. This week she took a picture of her class and colored them all to look like wizards from her favorite game, Wizard 101. At the top she wrote "WIZRD".

I'm horribly excited to see my sisters this weekend. Tomorrow morning the plan is to go out and get costumes for the party and hopefully take Sadie and the kids swimming. I'm trying hard to leave Jamie in a quiet house for a few hours, something she hasn't had much of this week. Once Seraph arrives, I want to get the England trip dates nailed down and get that as planned as possible.

I hope everyone memorizes a few choice Chinese phrases for Sadie's Firefly party. Ai-yah. Tyen-ah.

The weekend has come and gone and I'll soon b...

April 06, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend has come and gone and I'll soon be pulled away into a work meeting.

Friday night was our usual pizza and Mythbusters. Saturday I managed to finish our taxes, go to the library, and paint much of the hidden part of the shed. Towards the evening, Jamie went off with Angie and the kids and I had another round of Mythbusters after dinner.

Sunday was mostly spent frolicking about in the sun. In the morning, we power washed the porch and patched concrete. Jamie went over to Angie's in the afternoon and the kids and I made fairy houses out of plant parts. In the evening Jamie and I walked to Turtles for a great dinner while Josh watched the kids. Good times.

It's another Mocha Friday, though that delici...

April 03, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday, though that delicious elixir is long gone. I had to switch coffee places this morning as my typical one closed. I ended up going to a Starbucks, which was suitably caffienated.

Friday night has become a new favorite in the household, as that's the day we eat pizza and watch Mythbusters. Both kids are enamored of the combination of cheese and explosions, I suppose.

The week has generally been good. It looks like I'm getting some money back from taxes, so our house project may restart (though perhaps slightly modified in terms of cost). Sam had fun at fencing yesterday and seems to be enjoying school more. Emma is sweet as always, waving goodbye to me from the upstairs window.

I'm not sure if we have any exciting weekend plans. We haven't gone swimming in weeks, which I miss. A library trip is a certainty, especially with Emma starting to read. It's been really exciting seeing her discover the wonders of written language. She's very fond of writing little notes to everyone these days.

We went over to my mom's Sunday night and wer...

March 31, 2009 by Adam in Family

We went over to my mom's Sunday night and were stuffed full of good middle eastern food. Jamie made chocolate cookies, which the kids couldn't get enough of.

Yesterday I headed back to work, though the kids had one final day of vacation. Emma went to her first Karate class, which she loved. Jamie's planning on signing her up for ongoing classes.

Other than that, it was a fairly uneventful afternoon. We played on the computer, ate dinner, and did our normal bath and bedtime routine. With school starting today, it's good to get everyone ready for the schedule.

It's the final day of four luxurious days awa...

March 29, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's the final day of four luxurious days away from work. The first couple were quite productive, taking advantage of the warm and sunny weather. I painted the two sides of the shed you can normally see, though I think Jamie may eventually make me paint the other sides. I still haven't decided what to do with the interior. So far, it's been fine as-is, with the kids using it as a play house.

Yesterday was wet and lazy. We stayed inside and did very little. The highlights were watching Mythbusters, playing Pretty, Pretty Princess with Emma, and doing art projects.

It's a Mocha Wednesday for me today, as I'm t...

March 25, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's a Mocha Wednesday for me today, as I'm taking the last two days of Spring Break off. It was great having my family back Monday night, as I was missing everyone terribly. The kids were like wild puppies, leaping all over me when I came home from work.

Everyone is settling into vacation, though I think it's been harder for Jamie. Her favorite aerobics instructor stopped teaching classes due to job reductions at the hospital, and she's been spending a lot of time with the kids lately. Hopefully I can give her some time to herself tomorrow.

I'm hoping we get a little sun tomorrow and I can recruit the kids into painting the shed. As my mother taught me, there's nothing like some honest hard work to build character.

I did a bit more work on my long project list...

March 23, 2009 by Adam in Family

I did a bit more work on my long project list yesterday, despite the rain. The kid's beds are all made, I folded laundry, and filled in some holes in the front yard. Still, I was a little lazier than planned, and never did find the right paint for the shed. It was probably best that I avoided it, though, as hail and freezing weather doesn't help paint dry much.

It was fun going over to Jenny and Dad's for dinner. Mostly I helped get all their computers running smoothly and set Sadie up so everyone could talk to her via webcam. I remember how we used to all get together for dinner and miss Sadie. Now we all get together and miss Seraph. Hopefully some of that stimulus money will get Internet access to her house so she doesn't have to live in primitive squalor.

It's been very strange being by myself these ...

March 22, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's been very strange being by myself these last couple days. Fortunately it seems that everyone in my family wants to hang out with me. Friday night I chatted via webcam with Sadie, yesterday I watched a movie with dad, tonight I'm going to Jenny's for dinner, and tomorrow I'm having dinner with mom. Somewhere in there I'm trying to manage to get my long list of projects finished, though the dreary weather isn't helping much. I was thinking about painting the shed, but the weather isn't cooperating.

I got to talk to Emma on the phone last night. I miss the kids already.

It's Mocha Friday

March 20, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday. Emma came downstairs to help get me ready for work and give me a goodbye kiss. Jamie and the kids are off to the beach after school, so I won't see them until their return. The kids have been lots of fun lately, and Emma has been especially sweet.

It's supposed to rain the next couple days, but perhaps I can get supplies and work on the interior of the shed. I already have a couple social events set up this weekend, including seeing Dad and Jenny's new house. Mostly, though, my hope is to hunker down and get a lot of projects done around the house.

Work is crazy busy, mostly through my own doing. We're down a staff person, so I offered to help get through our backlog of work. That's added to my normal work, so I'm frantically busy most of the time. Still, it's nice being busy and gainfully employeed. Can't beat that.

Oh, and the robot is briefly on and active, though I doubt the batteries will hold out very long. Maybe I can find a solution to that pressing issue as well.

The weekend was pleasant and lazy, and we're ...

March 17, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend was pleasant and lazy, and we're already up to Tuesday. I was a bit cranky and had a headache yesterday, even yelling at Sam, which I almost never do. Today I took the occasional Advil, but still managed a four mile run at lunch today. Sam was sick yesterday, but hopefully everyone's on the mend today.

I find myself in awe of Jamie's ability to whip up interesting and tasty meals. Last night was asian themed, with everyone eating chopsticks. It's one of the few times where I slow down at meals. Getting those individual peanuts tends to take some concentration.

Sam's been having us help him practice his multiplication facts. Today he's tackling his fours and fives. I think he's been feeling behind in math and some successes would do him good.

Emma's magically learning how to read, sounding things out better each day. I love watching the kids figure things out and get excited about learning something new. Emma's always asking me about the science news of the day during dinner time.

Another Mocha Friday

March 13, 2009 by Adam in Family

Another Mocha Friday.

It's been an odd week, mostly at work where the general stress levels have been fairly high. It looks like we'll be asked to cut our budget, but fortunately I think our team will be okay in terms of layoffs. There are also hints of a new system office being built, either in Seattle or Portland. There's no hint yet of whether or not they'll try to move the 300+ people in our department to the new location. I think it's unlikely, especially any time soon, but these times are more uncertain than I'd like.

Sam had fencing yesterday, and I entertained Emma while he dueled away. Afterwards it was so nice and sunny that the kids ran around in the yard while I enjoyed feeling sunlight on my skin. I tried to run outside at lunch on Tuesday and nearly froze.

Jamie's preparing a pioneer dinner this weekend, and it looks like all sorts of interesting folks might drop by. Her dad in particular is coming down, I think. Otherwise this is the last weekend with the kids before spring break. Next weekend I'll be working on the shed non-stop.

I've decided to leave the robot activated this morning, warning Jamie that strangers may be controlling a webcam in our basement. Feel free to give my quirky experiment a try. Robot gets lonely.

I can't believe it's Wednesday already

March 11, 2009 by Adam in Family

I can't believe it's Wednesday already.

The weekend was a blur. I helped dad move Saturday morning and then headed back to manage kids. Jamie was off for most of the day, so we puttered around and I did my usual entertainment. Sunday was much of the same, though we managed a long trip to the playground in the morning before the weather turned completely miserable.

We're starting to see some layoffs at work and other cost-cutting measures. I'm pretty sure my job is safe, specially since the stimulus package specifically has money for IT healthcare spending. Still, Jamie was not happy when she came back from the gym and discovered that her aerobics instructor was cut from teaching her classes.

I ran outside yesterday, the first time in months. It was freezing cold and my lungs hurt when I went back inside to finish on the treadmill. I only managed two miles before it started to rain and get really miserable.

The kids and I are having lots of fun with Sam's robot. Expect some news about it soon.

Another Mocha Friday

March 06, 2009 by Adam in Family

Another Mocha Friday. Sadly I finished my last sip and I'm munching on carrots. Jamie and the kids are at home today as there's no school. I think Jamie has wisely lined up a morning play date, so hopefully the kids won't go too wild.

Happy birthday, dad. I'm planning on seeing everyone bright and early tomorrow morning for the big move. It'll be fun to see the new house.

I've been doing some experiments with hooking up Sam's Lego robot up to the Internet. It's pretty technically challenging, but I think I figured out the hardest part so far. We'll see if I can make it self-aware and search for Sarah Conner before the end of the weekend.

Tonight is pizza and movie night, at least according to the kids. We'll probably push the couch in front of my computer and watch another Mythbuster's episode. Good times.

It's the end of a busy Monday, and I'm tired

March 03, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's the end of a busy Monday, and I'm tired.

Fortunately the weekend was great, filled with library trips, swimming with Emma, and hanging out with the kids. We performed several science experiments, the most exciting being mixing two chemicals that produce carbon dioxide when wet, then covering that with something that turns to gel when wet. It made for some slow-motion bubbles.

We had a fun walk through the alleys near our house, taking advantage of a short break in the drizzle. Friday and Saturday nights we had a Mythbuster viewing, much to the kids' delight. Sunday night we went to my mom's for dinner.

As for this week, I'm taking my dad to get his second eye fixed early Wednesday. On Saturday morning we're moving him to the new house. Busy, busy.

It's yet another Mocha Friday and I have half...

February 27, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's yet another Mocha Friday and I have half a cup of that delicious beverage next to me. Work has been crazy busy, but hopefully today will be a little quieter. I have a few things to deal with in the queue, but I'm hoping they're not too overwhelmingly difficult.

The family decided to have a pizza and movie night tonight, but the problem immediately became which movie to watch. I eventually offered up Mythbusters, which everyone was enthusiastic about (you can't be explosions). I think we'll push the couch into my office and perhaps run the video on all three computers so that people can use their screen of choice.

Tomorrow morning I'm helping my dad move into the new house. I haven't seen it yet, so that should be exciting. I'm a little scared of his big t.v. as I haven't been hitting the weights for many months. I love running, but I'm not feeling quite like the burly man I used to be.

Otherwise, live has been simple and good. I constantly thank Jamie for fixing up assorted delicous soups and salads for me, doing my laundry, and keeping my cereal stash fully stocked.

Sam had a ton of math to do last night after fencing. While he sits in the tub, I try to grill him on his multiplication tables. Last night at dinner we were talking about the benefits of fiber and Sam exclaimed, "It's like nature's chimney sweep."

Emma's starting to read and do math. Yesterday she was showing me the difference between odd and even numbers by moving my fingers around. She's also keen on gymnastics and we're trying to get her into Karate somehow.

Life is busy, but fun, as always.

The weekend has come and gone

February 23, 2009 by Adam in Family

The weekend has come and gone. It was extremely lazy, fun, and pleasant. Mostly I hung out at the house with the kids, along with a birthday party for Dave with way too many desserts. Emma and Jamie continue to sniffle along with the cold, but I think they're both on the mend.

It's another Mocha Friday

February 20, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another Mocha Friday. The drive to work was beautiful, the sunrise making beautiful patterns in the fog. I passed by a house with a mold-covered limosine parked in their front yard. It seemed strangely poingnant.

It's been a hard week for Jamie and the kids. Emma has been sick all week and Sam was out yesterday. Somehow Jamie has kept her spirits up, and when I left this morning she and Emma were making rice pudding for Dave's birthday this weekend.

I'm hoping we get to do some fun, quiet things this weekend. Swimming and library trips are high on my list.

It was a very full and chaotic Valentine's Day

February 15, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was a very full and chaotic Valentine's Day. I think tomorrow I'm going to deliberately do as little as possible, with the exception of the Asian Celebration which we missed today.

We started with Jamie's Swedish pancakes that she left for us before the trip. They were delicious and the kids loved them. Next was a library trip, which they weren't always keen about. They had their moments of fun and we returned with a ton of goodies and some bagels on the way home.

My dad came over and hung out with everyone. I think the kids especially liked playing with Google Earth on his iPhone. Eventually we sent him along and the kids and I played outside. I tried to get some painting in, but everyone got too cold and we went in and had some quiet time. Later still, we all went off to my mom's for dinner.

At the moment, it's 10:30 pm and I'm waiting for Sam to return from Swan Lake. I think the ballet ended a few minutes ago, so he'll hopefully arrive soon. Then it's getting him into bed and collapsing myself.

Tomorrow Jamie returns. Hopefully early.

It was a Friday, and I made myself a Mocha in...

February 14, 2009 by Adam in Family

It was a Friday, and I made myself a Mocha in the morning as the kids got ready for the day. Jamie got ready for her trip, Emma and I made french bread, and then her friend Stella came over to play. Jamie left and I took both girls to school, where I stayed to help with her Valentine's Day party. It was fun and I got to assist 22 kids decorate their Valentine loot bags. Afterwards I took the kids home where we watched a little bit of a movie, played Kung Fu, and they're now playing on computers as I get ready to make dinner.

Sam got an award for Academic Excellence at the assembly, which I thought was pretty cool. Emma was very sweet in her class and was quite happy that I attended.

The weekend starts tomorrow, probably a mix of the usual events and a trip to the Asian Celebration.

It's Mocha Thursday for me

February 12, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Thursday for me. Tomorrow Jamie goes to the beach and I'm going to entertain the kids somehow. Last night we broke out Sam's magic kit and Emma and I showed him tricks while he lay in bed.

I'll probably do the usual swimming and library trips tomorrow. I'm hoping Saturday is warm and dry enough to take the kids on a hike. We'll see how it goes.

I just got back from taking dad to his eye su...

February 11, 2009 by Adam in Family

I just got back from taking dad to his eye surgery and dropping him off at his apartment. He was quite chipper afterwards, which is good since we'll go in to do the second eye in a few weeks. He'll probably still need to wear glasses, though the prescription should be lots less.

Sam's been sick all week, with a headache and sniffles. On Monday, he read all my old Dungeons and Dragons manuals, and yesterday he finished a book about dragons. I'm not sure how he'll pass the time today.

I haven't quite gotten mentally prepared for Jamie being gone this weekend. Hopefully everyone is feeling better and we can embark on a few adventures.

It's another sweet Mocha Friday

February 06, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another sweet Mocha Friday.

The week has been puttering along. I had a meeting blissfully cancelled yesterday, freeing me up to get caught up on most of my work. In the afternoon I went to watch Sam fence and Emma play with her friends. I think they've started a "sisters of fencers" support group. Later Sam hunkered down with his homework, which he unhappily finished with more property damage than I would have liked.

I'm very much looking forward to an ordinary weekend. Everyone will be at home, after Jamie and the kids being gone last weekend, and with Jamie gone next weekend. I'm hoping to do the usual library and swimming. Perhaps I can take Sam to Coraline, as I love Neil Gaiman and look forward to seeing the modern version of 3D movies. So far, all I can tell is that the new glasses are way more stylish than the red and blue paper ones.

Update: I had to post this picture of Emma. Sam decided she was "Sparkle Rambo."

The week has been going by so quickly, with w...

February 04, 2009 by Adam in Family

The week has been going by so quickly, with work dashing from one crisis to another. I'm hoping that I'll actually have some time today to be able to sit down and do planned work. Maybe.

It was great seeing everyone when they came back from their trip on Sunday. Jamie didn't get much sleep and was on kid overload, but I think every enjoyed going to the children's museum in Salem and the forestry center in Portland. After their return, I spent the afternoon at the park, digging up loads of clay from beneath the sand. So far, Jamie hasn't allowed them to fire clay pots in the oven.

It was good to get back into the school routine. Jamie finally got some sleep, and the kids are settling down. Sam's homework seems pretty steep these days, and even Emma is bringing home books to read to us. Life seems good and busy, as always.

It's been a pleasant and quirky day

February 01, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's been a pleasant and quirky day. Jamie and the kids are up in Portland and I've been knocking about the house for the last couple days.

I made myself blueberry pancakes and espresso this morning, as I wouldn't want to miss out on my favorite part of the weekend. Later I drove to True Value to get bark-o-mulch, visited the library for books and movies, and spend the rest of the morning weeding and spreading mulch around the plants.

I toyed with painting this afternoon, but it was just too cold. I instead did laundry and assorted chores. Hopefully Jamie will be gleeful that I finally cleaned and painted the rusty part on our oven.

I had dinner with my mom and Bob, escaping with only a few of the things she's been trying to get rid of. As my mom explained to me, the children of dentists get their teeth cleaned regularly. Children of probate lawyers get stuff divided up early.

I had a really fun time talking to Sadie over the webcam tonight. As for tomorrow, I'll probably do a few more chores and eagerly await my family's return.

It's midway through my Friday mocha

January 30, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's midway through my Friday mocha. I've taken care of my critical work things and I have a brief respite before the madness starts anew. It's been busier than usual, though I'm keeping a cheerful attitude about it. My "happy place" is starting to get a worn-in look.

Jamie and the kids are off to Portland this morning, stopping by the children's museum in Salem. Emma called me up yesterday and announced that she'd miss me, then followed up by asking if she could chop off my head and keep her company. That's my girl.

As for me, I'm being a bachelor for a couple days. Hopefully the weather is good enough to paint tomorrow. If so, I'll be working on the shed and maybe doing some landscaping. Tonight, though, I've got to make a shopping run and stock up on the relevant bachelor supplies like bread and tofu pate.

We had a good weekend, very typical in many ways

January 27, 2009 by Adam in Family

We had a good weekend, very typical in many ways. There were library trips and swimming. Sam and I played with his Mindstorms Lego robot. Jamie made all sorts of delicious meals.

It looks like this next weekend will be a little unusual. Jamie's taking the kids to Portland, leaving me a bachelor for a day. I'm tentatively planning some project work, either on the shed or around the yard. If it's sunny and relatively warm, like the forecast says, then I'll be painting until my arms fall off.

It's another delicious Mocha Friday

January 23, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's another delicious Mocha Friday. I'm settling in at work, reading e-mail and catching up.

Sam injured his knee yesterday, jumping over a pig. In his gym class, they were stacking objects and leaping over them. He'd stacked foam pads, a block, and a toy pig. Evidently the pig was too much, and he got a good bonk on landing. Fencing was out, but he was feeling better at the end of the day.

Jamie went off with Angie and Victoria after her gym, so I didn't see her until late. Fortunately she'd made a delicious lasagne so I didn't have to terrorize the children with my cooking skills. The kids ended up playing this elaborate pretend game, leaving me to putter around and get some chores done.

As for this weekend, I don't think we're doing much of great importance. It's still too cold to paint, though maybe I'll arrange to pick up supplies for the shed. I'd love to go to the library and swimming, as always.

Today was the inauguration

January 21, 2009 by Adam in Family

Today was the inauguration. Sam watched it in his classroom today. We managed to bring down our Internet connection at work, as so many people were trying to watch it. Sam thought the whole experience was pretty cool.

The weekend was good, with an extra day for Martin Luther King day. We had a great time at the park on Sunday, with Sam swinging as high as possible. There was playing with Mindstorm Legos, playing pretend with Emma, and going swimming. My mom and Bob came over for a delicious cake.

Sam did manage to get his face whacked pretty hard when playing with Sophia, taking a big ball to the face while holding a camera. Emma's foot was hurt when Sam accidentally jumped on it. To top it off, everyone has a bit of a cold.

Still, our spirits are high. Maybe it's the new president.

It's mocha Friday and I'm nearly done with th...

January 16, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's mocha Friday and I'm nearly done with that delicious beverage of choice. I'm gleeful that the web site is still working, as there were some tricky parts after my ISP made some changes. Regardless, adamandjamie.com lives on.

The week has been going well. Sam's getting used to his new hair cut. He went to fencing last night and a few of his fencing buddies noticed the dramatic change. Sam was secretly happy that he could beat his good friend John. I pointed out that he should help make fencing as fun as possible for his friend, otherwise he'll move on to another sport. Vanquishing your foes and mocking them openly gets old after awhile.

Emma read us a book from school last night. At her urging, we ignored the teacher's instructions to read it to her first. Instead she sounded out all the words and did an amazing job. The speed isn't there yet, but that will come in time. I'm most impressed by her ability not to get frustrated when something is hard, which is something we still work on with Sam.

I was somewhat down on Wednesday. I got a parking ticket at work, issues with the ISP threatened adamandjamie.com, and Jamie told me she'll be away at the beach with friends on Valentine's Day. The next day I woke up, went to my happy place, and everything seemed to get better. My parking ticket was dismissed, my network issues were sorted out, and we're going to move Valentine's Day to another day.

I'm hoping to work on the shed some more this weekend, swim with the kids, and all the normal things that make weekends fun.

It's hard to believe the week is already half...

January 14, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's hard to believe the week is already halfway over. The big news is that Sam cut his hair short. Other than that, we've had typical evenings of play pretend, homework, chores, and Nintendo Wii. Sam and Emma are having lots of fun with Boom Blox these days.

Tonight I'm doing some server maintenance, as PacInfo requested that I change my static IP address. I think that means that the web site will be down for an hour or so. Hopefully it won't be too disruptive.

We had a very fun and laid-back day

January 11, 2009 by Adam in Family

We had a very fun and laid-back day. Yesterday Sam's Lego Mindstorm kit arrived. He'd been saving up his money for a year, and finally had enough after Christmas. It showed up and soon we had a Lego robot assembled and ready to go. For most of the day, he was writing programs and watching it run around.

After a delicious breakfast of crepes, potatoes, grapefruit, and coffee, I went to the library. After returning with treasures, I took the kids swimming where they had a great time. The afternoon involved playing Kung Fu with Emma, having her read me a book from school, and of course more Lego Mindstorms.

Soon Jamie promises us all cookies, which I very much look forward to.

It's Mocha Friday, and the end of a somewhat ...

January 09, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday, and the end of a somewhat quirky work week. We were out in Bend, so I missed the first couple days. Then I was in all-day meetings for the rest of the week, working remotely as the rest of my team gets flooded in Washington. I also discovered that generally responsible adults get very silly in front of a webcam.

The kids are slowly adjusting to school and returning to the routine. Jamie had the chance to go hang out with friends last night, returning at a very responsible hour to help get the kids to bed.

As for this weekend, I could start getting supplies for the shed. There's always library and swimming. Jamie may have a bit of a cold. We'll see how things go.

We're all back at home, the kids in bed and m...

January 07, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're all back at home, the kids in bed and me joining them soon.

The last few days were pretty low key. We checked into Eagle Crest on Sunday, and spent the next couple days playing Monopoly (Sam won), swimming, and hanging out. Now the kids are dreading returning to school and I'm sure my e-mail In Box is full of endless tasks. Plus I think I have to work late the next couple days due to meetings.

We're sitting in Wendy and Brant's house, enj...

January 04, 2009 by Adam in Family

We're sitting in Wendy and Brant's house, enjoying the beautiful view of the land outside of Bend. It was so quiet last night and you could see the stars wonderfully. The kids have really enjoyed the animals and hiking around the property. Sam briefly got to drive their ATV to haul the garbage out. Ah, country living.

We're heading over to Eagle Crest later today, though we're in no rush. We'll probably hike around until we're ready for a little swimming. It makes for a relaxing end to winter vacation.

It's Mocha Friday, and a new year to boot

January 02, 2009 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday, and a new year to boot. Sam went off with my mom to see an opera on New Year's Eve, and surprisingly really enjoyed it. It was in English, which helped, as well as being a comedy about Greek mythology. I'm sure there was a cookie during the intermission which sealed the deal.

Tomorrow we're off to Bend for our final vacation activity before school returns and things return to normal. We'll probably play in the snow, spend a lot of time at the swimming pool, and hang out at Brant and Wendy's ranch.

Our backyard shed is finished, which probably signals the end of building projects for awhile. Our construction company came back with a much increased estimate for the balcony remodel. We basically said we didn't have the money, and so we're done for now. I think finishing up the painting and interior of the shed will keep us busy through summer.

For Christmas, we gave the kids coupons for family events. Last night Emma used her "fancy dinner" coupon. I wore a suit and tie and everyone except Sam dressed up. The bill was shockingly high, as Sam wanted to try the lobster, but everyone had a good time and was on their best behavior.

Sam's been thinking about cutting his hair considerably shorter. He's getting increasingly annoyed with being mistaken for a girl, though he's nervous about making a big change that he can't undo afterwards.