Moving Day

January 31, 2010 by Adam in Family

Jamie has moved into her new house, which was as surreal and strange an experience as you'd think.  Emma woke me up with a dream that someone had killed Sam, she then killed that person, and then Sam came back to life and gave her hugs and kisses.  After getting up, I made crepes for the kids and then people began descending upon the house.

The move itself was handled by other people, while I kept an eye on the kids and cleaned after things were moved.  Within a couple hours, the house seemed very empty.  Emma went to Jamie's house for food, while Sam stayed in the basement and played on the computer.  As for me, I frantically cleaned, vacuuming and mopping and scrubbing paint marks off the floor.  After awhile, things seemed more under control and the rooms were mostly functional.  The only exception is the living room, which seems incredibly empty.

My mom brought Emma back and the two of us went over to the U of O where they had a dance marathon to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network.  Joanna was there taking pictures for her job.  They had a huge family room with tons of toys and games.  Sam and I played Rock Band, and Emma was adopted by a big group of young college women.  At one point, she impressively twirled three hula hoops.  The dance itself was really loud, so we only went in for a few minutes.

Afterward, we went to Market of Choice to pick up pizza.  I then hooked up the netbook to the big t.v. and we watched Mythbusters.  The pizza was eaten on the air mattress, which I hyperventelated while filling up.  Emma went to bed without any problems.  Sam and I played zombie fighting games with Josh.  Now I'm tuckered out.

Tomorrow looks to be a busy day, with breakfast, church, couch shopping, and dinner at my mom's house.  All good stuff, though.

Mocha Friday

January 29, 2010 by Adam in Family

I just finished my last gulp of cafe mocha, the taste of that delicious elixir still lingering on my tongue. When change is rampant, it's reassuring to have the constant of Mocha Friday.

Emma got 92% on her spelling test last week. Everyone worked really hard to help make it happen. The kids have both been doing very well in school despite the changes at home. It speaks well of Jamie and I getting along and keeping the focus on the kids.

I think the last of the contentious issues are getting sorted out between Jamie and myself. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to finalize the transitional spousal support issues and get something written down that we can both depend on, going with the numbers we talked about months ago. My timing wasn't great, as Jamie's in the middle of her move, but she said she'd get back to me afterward. My guess is that they'll be a little different, but Jamie's been relatively reasonable so I suspect we'll come to some settlement. I'd like to get that finalized so everyone can plan their futures accordingly.

The big move is tomorrow, which is surreal to contemplate. I'm shopping for furniture tonight, hoping to replace some of the critical missing items. My work schedule will shift from 8 to 5. Dinner, laundry, cleaning, and all the ordinary things will be solely my responsibility. The reality of single parenthood is certainly sinking in. The kids seem fine about everything, more than I am, though I'm not sure they completely understand all the implications of two households. I'm sure we'll sort it out in time.

Sam's loving his new laptop. He was up late chatting with Josh and improving his typing skills, watching videos over the new high-speed connection, and playing Left 4 Dead with Josh and laughing hysterically. Saturday night we're planning a three person game after Emma goes to bed, which sounds really fun.

Life's good.

Fancy Dinner

January 27, 2010 by Adam in Family

The kids and I went out to dinner with my work crew at Beppe & Gianni's. Emma insisted that I dress up in a tie and stuffed a gold pen in my pocket. My out-of-town coworker Summer is enamored with Emma, and the two of them had a great time hanging out together. My boss Glen gave us three rockets, cleaning out his attic. One was seven feet tall and is currently propped up in Sam's room. I think it was an offer I couldn't refuse.

Emma went down quick last night, her belly full of spaghetti and salmon that Summer kept feeding her. We got home so late that I put her in the shower and then straight to bed.

The dishwasher continues to be broken. I did all the dishes by hand last night, which wasn't too bad except for my overall lack of time. By the time I got downstairs to check on Sam, he'd made his lunch, watched Battlestar Galactica while stair stepping, and asked if he could watch another. Since it was getting late, I nixed that idea and he played online games with Josh for a few minutes before he was off to bed. By the time I went upstairs to turn in myself, he was reading a National Geographic.

Life feels very busy, and I occasionally stress about finances. Last night I dreamed that Sadie leaned forward and said, "Adam, you have a lot of money." Somehow it reassures me even now.

Yurt Adventures

January 24, 2010 by Adam in Family

Joanna and I are back from the coast, having a great time in the yurt.  It was surprisingly roomy, with power and heat and light.  I really want to take the kids over sometime, as they'd have a good time semi-roughing it.  I finally used the tiny gast stove my mom gave me one Christmas.  It screwed on to a tiny propane tank and I was able to heat up soup and make huge volumes of tea.

We walked the dunes this morning and made it to the folk festival.  We weren't able to stay too long, but the music was pretty good.  There's something able fiddles and banjos that make me inherently happy.

I came back into town this afternoon, finally getting a chance to see Jamie's new house.  I hope the kids like their new rooms and get settled down.  The move date is next Saturday, so my house should be much emptier fairly soon.  I feel the urge to buy couches and shelves coming on.

Emma's in the bath, singing silly songs about daddo.  I best get her tucked in and off to sleep.

Mocha Beach Friday

January 22, 2010 by Adam in Family

I got the kids off to school and I'm waiting for Joanna to arrive so we can make soup, pack up, and head to Florence.  A day away from the craziness of ordinary life sounds blissful.

Sam continues to stoically deal with his contacts.  The last two mornings he's gotten one ine, but relied on me to put in the other.  Fortunately getting them out has gotten easier after I showed him the technique I use.

Jamie and I divided up our finances yesterday, spending over an hour with a very nice person at our bank.  It feels good to be able to spend money again.  Soon I'll need to buy furniture and such to replace everything that's missing.

Emma proudly showed me how she can make oatmeal last night.  I'm hoping to recruit the kids into assisting with breakfast.

Safety Kids

January 20, 2010 by Adam in Family

The week's halfway over.  My tattoo is scabbing up and I'm eager to see what lies beneath.  It's interesting having such a visible mark on my body.  Sam declared it "awesome" at the dinner table the other night, so at least I have that vote towards coolness.

Sam continues to love his new laptop, asking to come downstairs to say goodnight to it.  He's been playing online games with his friend Chase and working on his typing skills to chat.  I think I finally found the right motivation to improve his keyboarding.

Emma's Safety Kids musical is tonight at her school.  She's a little nervous about performing, so we'll see how it goes.  She did pretty well at her Winter Festival.

The boxes in the living room continue to multiply and theoretically Jamie's getting the key to the new house this week.  Over the weekend we divided up the kitchen without too much trouble.  I opted for the big, practical things over the fancy, and generally have the functionality to cook meals.  I will miss that blender, though.

Jamie and I continue to generally be amicable.  There are a few undecided things we're having problems with, and I'm not quite sure how we'll sort it out.  There's also the uncertainty about jobs and after school care for the kids.  For the most part, I've appreciated that Jamie's been reasonable and things have gone smoothly.  The short-term plan seems to be that Jamie will move in the next couple weeks and start up our temporary child visitation once she gets settled.

I continue to worry about the kids.  Last night Emma had a dream that she saved Jamie from a burning building and had to teach her how to talk again.  Sam's been pretty quiet.  I think they've gotten used to this odd new household arrangement and it's about to be disrupted again.  We'll figure it out.

Last Unmarked Mocha Friday

January 15, 2010 by Adam in Family

I had a great time with the kids last night.  I'm slowly getting the hang of the single parent thing.  I had my checklist that I went through, paying bills, making dinner, and baking some gluten-free pumpkin bread for Joanna.  Emma seemed unprepared for her spelling test today, so I recruited Sam to assist.  He developed an elaborate song-and-dance routine to help with memorization and by the end of bathtime she had them down.  Sam's nearly caught up with Lost, which I make him do stair-stepping while he watches.  Maybe I'll get him hooked on Battlestar Galactica next.

This morning my kids made me show off my wrist so they could take a mental picture of it tattoo-free.  Sam was excited about today, as they're playing with their casino projects at school, he plays with Zack this afternoon, and tonight Josh comes over to babysit.  When I was getting in my car, I heard a tapping noise and looked up to see him cheerfully waving good-bye.

Tonight Joanna's coming over for soup and then we're heading off to get tattoos.  She's promised to take videos of me crying like a little baby, which I'll try to post for everyone's enjoyment shortly.

I'm not sure what we're up to this weekend.  Jamie won't be back until late Saturday night, so I'll be doing breakfast and planning the day.  I'm thinking a trip to the computer recycling store is in order.  I want a cheap computer case that Emma can decorate and take a computer to Jamie's house.  Sam needs a mouse for his laptop.  I have a closet full of old computer hardware that I'd like to get rid of.  Seems like a good plan.

Sadie's Gone, Week's Half Over

January 14, 2010 by Adam in Family

The week's half over, Emma's in bed, Sam's nearly caught up on five seasons of Lost, and I'm feeling a little tuckered out.  Life as a single parent can be tiring, and there seemed to be food to cook, laundry to fold, or bills to pay around every corner.

I miss Sadie.  We had such a good time when she and Greg were over.

Mocha Friday

January 08, 2010 by Adam in Family

It's another delicious Mocha Friday. I'm dressed in the clothes Sadie picked out for me yesterday. She and Greg whisked me off to Valley River where we looted the sales racks and theoretically I'm dressed far more "cool" than I was the day before. Joanna tagged along to give her opinion as well, though Sadie frowned and made comments about inefficiencies. Sam informed me this morning that I look like a lumberjack.

Later on we scoped out tattoo parlors, always a fun adventure. The first place worried me a little, especially when the front desk person didn't know what "mottled" meant. We wandered over to High Priestess and it seemed more busy and professional. I'm not sure if we can all get the tattoos we were wanting before Sadie leaves, but Joanna promised to take videos of me writhing in pain should the scheduling not work out right.

I got home and the kids were in good moods last night. Jamie had kindly cooked chicken breast before leaving, so I combined that with mashed potatoes to make a hearty meal. Sam worked on spelling and Emma did her "help dad" chore by going out to load up the compost tumbler with me, flashlight in hand. They seem to be doing much better than the start of the week, settling into school and waking up at a reasonable hour.

The next few days are feeling packed, but good. Tonight is dinner at my mom's, with Joanna, her mom, and her kids coming over. Tomorrow Sam and I see Avatar and are invited to my dad's for dinner. I'm buying tickets to the 3:15 3D theater showing in Springfield, as the last time we went it was sold out. Hopefully I can do some grocery shopping and deal with all the house things that need to be done. Lots of bills and paperwork.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

January 06, 2010 by Adam in Family

It seems that in the last few months my life has changed more than in the last few years. I've been slowly adjusting to the life of a single dad, an occasionally bumpy process. Last night I tried to play with Sam, make a healthy dinner for the kids, make soup for tonight, do laundry, help with homework, and get the kids to bed early. In retrospect, it was obviously too much.

The soup got put on hold and the kids went to sleep relatively happy. I'm going to my mom's for dinner and we'll cheerfully sip soup and eat bread. Simple fare, but good.
The kids are adjusting to going back to school, easing into homework and school projects. He and I worked on a book report on Tuesday and he's trying to find something to read in a genre that isn't sci-fi or fantasy. Emma's in a play on the 20th for "Safety Kids," so she was practicing her one line last night. It was very cute.

Jamie continues to get ready for the upcoming move. Things are going into boxes. I ordered Sam a laptop to take between houses. We're cancelling gas cards, shifting insurance, and getting names on accounts switched over. Theoretically the move happens the weekend of the 23rd.

It's occasionally overwhelming all the details and changes that are going on. I just need to remind myself of where I'm headed and that I keep taking steps to get there.

2nd Day of 2010

January 03, 2010 by Adam in Family

It's the end of a very full day.  Emma's in the bath, and I'm pretty tuckered out myself.

The day began with Emma and I cuddling in bed, Emma asking about how the stomach worked and then later the bones in the forearm.  We got up, played a little Monkey Island, and Sadie Skyped to invite herself and Greg over for breakfast.  And so began a day of games.

The crepes were great and afterward the kids opened their presents from Sadie.  The first was a hand-made drawing game, which we all played.  The second was Cosmic Encounter, which we also played.  Next was Magic, Beatles Rock Band, and Settlers of Catan.  The entire time I kept a steady stream of snacks and meals, spending a fair bit of time in the kitchen.  It was pretty fun, and seeing Greg and Sadie was completely awesome.

Around three, Joanna, her mom Colette, and her kids Duncan and Berry came over.  We hung out in the basement, Emma playing and Sam upstairs with Greg.  Eventually it was time for dinner and I maniacally made pasta, veggies, and soup.  Serving nine was somewhat exciting, but we all survived and ate crumble and ice cream for dessert.  Now I'm beat.

In other news, Jamie and I had a productive sit-down on Friday.  The tentative plan is that she'll be moving the week of the 23rd.  The temporary kid schedule is that she has the kids Wednesday through Saturday morning, and possibly some time on Sunday, depending on what people are doing.  We also talked about assorted financial things, from gas cards to insurance.  It felt good to get things more final, and Jamie's been very reasonable.

So, 2010 is looking to be good.  The kids seem relatively okay and things are falling into place.