all in a day's work (and pictures!)

It was a day of contrasts at work today. Here's one end of the spectrum: I tutor a first-grader named Anthony and today his mom came to school during his tutoring time to meet me. She told me that she had to come meet Mrs. Shaffer because Anthony talks about me all the time at home and tells his mom that tutoring is his favorite part of his school day. She sat in on our tutoring session, raved about how much it is helping Anthony, and even brought me a pretty flower! It really perked me up because only an hour earlier . . . I had a tutoring session with another first-grader named Zackery.

Zackery likes to do things his way every day. Which is fine on some days because his ways coincide with my lesson plan for the day, but sadly for him, most days this is not the case. Even after lots of patience and cheerfully using all my tricks to help him get down to business, I had to take him back to class a little early after he drew in a book and then dumped a box of crayons on the floor instead of working. On the way back to class he was so frustrated with me that he declared, "You're fired!" Oh, Zack, if wishes were fishes.

So thanks for the flower, Anthony's mom! And T.G.I.F.!!

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And now for some pictures:

Kristi bought a WIG for a leadership thing, and then this happened:

Explanation: Kristi is Kristi and Dallin is willing.

But I have no explanation for Austin.



Speaking of Austin, here is how he spent his summer:

practicing for football . . .

hiking Half-Dome at Yosemite with Brennan for a scout high-adventure trip:


dear old Dad made it too!



dizzying heights at the top . . .


Then it was rafting the Merced River:


and doing a little rock jumping:

And then climbing Boundary Peak (highest point in NV at 13,700ish)

Here's Brennan, opening his mission call!

Kentucky Lousville, WAHOO!

As for Kristi, she/we had a fun time at girls' camp:

Keith was a dancing fool with the other camp dads:

And I had the good fortune of competing in a mullet contest:



But back to Kristi -- this is the picture of her that says it all:

Am I ready to face this all over again????? I'm not so sure.