The beginning of being busy!

Well, some of you know that I am now teaching full-time this year. Mr. Potter, the principal, called me the Sunday night before school started to ask if I would be willing to take two kindergarten classes this year due to the added enrollment of students this year. I had to make my decision in about 12 hours, and by the end of it I had a very bad headache. Things have been very busy since then. I really hate that I'm away from my kids so much of the day, but one great blessing is that Zach is able to be with them during the fall. He doesn't start up with his classes until January, so he gets to be Mr. Mom at home for a while. There are a lot of benefits to me working full-time, such as the salary being doubled, me getting free insurance, etc, but I really hope that it will make it all worth it because I am really having a hard time not being home for atleast half of the day. There is just so much to be done at both home and school that I feel like I'm being pulled so hard in both directions, that I don't know which is more important. I tend to take my family as more important, but sometimes the school stuff just has to get done. Anyways, we had a great August and did a lot of fun things. We had a reunion with the Bergquist Family the week before school started that was so much fun! Elora loved the chance to wander around and see her Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousin. She really loved going to see the kitties and had to do it before we left. Here are a few pictures of the past month. We hope you all enjoy them. Never mind. Apparently we left our camera out at Mom and Dad's, so we will be posting the pictures at a later date. Sorry all!

New Favorite Game

This is Elora's new favorite game. I think that she somehow missed the purpose of the game as well as the official way to play it. I kind of like her version, though.

YMCA

We had a little cook out at Grandma and Grandpa's house one night and Jana decided to teach Elora how to do the actions to YMCA. I originally saw her teaching it to Elora while she (Jana) was inside in the basement and Elora was looking in from the basement window outside. I had to have a video of it, though.

Catching up, or trying to. :)

I feel bad that I haven't posted anything for so long, but our internet hasn't been working well for quite some time now. Once in a while we are able to get on and do something that we need to do, but it never lasts very long. I have also been very busy trying to get my classroom ready for school to start before we go to the Bergquist Family Reunion. After the reunion is over, I will have two days to work in my classroom, and I will need to spend that time doing the last minute stuff and not be putting up my bulletin boards and organizing my room. Anyways, here are bunch of pictures including the slideshow I made weeks ago of Brett and Melissa's visit. Enjoy!

We went in one night to put Taylan to bed and found Elora sleeping like this. We thought it was pretty funny.

These are some lovely pictures that Elora and I painted for Daddy one night while he was at work. Elora has decided that watercolor painting is one of her favorite things to do. She is always asking to do it. I tried to teach her how to do blow art by blowing the paint with a straw, but gave up. My picture was done using that technique (it is the one on the right).

One afternoon I went into the kitchen to find Elora had pulled out the paper plates and plastic silverware from the drawer in the kitchen and was feeding her bear in the high chair. Notice in the background the other bear that she put in the walker as well. I thought it was very cute!

Elora was watching Baby Mozart and reached behind her to hold Taylan's hand. She likes to do this often.

This was taken at a three ward picnic at the park. Grandma and Grandpa invited us to attend.

Another picture of the same picnic. The boy climbing the ladder was a student of mine last year.

Elora "playing" tug-o-war with Aunt Jana at the picnic.

This is a picture from one of our FHE's that Jana took.

Just as Zach took this picture, Jana gave Taylan a pig nose and we love the expression on his face as a result! It goes to show how he felt about it!

FHE activity. Painting with pudding!

Pretending to eat her creation.

My creation. Jana copied me.

Zach's creation(s).
Elora's creation; spreading it all over.