More than a Month

Quinten is more than a month old!

I submitted my taxes electronically a full two days early!

I finished this semester's course from Baker!

I'm halfway through the last quarter of my first year of teaching jr. high math! And I'm starting to understand what exactly I'm doing!

I'm not entirely sure what I will be doing next year, but it will very likely be at the same school. My principal and assistant principal both want to keep me, but the decision is not entirely theirs. As you may know, Kansas, like most other states, is having some serious budget problems. The amount of money spent per student is plummeting, which means that teaching positions get cut back. Including the one I am currently working.

And Maxine is getting cooler every day. This was a bit of conversation today:
shirt or ball?
coin or puzzle?
mustache or bunny?
underwear or computer?

So I say to my 3.5-year-old daughter, Maxine, "Jumping or sauce?"

(If you don't know what I'm talking about, there is very little sense in my trying to explain it to you, as it does not come from a sensible place.)

She cocks her head to one side, thinks a bit, and says, in her most serious voice, "Sauce."

I don't laugh at this, but then she says to me, "Daddy, coin or puzzle?" I choose puzzle. She then offers me the choice of shirt or ball, followed by underwear or computer. That's a toughie. I've gotten mighty used to wearing underwear, but no computer again, ever? I went with the computer, so I may be chafing a bit from here on out.

Her last choice is "Mustache or bunny?" I've had a mustache for a long time, and am not about to give it up for a bunny, but somehow the word "bunny" slips out of my mouth, like a little poop squirt when you thought you were just going to fart.

And that's one reason why having kids is so much fun. Maxine just grabs hold of the ridiculous and runs with it.

This one's for you, Jay.

I'm also including some pictures. We had a baby dedication service at church for Quinten, and my parents came, along with Uncle Tom and Aunt Debbie, and Quinten's great-grandma, MaryLou. Horyon's parents and sister were here, too. We filled up an entire pew.

Before church we just hung around, causing trouble.
Give Quinten a kiss!Whoops. Messed up his hat.

And some just plain Quinten pics.