Summer rain

This is as close as it gets to rain for most of the summer around here. Time to go through the car wash again to get the dust off. Ellen went with me and enjoyed the surround-sound experience.

A staggering work of heartbreaking genius

Here's a piece of a grading model I used to explain the consequences of different point assignments on students' final grades. My colleagues had me walk through this model several times with them, then photograph it so we could refer back to it. Knowing statistics is a heavy burden, but I carry it with joy.

Upgrade

Ellen got her first bike today (with training wheels, of course). The seat assembly is a little tricky, so I took a picture of the model in the store to make sure I understood it when we got it home.

She named her bike "Rosie."

On the treadmill

I'm conscientious about a lot of things, but my health has not traditionally been one of them. After years of nagging, Rachel finally got me to go to the doctor for a checkup. That led to a battery of follow-up tests, including this treadmill cardio test.

As it happens, I now have some health issues to deal with. It's not as bad as it could be, but at least I know. No more pretending I'm invulnerable.

Mad scientist

I'm teaching Ellen to enjoy one of my childhood (and adulthood!) passions - Lego. She picked out the mad scientist laboratory set from my collection. She enjoyed putting the Lego monsters together.

Full circle

It was a year ago that we moved to California. We immediately noticed the bright purple blossoms of the jacaranda trees. The color isn't quite right in this picture -- the actual color is closer to lavender. However, the seasons have come all the way around. This is where we started. As with everything associated with our California move, I have mixed feelings about this.

Matriculation

Time is flying. Ellen has her kindergarten registration & readiness assessment. She passed the readiness assessment with flying colors. Unfortunately, that did not mean that kindergarten was going to be smooth sailing.

Back in the chair

I mentioned my new high-tech dentist before. Here, he has me watching dental PowerPoints before switching to a movie of my choice. Least relaxing movie experience, ever.