Summer Cold

The end of my summer semester has brought me a lovely little summer cold. I think my body held it off until I was finished teaching my class and had a couple of days without any grading to do so I could just lay about the house, a sneezy, lumpy mess. My students still need to take their final placement test next week (three of them took it after class Thursday and passed with absolutely no problem [yahoo!]), but our official class meetings are over. Here are my fantastic stus:

These are nine of the hardest working students I've ever taught

So next week I'll be on campus, organizing my god-awful mess of a desk and waiting for the remaining six students to come in and tell me how they did on the test. They need to score a 6 but I told anyone who scored a 7 (the highest possible score) that I'd buy them a soda (I already bought a Dr. Pepper for Ali, lower right, blue shirt)

Next week also brings the end of my summer's session of volunteering with Open Books, the fantastic literacy organization I've volunteered for the past two years. Since May, I've been helping out in the office with typing students' stories and poems, putting together maps for a flyering campaign, and doing some data entry. I've really enjoyed going there, just for a couple of hours a day twice a week, because not only is the cause worthy, the people wonderful, the work quiet, soothing, and tidy, and the most common water cooler gossip about what books are on everyone's nightstands, but I am also forced to walk past the amazing Open Books book store on my way to the office and spot something I need (want) to buy. Here are my two most recent purchases:

 Three weeks ago, in addition to helping out in the office, I started the Buddies program, which is a program that assigns big buddies (me) with little buddies (the two lovely ladies below) to be reading partners.

My little buddies

I helped with this program last summer and fall, too, and I hope to keep doing it each summer for the future. It's so much fun to hang out and read with kids who are excited about books and reading.

Me and my buddy Ajani

I'll make sure to take a picture of the whole group when we meet for our last day next week.

To cap off this week, we went to Greg & Paula's house for a bbq to celebrate Bosco turning 2 years old. It's kind of nuts that he's already this old (remember when he was this small?) Look at him now!

Hi, Grandma!

Bo and Cousin Jack (and Jack with his eye on that cake...)

Oh, I'm just reading my new book. Ain't no thang.

And now it's the weekend! Trevor is riding the bike out to Elk Grove with his friend Sarah while I continue to sink into the couch and use up our household supply of Kleenex. I might scrape myself together to leave the house later, but in the meantime, a nap sounds good.