More graduation pictures

These pictures are from our convocation on Friday morning.

This is me and my graduate advisor:

The graduating graduate students and a couple of professors from our department:

The graduating graduate students:

Joseph and me at a reception held by the Math Education Department:

Graduation

Well, this is about a month over due, but here it is:

Last month I graduated from Brigham Young University with a Master of Arts in Mathematics Education.

Here are many, many pictures. I don't really feel like learning how to make one of those slideshows right now - it is enough to finally get this posted - so I will just post many pictures.

Here is what the graduation program had listed for my accomplishments:

p. 14 of the Spring Commencement Exercises under the heading Master's Degrees,
Audrey Linford Hanks
BA, Brigham Young University, 2003
Major: Mathematics Education
Thesis: How Eighth-Grade Students Estimate with Fractions

Say woo! It actually all feels like a dream already (some parts of it a nightmare...), probably in part due to the fact that I spend my days busily chasing after my two boys and can't remember when my life was much else.

A "Special Treat"

So, the other day I am riding in the car with my husband and two children when Austin, almost 3, says to me, "Mommy, I have a booger," and reaches forward to "hand" it to me. I took it from him and as I was finding a tissue in which to deposit the said booger I commented, "Oh! What a special treat..." Austin replied, quite seriously, "It is not a special treat, Mommy. It is a booger."



**Updated note** It has occured to me that some of you may be concerned with the casualness with which I addressed the fact that my son was, in fact, handing me boogers - I mean, shouldn't I have at least been disgusted or mentioned something about the foul nature of that event? On the contrary, I am resigned to the fact that most children do pick their boogers, so I am actually extraordinarily pleased that he is choosing not to eat them.

Austin

And here are some fun pictures of Austin on the deck of the house we just moved to...

Matthew

Here are a couple of cute pictures of Matthew. I have many stories to tell, but I don't really have time right now.

Maybe one day I'll get my act together...

I never thought this day would come!

I finally did it! I passed my thesis defense yesterday! I have to make some revisions in the next two weeks and then get it checked off by my committee, but I passed. With all of my other hurdles to graduation completed, this was the last thing to finish so I will graduate this April with my Master of Arts in Math Education.

I appreciate all the encouragement and support I have received and the many hours of babysitting so that I could actually get some work done... Thanks!

"My Best Friend"

Today my mom gave Austin a scrap piece from a quilt that she's working on and after she handed it to him, he declared: "I so happy! It's my best friend!" It was hysterical and my mom and I were trying not to laugh out loud. He proceeded to carry this 5"x5" square around with him all afternoon, chastising Matthew when he touched it ("Man-yew, don't touch it, my best friend!"), announcing when he dropped it ("I dropped it, my best friend!"), and hugging it and caressing it ("It's okay my best friend..."). I have no idea where this best friend stuff came from, but it provided some supreme entertainment for the afternoon!

Austin's best friend: