Zane gets his learners driving permit...

and allows his mother to take pictures of him while he's doing it!

I am no longer doing cross country! :) High school is ok, but is still school. Winter is right around the corner and I can't wait! Hope you guys had a awesome summer.

Zane starts High School

Zane started cross country last week and he started high school this week.

Although he's a teenager and very, very cool, he still allowed his mother to pick him up from his dad's house, drive him to school, park in front of the school and take pictures of him walking to school. His one request was that I don't get out of the car. I actually didn't but I was tempted.

Zane the hero! Zane had a little excitement this week. While running behind the team, he heard, "HELP! HELP!" He thought it was one of the other kids messing with him and Zane said to the voice, "Are you messing with me?!" The voice said, "No!" Zane went into some trees behind a secluded house and there was a badly injured man laying on the ground. A cottonwood tree fell over and hit him (but did not pin him to the ground). His leg was obviously deformed. Zane wasn't supposed to have his cell phone on him but he did and he called 911 and he and some team mates stayed with the man until the ambulance arrived. The guy was flight for lifed out to Idaho Falls where he is being treated for a broken back, broken ribs, dislocated hip, broken shin and ankle. Way to go Zane!!

The principal (white pants), Zane (middle, rust colored shirt and dark shorts) and friends. He was trying to ignore me but he was a sucker and turned around when I called his name.


Zane and coach Anna running through down town Driggs.

Coach Gleichman teaching the kids some wacky stretches. Zane, in the background, is actually participating too.

Zane's back from the wild

This is what a kid who's spent 28 days in the woods looks like.

Zane's trip was great, the conversation pretty much went as in the predicted description in the last post. He ended up being in the Big Horns, not the Winds as we thought. Fortunately the National Outdoor Leadership School gave us a summary and review of Zane's trip and performance so we have some idea of what happened on his trip!! He says his favorite part of the trip was visiting Bomber Mountain the site of a 1943 B-17 crash.

He got an A- overall in the trip. Here are some excerpts from Zane's review. My comments in orange

• "At first, Zane appeared to be skeptical about the way NOLS facilitates outdoor education." Go figure! Wonder where he gets that attitude.
• "Fires were something that interested Zane. He was offered the opportunity to teach a class on Leave No Trace fires, which he took." Finally, Zane's years of playing with fire and blowing things up becomes useful!!
• "Zane also excelled greatly in leadership. He was voted by his peers to be one of the student leaders on their small group expeditions." There was a 3 night, 4 day independent small group expedition that Zane was the leader of.
• "Zane has proven to be a competent outdoorsman and fisherman, we encourage Zane to explore his passion for the outdoors. He would also excel at a NOLS outdoor educator course if he was interested when he's older."
  

Zane's summer and return from NOLS

Sorry I haven't updated Zane's blog in such a long time. It's been a busy summer! Zane's on his National Outdoor Leadership School course until tomorrow. He should be getting out of the back country today. Here's how my conversation with him will go tomorrow when I see him:

Mom: Hey Zane!!! How are you?? How was your course?
Zane: Good
Mom: Did you have fun?
Zane: Yeah
Mom: Anything interesting happen?
Zane: Yeah
Mom: Did you enjoy it?
Zane: Yeah
Mom: Would you go back again??
Zane: Maybe
Mom: Did you make any new friends?
Zane: Kind of. Mom, can I go now? I want to text with my friends. I'll see you on Monday.

Zane with his dad leaving to catch the shuttle for his NOLS course.



Zane writes his first check to pay for his cell phone. If you want his number, email him. He's a texting whiz.



Zane getting his first checking account. My baby is growing up!

Zane's work space at Milk Creek Grill in Driggs.

Zane and Eli sleep outside in the shed that Paul's building.



Zane's mad at me so I decide to antagonize him by taking lots of pictures of him. I make him forget he's mad at me by doing this!

Zane playing ball with Paul in the back yard in May.

Snow has melted and the kid is busy!

Well, school's over on May 30th for Zane and the kids in Teton Valley. Track season has ended and field trips have begun. Zane and his class went to Quake Lake up in West Yellowstone, Montana on Monday. The trip wasn't too fun for anyone, it was 5 hours on the bus, the road to Mesa Falls was still snowed in, it was snowing at Quake Lake and the ticks were out full force. Zane has another trip on Friday and Saturday and it's sure to be much more successful and fun! His Gifted and Talented class is going down to Space Camp in Salt Lake City. Zane's gone there twice previously and had an awesome time. They're also going to the SLC zoo. FUN!

The power point of the Teton Middle School 2008 Track season below takes slightly more than a minute, most of the pictures are of Zane. Enjoy!

Zane's maternal Great Grandmother's family history in a Power Point Presentation

Hi everyone, this is Zane. I am finally posting on my blog. Last Friday the 25 we had our third track meet. Our boys took first overall. In my events I got two first places, one second place and forth or fifth place. Hope everyone is having a good spring.

Zane

TMS's first track meet is on Thursday! Go Zane!

Teton Middle School is having it's first track meet on Thursday, April 10th in Firth, Idaho. The kids are practicing hard in the Middle School parking lot because the track is still under a couple of feet of snow (see previous post)

Kids running in the parking lot

Jed practicing the shot put

Zane embarrassed that I'm taking pictures of the team. He's trying to get away from me and my camera.

Libby's always a willing photography subject!

Zanearoo update

Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. Zane had spring break and went to Colorado Springs to visit Grandma Carol & Grandpa Duane. He had a great time and, as usual, no one has sent me a picture from the entire 8 days. Hint. Zane's dad picked him up at the airport and Zane immediately went to Challis, Idaho to go steelheading for the weekend. School started Monday as did the 2008 track season. Below are pictures of Teton Middle School's track practice. Many of you will find them amusing. I find them depressing! Zane's report card came in and he's got straight As for 3rd quarter. Way to go Zane!

TMS track

Another view of TMS track. Look! The road is melted out!! Spring must be on its way.


Track practice is held in the gym. Zane's on the right hand side, dark green shirt.

The coach is the tall guy in the middle with the burgundy shirt and shaved head. The kids call him Mr. A

Zane's baby

Zane update

It's been a while since I've posted on Zane's behalf. He's been a little boring.

Winter sports has started with Teton Middle School and Zane's going up to Grand Targhee Ski area to snowboard on Wednesday's for the next 4 weeks. Today's his first day. I hope he's having fun!

Yesterday was his 14th birthday. The cake is a "dirt cake". It should be called a ridiculously nauseatingly sweet cake. Even Zane couldn't eat it for breakfast this morning. I usually let Zane eat birthday cake every morning after his birthday until it's gone.

1994


2008



The disgusting cake


Close up of the "dirt" and "worms"



Blowing out the candles


His birthday phone call from the Grandparents

Idaho Igloo

Zane assisted with the building of this igloo this weekend. Fun!!!

Zane's little buddy, one of the inhabitant's of the igloo.

The roof interior of the igloo

NOLS Scholarships

Zane is the proud recipient of a $1,500 Paul Petzoldt Legacy Scholarship and $500 from the General Fund for a total of a $2,000 scholarship toward the National Outdoor Leadership School 28 day backpacking course in Wyoming's Wind River Range this summer. Zane's going to have an awesome adventure and he's fortunate to have this opportunity.

Many, many thanks to Dorothy and Tom Warren for writing Zane a letter of recommendation!

Poor Zane!

Zane's sick and had to have blood drawn. Poor Zane!
Have no fear, Zane will be better quickly.

No school, must explode stuff!

No school yet again!!

Dear Mother Nature,

Please let Spring come soon. My son, Zane, has been home from school due to cold temperatures and blowing snow too many days this month. It's at least 5 days so far this month. His room is clean, his chores are done, the dog has been played with excessively and he's even bored enough to help his mother and step-father shovel.

Please Mother Nature, warm up a little and only snow moderately. We've resorted to this, dressing the dog up and posing her. We've entitled this one, "Our Little Eskimo Dog"


For more crummy weather pictures in our yard, click here.

Thank you,

Zane's Mother

Too cold for school...again

What's a boy to do when school's been canceled 4 days out of 9? Play with fire!

Too cold for school

Zane's home from school again. Maybe he'll get tired of playing his computer games? I doubt it!

Zane wears pants!

I can't believe it! Zane wore pants!!! He was helping me shovel 80 feet of hell AKA The Driveway.

Zane only went to school 2 days last week, school was closed for blizzard one day, school was closed for "teacher grading day" another and Zane was feeling unwell on the third day. Unbelievably, there is school today on MLK Day!

No school!

What's a kid to do when there's no school due to a blizzard? Play on the computer!
Zane shoveled (in shorts) and now he's tired.

Zane's Inspriation to do Better

Zane got Into the Wild for Christmas from his Grandma Karen. He finished the book in 2 days! Hmmm I seem to have reversed the picture, oops! He thinks it would be cool to go "Into the Wild" but he's sure he's going to do it better. With the National Outdoor Leadership course he will take this summer, I'm sure he will.

Got Snow?

Not only do we have to dig out the driveway, we've got to dig out our mailbox that's on the county road!!