Can Nothing Be Simple?

-->aside: I am taking advantage of George's internet to write this post since my services were disconnected on Saturday. Muchas gracias, George<--

*beep beep beep* The shrillness of my alarm added to the surrounding noise already present outside my building at 6:15 am. Groan. 'Is it time to get up already?' I asked myself as I switched off the unwelcome disturbance. Normally I "sleep in" until about 6:50 since I don't have to be at school until 7:30, but today was parent/teacher conferences.

'Oh joy,' I thought. 'Not only do I have to wake up early to be at school for my first meeting at 7, but I have to come back again at night for promotion.' What a way to spend the day! I shuffled into the shower, and proceeded to prepare myself for the long day ahead--16 half-hour meetings. Yes, you did the math correctly. 8 hours of meetings (plus half-an-hour for lunch). Goody.

As I walked up the front steps of the school, I saw that my 7am parents were already there--nothing like an early bird! We sat, had our meeting, and they left 20 minutes later. And that was one of the longest meetings I had today. Most of them were 10 - 15 minutes long. I know you are wondering what I did with all that extra time I had. Well, not much to tell you the truth. I pretty much stayed in my class cleaning up a few things here and there, trying not to wander off in case my next appointment came a few minutes early.

Let me tell you, it was a barrel of monkeys. "The promotion ceremony is tonight at 6:30. Oh you already know? Ok, great. Yes you have to wear the uniform. No, not the T-shirt, the polo shirt. Here is the map for the new school. Yes it is far. Well, if they are giving out maps to the new school, my guess is that it will be ready for September. No, no one has actually told me anything about it. No, I am not coming back. Yes, I know everyone is leaving." 16 times!!!!!

Just when I thought I was about to lose it if I had to repeat myself once more, the end of the day finally came! I gathered my things and took a look around my now organized room. All the books had been returned to the library, the math manipulatives sorted into their correct bins. In short, the room was activity-less. 'Great work.' I thought to myself, knowing that now I would have less to clean up in the following days. I went home feeling tired, but satisfied that my only remaining obligation with the students was promotion night. 'Piece of cake! All I have to do is go up on stage, and call my kids to receive their certificates.'

But of course, nothing can be as simple as it sounds. Especially when it comes to THAT place. Doesn't it start raining just as I being walking home.....and it didn't stop. No, no. In fact, it is still raining as I type. We all thought this meant that tonight's proceedings would be cancelled since they were taking place outside. But no. When I got back to school at 6:30, there were all the parents sitting along the front hallway. And my kids were in my room. My empty, activity-less, organized room. Might I add that my room is located almost directly behind where the ceremonies were taking place and so if one of my students so much as sneezed, they would be heard by everyone.

Great. Now I have to keep 14 kids entertained with NOTHING so they don't inturrupt what is going on. To top it all off, the director decided to start at 12th grade and work her way down. Anyone who knows kids can tell you that this is not a good idea since it is harder to keep smaller children quiet for longer periods of time. But whatever.

When it was finally my turn to hand out certificates and awards, I discovered that they put the wrong name on my "Most Improved Student" award. *sigh* I am telling you, nothing can be simple at that place.

But now it is finally over. My room is a mess, and all my math manipulatives are mixed-up again, but who cares! Two more days and I am outta there!!!