Snow Day!

Friday was a Snow Day! Wahoo!

Of course, I showed up to work, and was one of the lucky goobers out in the parking lot telling angry working parents that they had to keep their kids for the whole day. Not a good deal for the overachievers! We show up and we get penalized. Awesome.

The reason I showed up at all on a snow day was simple. I jokingly told Drew that I should check the school closings on Friday morning because there was 1/4 inch of snow on the ground. I did it to be dramatic, and make fun of myself for earlier this week. Low and behold, it was a two hour delay. Since I was the protagonist in this story, I was already dressed and putting my coat on; that is how my life works. I attempted a nap, just to get some satisfaction out of a delay, but I spent the whole time worrying that I was wrong and the school was going to call me wondering why I didn't show up to work.

I had a meeting with the principal that morning, so I asked Drew if he would just drop me off on his way to work. Then, I would have plenty of time to get some work done. He dropped me off, and again, only one other car in the parking lot... and it wasn't the principal's. Have I been fooled again? This is ridiculous! I get in, fire up the computer, and check the school closings. Nope, we're still two hours late. I wave Drew on to work, and run into one of the people who "know things" as far as administration is concerned. She doesn't say anything about school being closed. I figure, okay, let's gear up for school. As I get a head start on some of my lesson plans for after Thanksgiving Break, a large dog bounds in to my classroom and barks at me. It's the principal's dog, a regular visitor during the summer, but hardly ever on a school day...

The principal passes in the hall and yells, "Beth, we're shutting it down." What?! Another teacher comes down the hall and asks, "What did he say?"

"I think we're having a snow day," I reply. I don't know whether to rejoice or grumble. I started to rejoice, when he asked us to go out into the parking lot to redirect the traffic back home. Then I grumbled. Poop. I come in like a good and faithful teacher, and we have to go stand outside in the frigid weather with the snow? At least it was casual Friday. I couldn't feel my fingers, but at least I was in sneakers and not dress shoes.

But wait! I don't have a car. Drew had to leave work to come get me, but at least I got some Chinese food out of the deal when we went to lunch. Other than that, I spent what would have been the rest of the school day sleeping in a warm bed. Not so bad for a day's work. Hey, teachers have to get some perks for the 10-hour days, nose-picking children, and irrational parent phone calls. You have no idea until you have a teacher in the family. Trust me.

Question: How do I get fourth graders to stop picking their noses during class? This is a legitimate question. I am sick of asking them to use a tissue and Germ-x several times a day. They think if they cover their nose that I don't know what they are doing. I wasn't born yesterday, kiddos, I know you're digging for gold! I think I'm just going to have to be upfront and warn them that I am going to call them out publicly for sticking their phalanges in their nasal orifices. It's sick... quite literally.