Ouch. And I think I'm untrainable.

Okay, so first, the photo. Not great quality. My cell phone makes me lazy.

Wednesday afternoon, Jennifer was standing in the doorway to go outside and across to the hallway where we wash our hands.

She's sort of oblivious to things like big, heavy metal doors that can slam shut in the wind and crack you in the head... and that's exactly what was about to happen. There was no time to do anything other than react. I flung out my right arm and caught the door just below the big knobbly bone in my right wrist. You can't really see from the photo, but it's very discolored and sticking out about an inch from the side of my wrist.

I saved her pretty little head.
And a bruise on my arm is preferable to one on a child.
All circumstances being the same, I would do it again.
But damn it, it hurts!!

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Had to attend another training Friday afternoon.
This one is to improve our programs, but it's sort of... hm.

Well first of all, it's a pilot program being run by a college. It's an experiment of sorts, really. A bunch of college kids who don't have children, who don't work in day care centers, who don't have a clue about much of anything.

And we're going to participate in it, it's a 'quality assurance' sort of thing where we'll get stars or something.

Like, "Lookit that restaurant, Eunice!! It has an A rating!! That means it's a good place!!"

Of course some of the things they've come up with are irrelevant and some are what I'd call overstepping our boundaries as day care providers.

For example, we have no business evaluating children's learning or deciding what 'level' they're at.
That's not what we're supposed to be providing, really.
Not to mention that most of us are not qualified on paper to be doing stuff like that.

And parents are already bombarded with test scores and reading assessments and conferences and homework. Do we really need to add the daycare provider saying, "I evaluated little Timmy and here's what I think."?

But it's a system in development, and we're going to help them design their quality controls. The things they went over today may or may not be a part of the final package. That's part of what we're trying to do, evidently, is figure out what stuff needs to be included. And which stuff doesn't.

::shrug:::

I do what I am told to do. That's my job as an employee, right?
It's not that I mind putting forth the effort to improve my program, I'm just not sure that what they're asking is going to do so. It's going to take a great deal of time, which is already in short supply for me, and I don't really believe it will contribute enough positive to my program to be worth the amount of time I must devote to it.

I guess I'll find out, huh?
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I always bring my drawing supplies to trainings. I listen better when my mind is going ohmmmmm. And the handouts and stuff we get are usually best when gone over later, during my own time.

I like attending trainings online. I can go over the information as quickly as I want to. And no one keeps making stupid comments. Although it didn't happen today, usually there's at least one person at a training who can NOT shut up. They have to tell you every little experience they've ever had that sort of relates to whatever the topic is, and they constantly interrupt the session to do so.

It gets to the point that I'm ready to turn around and tell the person, "Look. If you don't shut the hell up, I am going to get up, walk over there, and slap you in the head. You're wasting everyone's time and you're really pissing me off."

So far, I haven't ever done that. But I sure have wanted to a few times.

Today one of my coworkers was surprised that I intended to draw during our training. "Well don't you just want to save that for later?" she asked.

I smiled broadly.

"Nope."

And I am not disrespectful. I don't ignore the speaker. I read the handouts right along with the rest of the obedient little people. I ask pertinent questions. I listen to what's being covered, and I participate as needed.

I simply can't just sit and stare at someone as they go on and on and on and on. Can't. Do. It.

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I hit the local Goodwill this morning and found a couple pair of shorts for my man. And a little bag of wooden hearts that will eventually find their way into a craft project of some sort at work. Then I wandered over to Sprawlmart. I got a few groceries (nothing perishable, I don't trust them, I've heard too many stories) and some floor mats for the car, since we didn't get any. Of course.

I had time to come home and eat before going back out the door for training.

So the two days 'off' from school weren't days off at all.
It's a good thing I like my job. :)

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I get to spend some time away from home today with my man. Not sure yet where we're going, but we're going to get out and have a picnic or something.

So if I don't have a post up on Sunday morning, Tami, don't worry. I will post some photos or something later in the day. :)