Sharing Space and Tangles

The school where I used to work had their annual fall festival on Friday night. Sunshine shares the storage room with the PTA. They show up to set up and do the work of running the festival, and drive everyone crazy.

First of all, we're not supposed to have our kids mixing with kids from the public. So the moms who don't have anything to do with their kids bring them along and think it's just fine to send them to play with the kids from Sunshine's program that are in the gym. The kids don't know the rules, they ruin equipment, and what happens is that Sunshine has to send the kids who aren't in her program back to their moms. She's not being paid to supervise them and it's not legal under our license for them to be there.

It causes hard feelings, but that's because the PTA moms aren't well informed and when they *are* informed, they're inconsiderate anyway. They think Sunshine is being bitchy when she's just being compliant with the legal and licensing requirements we all agree to uphold.

Then, because they share the storage space with Sunshine, the PTA mommies just help themselves to whatever stuff they need. Scissors, tape, string, whatever. When I worked there I lost several pairs of scissors, countless rolls of tape and a big huge cone of string that I'd purchased with my own money. Of course. Every year it happened. Sunshine puts up large sheets of paper that have signs taped on them. "This stuff belongs to Sunshine Inc, please do not use." And every year they tear the paper off and steal things.

One more part of the job that's kind of a pain in the ass.

This year, Sunshine lost FOUR pairs of adult size scissors. Clearly marked with her name. Poof.

So I was doing a bit of cleaning here at home, and found a couple pairs I no longer use. I have several pairs of scissors at work and my good sewing scissors and other scissors all over the place.

So even though she'd gone home for the day, I took a sharpie and wrote her name all over two pairs of scissors and dropped them off at her site this afternoon after my dental appointment. I'm sure it will make her smile when she arrives at work on Monday morning.

I had to stop there to pick up my Zentangle supplies. I bring them to every break program because the kids ask for them at every break program. :) The same ones (boys too) sit at the table and draw together while they chat. It's really pretty cool. And I've promised them that I will try to remember to bring it every time.

Why do I say I'll try instead of promising that I will?
Because if I forget, I will have broken a promise to a child.
Something I won't ever do if I can help it.

Some of them have discovered different websites to find new designs, and are getting pretty good at it. They've learned the same thing I have. That one doesn't have to be an artist to draw cool stuff. And it's a real boost to their self esteem when other kids look at what they did and say wow.

And in the category of wow, I had Wednesday off. And will have Thursday off. Well, except for cooking and cooking and cooking. And I don't work Friday. And then there's the weekend.

Ahhhh.

So that's what's going on.

Right now I have the last pie in the oven, and when it's done in an hour or so, I will put it on a rack to cool and at last be able to go to sleep. Even though I caught a short nap, I woke up at 4 this morning, and the crazy train in my mind started going around and around the track. I went to the grocery store a little bit after seven this morning. There were about 20 people in the entire store. When I drove past there again on my way home from the dentist and the great scissor drop-off, the parking lot was crammed with cars and the entrances to the store looked like anthills. I was really glad I'd finished with the shopping.

Hope that Thanksgiving is filled with good things for you and yours and that you don't eat too much.

Are you shopping on Friday? I am definitely not. Not a bargain in the universe good enough to pay my bail.