A little balance...

Still messing around with trying to run a scaled down version of my regular program in  half the space.

We did our first art project of the year today, made some bookmarks with butterflies and jewels and sequins and flowers. And glue. Lots of glue.

I only use tacky glue in my program, but the kids are used to school glue, so sometimes their projects are a little messy.

We don't have enough chairs for all the kids. Not enough table space, either. So it was chaotic and messy and some of them were a little crabby about having to share, but they made some really cute stuff.

My assistant was out today, she was injured at home and is unable to work for a bit. Not my story to tell, so I won't. I hope she will return soon, I don't like working with someone and getting the routine all figured out only to have them go somewhere else or not be there for awhile.

Easier to have the same adults running things on a day to day basis.

So despite several email queries to the principal and other players, I still don't know what the hell is happening with the move. It's been a gigantic pain in the ass to run my program this way, and if I'd known the process was going to drag on and on, I would not have packed things.

I am tempted to start UNpacking. I didn't label boxes other than with the name of my program, thinking that I'd have to unpack all of it anyway so it wouldn't make a difference. Now I wish I had so I could selectively open some boxes.

It really is aggravating.

BUT!!

On the good side, I got paid today. My paycheck was (for me anyway) gigantic. Like 2/3 bigger than usual. I asked about it, and some of us were given a rather sizeable 'retention' bonus.

A sort of 'thanks for sticking with us, here's a big pile of cash' thing.

Seriously. Like a lot. If it turns out we need to get a new car, it's enough for a good down payment.

I was stunned.

But it is a little help to balance the crazy that I'm dealing with.

There are things about this company that bug me. Nothing is perfect, of course. As a non-profit, they run things a little loosely in some ways.

But wow. I really appreciate being valued.

Send good thoughts... I really want that empty classroom, and we're four weeks into  the school year. Enough is enough is enough.