A Public Retraction

I sometimes brag.  It's a really unattractive quality, but sometimes I am really proud of my accomplishment and so I share it loudly with anyone who will listen.  However, I am starting to think that the Fates are sending me a message.  While I can be a "bit" of a block head . . . I believe I will listen to them.

I have decided that the only way to satisfy the Fates, is with a public apology of my bragert ways, and where better to make such a declaration?  There is none.  So here is goes:  I am sorry for bragging that I've never lost a kid!!!  I'll try not to brag about that anymore.

I bet you were expecting something better.  Maybe something like, I'm sorry for being so fashionable (y'all know that's not true- unless wearing khaki's with Sharpie that Alexa rubbed on me, is now in fashion?  yeah, I don't think so), or I'm sorry I'm such a fast runner! (hah! a 12 1/2 minute mile hardly counts as fast- unless you compare me to a turtle), or I'm sorry my car is so awesome! (only if you like your cars with a dent in the back right corner that Doug refuses to consider having fixed because, "Kate, you're just going to back into or rear end something else."  See- he even says it factually, not with emotion.  He's probably right)

I have 7 new students.  One of them, in the 4 short days I've had him, is working hard to make a liar out of me.  Our classroom rules look like this: be nice to one another, use your manners,clean up after your self, don't be bossy, and today we added: "Don't follow George- anywhere."  (all names have been changed to protect my innocent cuties).  We had to add that rule because he doesn't know where the heck he's going!  He's just walking; enjoying the daisies, fresh air, and scenery. Some students, for reasons I can't explain, started to follow him and then . . . wait, where the heck is he going?!  Exactly.

His father has called me several days this week and really fretted that the bus driver will drop George off, when Grandma is not there waiting for him.  At first, I thought it was because of George's medical condition.  Now I am starting to see it's because if the bus dropped him off, who knows where he'd wander to!!!  Yesterday, was a very close call.  The regular bus driver's bus broke down.  I contacted all my parents and let them know their child would be late- like 15 minutes or so.  Finally another driver on another bus showed up.  Well 35 minutes later, George's dad frantically called me.  The bus hadn't dropped George off!!!!  I knew it.  I just knew it.  See, I lost a kid.  (Ok, technically I didn't, but I still felt somehow responsible because I didn't tell the new bus driver to make sure Grandma was outside and I didn't check to make sure he had the right address and . . . who knows what else I could have done).  No worries.  Apparently the new driver was just lost- but finally figured out where to go.  Thank goodness!!!!  But this situation got me thinking.  Maybe I shouldn't have been bragging about not losing a kid.  Sure it seems like a safe thing to brag about.  Even a funny thing- I mean really.  Who loses students?  Uhhh, lots of people!!!  And with kids like George . . . . well I can totally see why. 

So, I'm sorry I've bragged about not losing a kid.  Clearly it's going to happen one of these days.