springtime crazies

What a day!

It started bright and early, as I spent ten minutes getting a student with behavior problems from the parking lot to his classroom. His situation is so sad. I could write forever about the poor little guy. I'm worried to send him on to kindergarten next year without me being there. Good times. At least I got a good workout getting him down the hall...

Fast forward about a half hour. While waiting for the elevator with another student, the student tells me about how Daddy was choking her, Mommy told him to stop, and then Mommy and Daddy were fighting in the bathroom and Daddy broke "the thing with the flowers on it". Fantastic.

Skip over another couple of ridiculous events (oh they were ridiculous alright. I'll spare you the long and boring details) to after work. Chris had school tonight, so he wasn't coming home. I made a quick stop at Trader Joe's on the way home, put everything away, and just before I left to get Celia I got a couple messages from work that I had to deal with right away. The student involved in the alleged choking incident? Oh yeah, I have a meeting for her tomorrow and the meeting requires an interpreter. The interpreter had to cancel. This is the third time the meeting has been canceled. She very nicely set me up with another interpreter, whose name is Celia. I'm taking that as a good sign... I'm so ready to be done with this meeting!

On top of all that, spring is the time of year when parents go nuts. They suddenly have all kinds of demands they've never expressed before. They realize that their kids won't have therapy over summer vacation, or that their kids are going to kindergarten. They can't understand why it isn't possible for their kids to make a year's worth of progress in the three months before school ends. Spring is not a happy time for these people. I'm telling you, it's crazy. I don't think they ever get to enjoy their kids because they're so obsessed with what's wrong with them. I wish they would snap out of it and see their kids for the wonderful little people they are, and just love and enjoy them. They're missing out. (This isn't all parents, mind you. Most are wonderful. The handful of crazy ones just really stick out!)

Coming home today, there were two things I looked forward to seeing that would erase the work day from my mind.

Spring is coming! Time for the gardening gloves to assume their prominent position by the door.

And of course, my little Pita!

(To be honest? Though she's all smiles in these pictures, the rest of dinner was a disaster. Food throwing, whining, minimal eating. Sometimes I swear she turns into a feral animal.)

Celia's in bed and I'm about to have a snack and read my book. Early to bed tonight, I hope!