I should have went to Target... (long but worth reading)

What a weird day...

It all began with Ryan dropping me off at school (he had the day off) so he could take my car to the dealership for an oil change (the freaking Volkswagon dealership can't have convenient hours). Anyway, I couldn't get into the building because I forgot my keys in my classroom.

I should have turned around at that point and just left...it was a sign!

So the day started out with a child crying because he missed his Mom. I can understand, sometimes I miss my Mom too...only I don't get to see her afterschool or even every month. I was able to get him calm, crisis diverted. It was a child's birthday so I got him squared away with a crown and an It's my Birthday! sticker (kids love birthday attention --- who am I kidding? Don't we all! I will send you one on your birthday if you email me your address and birthday, seriously).

Next issue: I broke the copier. I don't know how, I was making just your basic copy and the machine started growling at me. The secretary opened it and a part actually fell out. Just great! So much for not working late tomorrow. Move on, and I mean really move on before other teachers see that I was the last to use it and I get glares since this one is seems like it's actually going to need a repairman.

No big deal, right? I can handle this. You're not going to get me cruel day!

So now it is finally recess (a mental break not only for the kids by the way) and a child is waiting in 'think time' for misbehaving (it happens to the best of us) and he starts walking to me weirdly. And by weirdly I mean he is walking with his legs like 3 feet apart and then he says it: "Mrs. B I wenttotherestroominmypants" "Huh?" "Can you say that again slowly sweetie?" Pause "I-went-to-the-restroom-in-my-pants" I look at the teacher next to me on the park bench. So I ask him if he went number one or number 2 and he says "I pooped in my pants"

Hmmm....I don't really know what to do, they didn't teach me this in college, this never happened when I taught 2nd grade. I can't just leave the students on the playground again like I did last week when a child fell on his nose and bled everywhere (for the record another teacher volunteered to stay with my students that day because blood was seriously everywhere --- turns out his grandma told me he is a nose bleeder, I have never met one of those). So I did what all teachers do, sent him to the nurse. God bless school nurses. I am sending a shout out right now to all school nurses, thank you from the bottom of my beating heart. I sent another child to go with him (someone I could trust to keep it a secret and not use it against this poor kid). He didn't seem to have a clue anyway. I must say it was pretty cute to see them walking off hand in hand with one doing a "poop walk".

You might think it ends there...it doesn't. You read my title, didn't you?

So Ryan picks me up from school and we have a relaxing dinner at a tex-mex restaurant. I even passed up alcohol, which was a shocker to even myself on a day such as this. Who am I kidding? It was a shocker even for an average day. After dinner he told me we needed to stop by WalMart for something. I asked if he could just go tomorrow, but he insisted we go tonight. Fine. It was early anyway.

As we are pulling into the WalMart parking lot there is a truck blocking us from going any further. The next thing I know a male is approaching the truck and the driver of the truck gets out and grabs a machete (I am not exaggerating an actual machete...who has those and carries them around?) and he puts the machete behind his back like hiding it. Well, me being the teacher I am I jump out and say (seriously) "NO FIGHTING! HEY, NO FIGHTING BOYS!" (only I said it really authoritatively, but still pretty funny that this is my go-to language). The truck driver then moves the knife as if to threaten or hurt the other guy and I scream..."THAT'S IT I AM CALLING 911 YOU BETTER CUT IT OUT!" Ryan jumps out of the car but stays by our car door and grabs his phone. I immediately call 911 and I am frantically telling the representative that they need to get an officer at the WalMart parking lot because I think these two men are going to kill each other! Of course the person is making me tell them everything and I am still yelling at the guys to stop and hoping Ryan doesn't try to step in and get involved. The truck driver then throws his machete back into his truck and then pushes the other guy and that was it...they were in a full blown fight. It only took a minute before they were both bloody and by now there is a crowd of about 20 watching or walking away and I can't make too much sense about what's going on because the 911 operator is talking my ear off and telling me not to yell at the men. Ryan says that they will get tired eventually and stop. The fight lasted about 5 full minutes of punching and hitting and it was insane. The police arrived right away (which I wasn't too surprised about - we were in South Austin and I can imagine there are cops patroling everywhere around I-35 and Ben White). 911 tells me not to leave and to tell the police that the assailant has a weapon. The cops come, I give a statement and so does Ryan. We are the witnesses who saw the entire scenario. The other guy left the scene of the crime and they arrest the truck driver. The cop who interviewed me was nice and told me it was just another night at WalMart.

As we are walking in to get wiper blades for Ryan the manager tells us the fight was over a parking space. A PARKING SPACE! I would never pull a knife on someone for a parking space, that is just crazy. He is going to feel like such an ass tomorrow when his rage subsides and he has fines and court all over a freaking parking space at WalMart.

I am so glad this day is over.

Thank God it's Friday tomorrow!