Tying up loose ends

The diabetic that wanted to go independent last week: arrived ten minutes early on Tuesday, and was clearly humiliated to tell me she had told her mom and her mom said to continue checking in with the nurse. She even understood the difference between carbs and units - terms she, to my worry, has been mixing up since the beginning - when we discussed what she'd have for lunch. Progress? I think so. 

The girl with the shoes waved a friendly hello to me in the hallway yesterday. Her mother, who claims a disability prevents her from taking her to the hospital to get her daughter free shoes, came to an appointment with the assistant principal to complain that someone at the school was trying to get her daughter taken away. When I got to work on Wednesday, the vice principal and her were in my office - except I didn't know it was her. There's a big joke in the office that as soon as I step out of my own office, whether to file papers or talk to the clerks, someone shuts themselves in my office - often the assistant principal with troublemakers, or the school police officer on the phone. I saw the two in my office when I got there, and laughed it off with the attendance clerk that now I shouldn't even bother coming to work. Thank goodness I didn't barge in there to take it over, as I often do, and allowed the mother to know what I look like. I didn't hear until much later in the day that had been the girl's mom in my office; if I'd known, I'm not sure I would have sat right outside of it hoping my stares would hurry them along in their meeting. Also, it turns out it was the school psychologist who reported it, but she was so scared of retribution by mom she didn't want to tell anyone on campus. I can't blame her.

It's my Friday today, and not a moment too soon. I have one kid in my office puking, one with possible pink eye, and one taunting me with an inhaler he won't give up that he has no paperwork for.