The fun begins...

Yesterday the contract days began for everyone else, so while I've already put in seven days of work, everyone else was jolted into reality yesterday. Things are as hectic as they always are in the beginning of the year, and last night I helped pass out schedules for the students at my middle school. I was there to enforce the Tdap law, refusing a schedule to anyone without the shot (and, possibly, off the record, I might have been sliding them a waiver if they didn't have proof or told a good story about why they didn't have the shot). I'm at a new middle school this year, and many of my students from the last two years - the ones previously at my middle school that closed - were there last night. It was great to see them, for them to see me, and for them to see we have some common ground in that we're all in a new place now, with new people.

The real highlight of the kids' anticipated return, though, happened today. I called the mother of one of my diabetics, one I like to call "High Maintenance Boy." High Maintenance Mom took a long time to trust me last year, but she finally did, and her little boy is one I can only describe as darling. He's a naive sweetheart of a kid, one who last year in fourth grade didn't know how to tie his shoes. Anyway, I decided to be proactive and call them rather than have them try to hunt me down in the chaos of the first day of school tomorrow to find out if anything major had changed. H.M. Mom answered, and when I identified myself, she said, "Oh! H.M. Boy was just talking about you, he was asking me if you were going to be his nurse. Here, he wants to talk to you." She put him on the phone, and I just want to let you know, there isn't anything much sweeter than having a high-pitched, squeaky fifth grader ask you if you're going to be his nurse again this year. We talked a little bit about his summer (it turned out he didn't have much to say after expressing his relief that I'm his nurse again), and then I talked with the mom again before hanging up.

Holy crap, I realized, when I hung up: I am so ready for the kids to come back. I know it's a statement I'll regret soon - perhaps tomorrow, even - and I'll be just as "so" ready for the breaks. But working almost two weeks without the children has been a long two weeks.

Welcome back to the kiddos, tomorrow! Let the fun begin!