Yesterday was $*%?!

I know that lately I have been all sunshine and roses, cheery and jovial, but yesterday was too much. There wasn't one particular thing, but a series of lots of little things that typically I just laugh at, but yesterday they just seemed to get to me. I started the morning off doing one of the more fantastic tasks of my job, nit-picking. Yep, I have a master's degree in nursing so I can spend the morning picking nits out of children's hair. Then it gets even more fantastic when I get to call parents and say, "I know that you spent all weekend shampooing, combing, and nit-picking, but there are still nits and our district has a "no-nit" policy." Parents are, of course, more than a little miffed that they have to come and get their children and they tend to take their frustration out on the one who made the phone call. Sorry, I know the policy sucks, but it is what it is and your child cannot be at school until s/he is nit-free. A first-grader doesn't want to be at school so he complains of his stomach hurting. I spend 30 minutes with him, walking around the school, talking about his favorite things, prepping to go back to class only to have his now-happy persona completely unravel when we get to his classroom. I talk with the counselor, but the counselor can't help because s/he is in the middle of something. Ok, I will just not get to the state-mandated vision/hearing screenings today. Finally I do convince the first-grader to go to recess with the promise that I'll call his mom while he is out and then come and tell him what she said. Happy again, he goes to recess. I talk with mom, report back to him and don't see him for the rest of the day, but the vision/hearing screenings are still not finished. Lunchtime, usually a relaxing few moments. Except not yesterday. Yesterday I decide to purchase a soda (a rarity to say the least). I push my selection and out comes the pop, but not my selection. No, it is a *&%^ Coke. I hate Coke. Honestly, could this day get even worse? Never ask that question! Finally home from work, but no Katelyn. Katelyn usually is home by 3, since her school dismisses at 2:20 and she has to ride the bus. 4 o'clock and still no Katelyn. I call a few of her friends to see if she had mentioned any after school plans. Nope, they all say. Now Katelyn is usually very good about calling me if she has something come up and she won't be home on time. So I drive to the school and walk around. Still can't find her. It is now 4:30 and I'm feeling a little panicky (probably from drinking the caffeinated soda at lunchtime). I've called Dave 3 times by now, but he has quit answering his phone because he knows there is nothing he can do from CDA. It's 4:45 and I have to leave in 5 minutes to get Carson from wrestling. 4:50, tears streaming down my face, I hear the garage door open. Katelyn is finally home! Only a smirk from her when she sees my tear-streaked face and a lame excuse that she didn't have a phone to call from. Don't even try to pull that one on me--there are phones in every classroom of that school as well as a free student phone! Waiting for Carson to get done with wrestling practice. Here he comes so I turn the key to start the car. Nothing. Try one more time. Nothing again. The battery is dead in the Honda. Call a friend. She'll see me in 10 minutes. I have jumper cables. Carson asks every 2 minutes in that 10 minute waiting time if I would try starting the car again. Finally I ask him to quit asking because he is giving me a headache. Friend arrives, jump the battery and away we go. Home now. Time to fix dinner. Crap, the hamburger is still frozen so no tacos for dinner. What to fix. The kids want waffles. So Katelyn fixes waffles for them and I eat a bowl of oatmeal. I love waffles so the oatmeal is a total disappointment. Monday night football. Broncos lose. This day sucks.