The Gum Ball Machines of Life

So....when I went to pick the children up from Grandma Judy's this afternoon, I determined that we'd stop at the grocery store on the way home. I mentioned it while we were still at Judy's thinking it would create some interest and maybe some good behavior. Uh...no. Okay, so how about a bribe? I happened to have two quarters in my pocket and told the children they could each have one to use in the gum ball machines at the door of the grocery. Ryan took Robin's to be mean...so I gave Robin the other one...then she got into a piggy bank she has at Grandma Judy's and got herself another one. That meant that Robin had two and Ryan only had one. On the way to the store, that became an issue. "I don't have two quarters," whined Ryan, "and Robin does." No problem, says I. I'll just get $5.00 in change from my debit card and ask that one of those dollars be in quarters so Ryan can also have TWO quarters like his sister.

The children behaved semi-miserably in the store and not much better in the check-out line, so I was distracted. I punched the numbers in the card machine and waited for my change. The cashier took out a $20 bill and a $10 bill and was reaching for more to give me...and looked at me somewhat askance when I protested that I had only asked for $5.00. In my distraction, I had punched in $50 for change. Ack!

Oh, well! I mean, I can always use the cash in my pocket. I should have rescinded the kids' ability to use the machines, however, because they shouldn't have been rewarded for bad behavior, but I hadn't stipulated that in the beginning...so, true to my word, we stopped at the gum ball machines. I made it clear that they were NOT to use the machines without my supervision. (There have been too many occasions when the gum ended up on the floor because the children didn't have their hands under the dispenser door when they opened it.) I pointed out which machines took one quarter and which used two. Robin used both of hers in short order. Ryan got a gum ball for a quarter, then hedged on the other. Time was a-wastin'. I stood on one foot and then on the other waiting for him to make up his mind how to use his remaining quarter--the one that he got at from some effort from me. I hadn't started supper yet, and Meg was going to be headed home soon. Finally, I said, "We have to hurry, Ryan. What are you going to do with your second quarter?" His response: "Keep it..."

I was tempted to launch into a tirade about "Why did I go to the trouble to get you a second quarter if you weren't going to use it?"--but thought better of it. We pushed the cart to the parking lot and came home, with Grandma Peggy mumbling under her breath. Ugh!

And speaking of the gum ball machines of life, I had another "incident" today that taught me that life is a crap-shoot. Yesterday was Writing Across the Curriculum day, which meant that my last period class, besides the quiz that they took on their homework assignment, had to write an essay based on a prompt that I gave them. (Practice for the next ISTEP test in March.) I had the kids turn in their papers in two stacks on a student desk near mine at the back of the room. Then the bell rang and the day was over. I left them on the desk, turned out the lights and locked my door...and headed for home. This morning, first thing on my docket was to tend to those papers. They were gone--nowhere to be found!

Okay...so what would YOU think?
We have had an issue with a particular custodian who has left nasty-grams on teachers' desks in our hall about broken pencils and things on the floor. I taught both of her sons, way back when, and never received a note on my desk. I figured I was special!
There was a dictionary on the floor that was left there...but the papers on the desk had been removed--my guess is "thrown away". I can't prove a thing, but I consulted with the principal who then called the head of maintenance. (That meeting hasn't happened yet.) IF she, indeed, threw away student papers from a desk, she could very well lose her job...but if she did, she deserves to lose it! I had to face my 7th period class with the news that their papers were gone. Some were probably relieved...but the couple that I read before the end of the day had done a good job, and I feel bad for them.
I have never had anything like this happen before, and I am upset. It will be the first time in my career that I haven't had the faith that things would be as I left them the next day...

Anyone for bubble gum? Got a quarter??