Losing the battle...

... on more than one front. Yesterday my cold overtook me and I called in sick to work. Fortunately, it wasn't a urgent day to be there and not much would have gotten accomplished anyway. I took Anna to school and came back and went to bed. In the afternoon, I finished getting stuff ready for the art lesson and yearbook meeting. I was thinking "O.k. this is going to be the worst day of the cold and I will feel better tomorrow."

How wrong I was. I had a terrible night sleeping (even Nyquil didn't help and that stuff usually knocks me out). I woke up this morning feeling more horrible and wondering how am I ever going to get through an art lesson and a yearbook meeting as well. I drank a big glass of orange juice and a big mug of tea and took all kinds of medicine before we went to school. I was still feeling bad and had a rough voice, but thought I was a little better and might be able to make it through (plus I already had all the stuff ready to go. If I had to, I could get through the instructions and the teacher could take over).

I did make it through the art lesson and the kids artwork turned out well (maybe I'll take some pictures when I get them hung up). I got the stuff cleaned up and went to the Roosevelt market for some soup. Had a little time to rest at school before the yearbook meeting. By then though, all the medicines were starting to wear off.

I warned the kids I was already starting off with a low tolerance, but that went in one ear and out the other. Of course, most of them had not completed their assignments from last week (or previous ones for that matter). Even though I said I didn't want to hear excuses and gave them an extension, they were coming and going from the meeting to try to get their assignments or finish them. Hello, we're not working on them during the meeting.

It was really bad. I'm sure I came off as mean and cranky (I warned them). But what can I do when they don't do their assignments. I can't fail them. I can only threaten that I will do the fun part, that they have been waiting to do, instead of them. A couple of kids now want to quit because it is actually coming down to doing work instead of sitting around jabbering.

I have no voice left and at one point I just said, I quit. I'm done, leave. There will be no yearbook. That left them silent for a moment. Of course, anyone who knows me knows that is a completely empty threat. Because if I'm in charge of something it is going to get done and I'll do my best to get it done well (which is getting very hard with these students). Finally, I just said, "Any questions? o.k. leave."

Now I guess it is back to tea and orange juice and medicine and trying to forget about it for a while.