Bonus Day

Last week was rough. Honestly, this whole school year has been particularly punishing. I have been eating my lunch anywhere from 1:30 to after 3, I'm pretty sure I gave myself a UTI by not peeing enough during the day, and I feel like I'm flitting from one crisis to another. The kids are lovely -- sometimes there are dysregulated moments but it's nothing I can't handle. It's more my schedule, the two grade levels, the adults, and interesting choices made by upper administration. It becomes SO MUCH. I was at school until 7 multiple days last week and just fried when I got home. If teaching were solely about the kids it would be amazing, but there's all this other crap that bogs us down.

I made it to Friday morning despite the full moon and the lovely "do more with less" and "make it work" structural philosophy of modern public education. I was exhausted. I went to crawl out of bed around 6:30 (late for me) when my phone buzzed. 

It was a somewhat cryptic message from the school district -- "We are aware of the widespread power outages impacting our schools and families, please stay tuned for more updates."

Then, just a little bit later, "If your child is waiting for a bus outside, please bring them inside. If your child has already been picked up by their bus, they are warm and safe. If we close they will be returned to your home." 

Okay, that sounded super promising. I was faced with a dilemma -- get dressed or don't get dressed? I chose to get dressed, because reverse psychology of course. 

And then... the "we're closed" text and call came in. 

What a wonderful, wonderful time to teach in my district but NOT live there! I had power, and heat (it was 9 degrees F out). 

If you aren't a teacher (or don't live with one), there is no way to explain the utter joy of an unplanned bonus day off. Whenever we take time off, either a personal day (which are very limited) or a sick day, we have to make sure we have plans that cover every minute of every day. We have to take what often lives in our head and make it doable by someone who we may or may not know, depending on availability. It is sometimes a lot easier to just suck it up and go in. If we have planned days off, that's typically when we have doctor's appointments and obligations that we can't do during the school day. So a bonus day... it's nothing but freeeee! 

I didn't go back to bed, but I did sit on the couch with my book. I cocooned. I took two naps. I worked on a puzzle. I got back in pajamas. IT. WAS. GLORIOUS. 

It was exactly what I needed. 

I thought about my friends who also teach in my district but don't live there, and how the ones with kids would have some free time since their child/ren would be at school and they didn't have to be. 

I also thought about how lovely it is that I can just veg on the couch and not have to take care of anyone else. It was one of those "because I don't have kids" moments that make me smile. 

I am proud that I didn't fill my time with work. I am proud that I didn't open my laptop ONCE. I took the rest I needed. (And oh, did I need it.) 

What a lovely, lovely gift.