More on this afternoon

Some details. I arrived at Sabrina's classroom only to find that she hadn't been at school. WTH? The other kids in the class were so cute about it and were happy to see me. As I was leaving, Sabrina's mom called and said "we're five minutes away." So I agreed to meet them in the front of the school.

While I waited for 25 minutes, I got to enjoy a bit of her world.

1. One of the security guards (I'm okay with elementary schools having security guards, by the way, since they are there to keep the kids safe, but Sabrina's school has at least three, and that's just not cool) threatened the kids that "if I see you with a snowball, you WILL BE suspended." I considered approaching her and telling her that I wrote the discipline rules, and while snowballs are serious, nowhere in the discipline rules does it say anything about snowballs, and suspension is never an appropriate first step unless there is really REALLY serious stuff going on, like weapons or sex, and definitely not for elementary school kids. But I was too chicken.

2. A dad showed up (late) to pick up his son. His son was waiting outside for him. Dad lays into him, grabs his arm and yells how he was supposed to wait inside and someone could snatch him and I don't remember what else but it was HARSH and LOUD and RELENTLESS.

3. Another dad pulled up in his car and told someone in the car (loudly) "roll down the mother-effing window!" A few minutes later he came back out of the school with one of Sabrina's classmates--one of my favorites--and her little brother.

But wait, you say. You said that Sabrina's mom said they were five minutes away. Why were you waiting for 25 minutes?

Well, after 20 minutes I called mom back. "We're coming around the corner right now." This was possible, as there were three cars turning the corner at that moment. Well, maybe they were turning A corner, but it sure wasn't the corner at the school. Another five minutes...