Even this early in the season we have some floral activity in the garden.
First, I was happy to see this little winter aconite peeping above the leaf cover and blooming. We planted several of them years ago and as far as I know this is the only survivor. And it's a good thing I photographed it when I did, because the next day Olga trampled it and broke it off at the base. Argh!
(There are other little green leaf sprouts around the bulb so I think it may bloom again.)
The snowdrops have come up and have started to open. These are the bulbs I was protecting from the tree trimmers a few weeks back.
And our daffodils are up and have bright yellow buds. They have a tendency to get floppy, which is why I put a little harness around them. I've heard that comes from planting the bulbs too shallowly, but these pre-date our tenancy so I'm not responsible. The buds are now bigger than when I took this picture a few days ago, but we still don't have any fully open daffodils.
Work has already been hard this week. I am locked in a battle of wills with a mob of about 20 9th Grade boys who colonize a corner of the library every day during lunch and breaks. I wouldn't mind if they did something purposeful, or at least weren't obnoxious, but they're 9th Grade boys so of course they just watch videos, play games, eat illicit snacks and make noise. They sprawl all over the floor and make it impossible for anyone to get to the shelves. I wish they had somewhere else to hang out -- because believe me, they're not interested in books at all -- but our school, although rich in most resources, is sadly lacking in unassigned space. I'm trying to let them do their thing but yesterday (for example) they were eating M&Ms, despite the fact we don't allow food in the library, and they just pissed me off. I threw one of them out and threatened to do the same to two more, and they're at that age when they have a smart-ass answer for everything.
I'm specifically NOT a parent because I didn't want the responsibility, and here I am overseeing dozens of kids at a time. Ironic, isn't it? How did this become my life?
24 comments:
Those 20 9th-graders (GASP) had better watch out or they could end up like that beheaded aconite.
Is there a teacher in the school who is paid to be the pastoral leader of the ninth grade? If there is, you should talk to him or her and explain the issue then he/she can address it. If I were that person I would bar all of those boys from the library for a couple of weeks and they would only be allowed back in on probation.
I wonder if there's a solution to the kids' showing up to hang out without using the library. I'd have though there'd be a teacher assigned, rather than expect the library staff to babysit.
I'm deep in envy of your snowdrops!
How nice it is to see green and colorful things! We have a long way to go. Oh, good grief. I'm with you - I would have tossed the lot of them to the curb. There is such an overwhelming sense of entitlement in kids these days, and very little sense of consideration for others. I'm starting to sound like my grandmother.
We have a few daffodils showing their faces in the garden this week, and the dogwoods around Camden are blooming. I'm loving all the color.
I am unbelievably jealous of your flowers. Also: don't you have a principal?
I would rather be a parent than deal with a group of ninth-grade boys! Kids really do need a place to hang out, other than a library.
Love,
Janie
Dealing with a group of 9th grade boys on your own sounds like a nightmare. Doesn't the school have a cafeteria they could use?
Your flowers are looking great! And as for the kids -- that would drive me nuts! Off with their heads!
I think most of us at some point look around and say, "How did I get here? This is not my beautiful life!"
Thank you, Talking Heads.
It is pretty weird that you never wanted kids and here you are with all these kids. And I seriously doubt you even have any sort of karmetic debt to pay in this regard.
At least you can leave it all behind and go home to your beautiful garden.
We were all 9th graders at some point in our education ... some were assholes and some were not! You opted to be childless and yet ... here you are! What could you expect being a librarian? LOL
Oh, do be careful what you wish for!
I'm in a similar situation, sort of. I don't really like people, but here I am working human resources. God laughs indeed. Ha!
Talking to their teacher may help as some have suggested. Meet with school and students to find a spot where they CAN hang out?
I love seeing all the blooms getting ready to do their thing! It's going to be a colorful spring.
I'm glad I don't have to deal with 9th-grade boys. I don't have the patience I once had.
Times certainly have changed. We never had time or space to hang out during school hours except at lunch time and in the cafeteria or gym immediately after eating. The only other time was the three minutes we had between classes.
I love seeing the flowers blooming there. Ah spring is so full of promise and beauty.
Those ninth grade boys need someplace else to hang out and do their ninth grade shenanigans. It's crazy to think they hang out in the library.
You don't have any support from your administration. It's a frustrating situation. So play some music they don't like.
Since when did the library become the place for kids to hang out? Methinks your school administration should kick them out.
I agree about the school admin but they may not care as long as the kids aren't causing any trouble to THEM. That's the way it seems to be these days. Sorry you have to deal with their mouthy attitudes and disrespect to the library. Our daffs aren't even close. My tulips are coming out of the ground but it'll be another month or two before they do anything.
We have a water bottle that I squirt the cat with when she's pain in the ass. I think that might be a good solution for you:)
I'm going with the water bottle idea!
I have been thoroughly entertained by your post and many of these comments! You can't be mad at Olga because she was just doing what dogs do: trample things in the garden. And sadly, many kids never outgrow the smart-ass stage.
Could you ask them to sprawl in a corner away from the shelves so people can still get to the books? It's a shame there isn't an outside area for them to hang in.
The little aconite is lovely.
Mitchell: Ha! They're annoying, but maybe not THAT annoying. :)
YP: There is a grade-level dean. We have talked to some of the upper level administrators but I need to document some specifics before I go back to them.
Boud: There are assigned duties, but library at lunchtime isn't one of them!
Susan: I think that's probably not an entirely new phenomenon. Kids always think the world revolves around them!
Bob: It's such a great change, isn't it? That aconite made my day. (Until it made Olga's day too.)
Debby: We do, and referrals have been made!
Janie: Yes, that's the main problem, I think. The kids just have nowhere suitable to go. Or not enough places, anyway.
Colette: There is a cafeteria but it's pretty loud at lunchtime. I think the tendency for the kids is to eat and then spend the rest of lunch elsewhere. (Can't blame them; that's what I used to do too.)
Jeanie: Ha! I wish! LOL
Ms Moon: Life is funny that way. You just never quite know what path you're going to wind up taking!
Marcia: Well, library work is something I sort of fell into, so I never quite planned for it. My training is in journalism! Long story...
Bug: Ha! It IS odd, the things we wind up doing.
Ellen D: I've had a couple of meetings about particularly problematic conduct. The school is definitely aware of the need for hangout space.
Sharon: Neither do I!
Ed: I KNOW! Our kids have two "conference times" each morning, which are supposed to be used for meeting with teachers but in reality are often spent hanging out. Plus there's lunch and between-class breaks. More spare time than I ever had in school!
Robin: I couldn't agree more!
Red: Ha! "Patti Page's Greatest Hits," maybe? (It has to be something I could stand to listen to myself!)
Jim: Well, I agree, but as I said we lack hanging-out space, so the library becomes a magnet. Plus libraries in general have moved away from that "quiet space" ideal we all grew up with.
Margaret: I think that's exactly it -- out of sight, out of mind.
Allison: I see that commenter removed her comment, which is a shame because I got a kick out of it! Sounds good to me!
Kelly: Well, I can be annoyed at Olga, but I wouldn't scold or punish her or anything. (We never punish her. I couldn't tell you the last time she needed that!)
River: We've tried but they like that enclosed space. Argh!
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