“What was your dream? I long for you to tell it.” – Shakespeare, Richard III
Mr. Bear doesn’t care to hear about my weird dreams (even though I always want to listen to his).
I understand his disinterest because mine are usually very long, very detailed, very weird, and quite often don’t make much sense.
**BREAKING NEWS: Just minutes ago Mr. Bear opened his eyes, looked straight at me and shouted, “MASSHOLE” before rolling over and going back to sleep. Real sleep. How much you want to bet he was having a strange dream??).
Anyways, last year while I was planning my wedding, I’d lie awake at night after some ridiculous dream or crazy delusion, wondering what evil troll got inside my mind and decided it’d be fun to mess with me. (For the record, I didn’t have wedding nightmares every night, sometimes I had dreams about goats too).
I think these two jerks took over my mind and laughed like the devil as I tossed and turned all night long.
Now the devious duo is back, spinning tales about reading workshops without materials and forgotten to-do lists. I know I have a lot on my plate right now – trying to organize a classroom in one week is a feat I never thought possible – but why can’t I just think about those things while I am awake?
Perhaps the trolls want me to look like them for my first day of school. You know, no sleep = no beauty rest.
Yesterday was my first day in my classroom and I actually lived a nightmare.
When I saw my desk for the first time, I hoped that maybe the teacher from last year had left me some treats (in the form of supplies). I frantically searched the drawers for scissors, paper clips, or erasers. What I found was tiny little black things that resembled rye grains in a piece of rye bread.
I assumed they were lead shavings or black rice (I had to think positively) and began cleaning them up with a wet antibacterial wipe. Then it started smearing and smelling and I lost it. I actually ran out of the room and into the hallway because I thought I was going to yak.
I spent 45 minutes and used 30 of those wipes to clean the MOUSE POOP occupying my desk drawers.
You heard me. Mouse droppings galore. I am gagging right now just thinking about it.
I bet that mouse sat in the corner of my room and watched me clean up his turds, laughing away like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.
Anyone have suggestions on how to keep mice out of your classroom??
OH MY! No recommendations here but that kind of makes me mad to think that cleaning people don’t go in and check things like that before teachers come in….(is that that “perfect world” of which we women talk about?) haha I hope that is your ONLY mouse encounter for the year!!
Oh no, that’s awful 🙁 Unfortunately I don’t have any advice for the mice situation but I hope it gets resolved very quickly!
Many things need to be done to assure no more mice in your desk. 1. Do not keep food open in your desk. If you must have food it has to be secured somewhere! 2. Keep an eye for any droppings staying on top of the situation will help. 3. Remember with mice come other critters, keep your purse locked in a snap lid container. You do not want to bring new friends home. 4. Keep your humor about it all Dont let this discourage that positive outlook on helping the children.
Storytime! about mice…
ok so when I was little I used to tell little lies….sweet little lies.
we live in pennsylavnia. so everyday while my siblings went to school I stayed with my mom and and sometimes we met up with my dad to go to the base (air force brat here). Well we were driving down the road and I told my parents, “Mama there’s a mouse in my glove.” She didn’t believe me…. so i said it three more times…. “Mama there’s really a mouse in my glove…” She said “Jessica! hush!” so i pulled it out and waved it around in the air by its tail , then my mom starting screaming, my dad swirved all over the road…they threw the mouse out the window…and I was sad. So i started again. “Mama there’s another mouse in my other glove.” They threw both of my gloves out the window and didn’t buy me another pair for a really long time. Definately cried wolf a lot as a kid. 😉 Ok end of my mouse stories…
omg no way!! I would have been OUT OF THERE for the day. eewwwwww!!!!
Ewwwww!!!! That is so gross!
My cousin is living in my grandparents farmhouse (they are both in a nursing home now). Well, she brought two kittens to the farmhouse from her parents house. Those two little, mischievous kittens have been catching mice like it is their job (actually, it is their job). Too bad the school system won’t let you bring in a kitten. lol I am sure your students would LOVE to have a kitten as the classroom pet. lol
I know that there are traps that you can put out for the mice that just catch them but don’t kill them. There are also traps that they walk into but never come out. Good luck with your rodent situation!
Were you ever able to find cheap school supplies for your classroom?
I don’t have a clue how to keep mice out. Sorry! If I ever saw one, I think I would die! Let’s hope the mice have left the building!!!
i got the heebie jeebies just reading that post! i HATE mice and have also had a too-close-for-comfort-contact (i.e. I touched one! Read about it on this post: http://babblingabby.blogspot.com/2010/04/real-long-account-of-mouse.html)
Anyway, it was AWFUL and I can soooo relate. My suggestion: tell the custodian ASAP!!!! Good luck!
MOTHBALLS!!!! leave them in your desk.
I had wonderful luck with the trap where they walk in but not out. I put oyster crackers topped with peanut butter in there & within an hour, we caught a little guy. My hubs then had to take him and release him in a field far away from our house. I have no idea how to prevent a mouse in your classroom. Maybe it was just a fluke mouse. Or maybe he wants to learn? Maybe? Good luck!
Good to know Mr. Bear is (secretly??) not a fan of Massholes as well! 😉
As for the mouse, I’d clean up REAL good with Lysol and any disinfectant that you can, keep food tightly sealed, and spray any holes or nooks with varmint killer. And be super-anal about students cleaning up after snack time/lunch/any time they eat in your room!
ughhhhh barf! I would have died!! So glad your room is coming together!!