When Kiara Comes Sauntering In Again, Hurrah, Hurrah

This title, of course, must be sung out loud to the tune of When the Saints Go Marching In!

When Kiara comes sauntering in again, hurrah, hurrah! The entire class will turn on its heels and grin, hurrah, hurrah!

Remember Kiara? The student who contacted on February 17th, in regard to her mysterious absence since January 19th? The student felled by the world's all time greatest migraine--for a month?

Kiara came back to class -- on March 4th.

Imagine the Matron's complete and total SHOCK when--with no advance warning or other signs of life---Kiara simply walked in with everybody else on Thursday morning. Well, wait a minute. This would imply that she was on TIME. No. Kiara walked in half an hour late.

The Matron didn't know who she was.

Matron: "Can I help you?"

Kiara: "It's me, Kiara."

Now, it turns out that for some reason the 'system' failed to remove her from the class --some computer issue, probably. So Kiara sees this class continuing to show up on her schedule and she thinks: "what the hell? why not go one day? did the room change colors?"

This would be the Matron's assessment of Kiara's detailed and sophisticated thought process, because Kiara didn't have a syllabus, any assignments, or books.

What's a teacher to do?!

This one is throwing that young woman what will be most difficult: giving Kiara exactly what she wants, which is half a semester of work to complete, independently. Yours truly is not giving private eight week instruction.

She is not holding her breath for this particular success story. Indeed, the second day all year Kiara selected to attend class? Right before Spring Break, which starts Monday.

The Matron can just see a hang-nail or stomach ache coming, issues that might down Kiara for another couple of weeks, starting right after Spring Break on Monday March 15th.

Good luck, honey.

Spring Break!! And the children? Still in school.

Hurrah, hurrah!

Didn't See it Coming

Being in theater and being a kid means the annual head shot.

This would be the artistic view of the HEAD. All actors do it. You hand over the head shot-- a big close up the jaw line, teeth, eye and profile -- with your resume at each audition.

When you're a grown-up -- and good lord, aging well--your head shot can last five years and continue to be somewhat representative. Somewhat. There is wiggle room and the Matron has seen it. Wiggle room has wrinkles and age, honey.

But a kid? You're someone new in like four weeks so you need that annual head shot. Ten years old? You look different at ten and a half--or ten and twelve winks of sleep.

Scarlett's has been long overdue.

Some readers-girlfriends-voodoo operators (she's open to that this week) might remember that Scarlett has a fan in a famous local photographer who has VOLUNTEERED to do these incredibly expensive head shot endeavors without ever once mentioning money.

Okay, today the Matron slipped her some of those green bills. Another story.

But the end game is that last week Scarlett was preparing for her head shots, which was basically a scheduling Super Bowl between other family engagements.

The Matron could not help but notice Merrick's keen attention to conversations about the head shots. Your truly and the husband would be discussing things like "who's driving to the head shot and who is doing hockey and maybe book club and who will drive tea cakes to Grandma?"

Merrick listens with a pale face, full body poised.

Tea cakes? Book club? Head shot?

The day of the head shot session Scarlett appeared post-shower looking mostly acceptable. As they were walking out the door, Merrick HURLED himself in front of them and screamed:

"WAIT A MINUTE DO I NEED A HEAD SHOT TOO?"

After much gut level heaving, it turns out that the poor guy has been anticipating a shot (as in vaccination) IN THE HEAD for four months. And was watching his sister head out the door for that terrible fate, fearing his own.

The relief in this household, knowing there was no needle in the head in store for everyone in the family? Oceanic.

Life, Happening

Not in the public domain on this one. Send the poor Matron a lot of energy, reader-friends. She will be drawing on it. The plans are to be back here flexing some creative muscles tomorrow. There are endorphins involved with that and she is in need of some big time biochemical infusion.