Hope!....at last!

So...today I was back at the chalk face having been called late last week and it not being confirmed until yesterday. I was back in the realms of Toerag and Fidget literally as I was covering in their class again.After all skyping Josh to wish him a happy 30th birthday Will and Lewis dropped me off at 8.00 am. We left Nathan to fend for himself in the bush. Will and Lewis were going onto the laundrette and I to face the demons.Looking at the names on the board as I went in I couldn't see Toerag's name and for a brief while my spirits soared but then I realised it was there after all.The seating arrangements had changed since last time and the desks were less in rows and more like an arena with me as the gladiator thrown to the lions.I kept the door locked so they couldn't get in early eventually there was a knock on the door. It was the SENCo (Special needs Co-ordinator) come to tell the class teacher that Hope was returning. She was surprised to see me. I couldn't believe that heralds had not been sent out to announce my arrival.Hope it seems was arriving by wheelchair and had a cast on each foot! It was no accident but rather some procedure to improve her feet. I smiled caringly as I listened about Hope's needs but was really wishing she had taken an extra day off.She arrived not long after and I went out crying "Hope! You don't know me but I am Mr Allen. You were not here the last time I was here."Mum was a bit worried about her first day back."Oh, don't worry, we will look after her." I said, thinking I bet King Herod once said something like that.The bell went and they all traipsed in. I pounced on Fidget and leered saying "Now are you going to do the right thing or do I need to get cross again?"He nodded and shook his head at the correct questions while looking somewhat terrified. He was holding a small stuffed mouse."Who is this?" I asked."Buttons" he said.'Great!' I thought, I could see me taking it hostage and forcing him to do my will for it's safe return....Muahahahahahahahahaha! I laughed silently in my head.It was Maths first. I had Toerag and Fidget with me with all the Year 1's and I managed to keep them on task for the whole hour. Then it was Science, identifying Materials and their Properties. Then it was 'Morning Tea' (break). I went in search of a parachute and found a guy in who was dressed like a PE teacher who said he would get one for me at Lunchtime.I was roped into do a dinner duty over in the 'Bear Garden' later.After 'Morning Tea' it was reading groups and as usual two parents did not turn up which meant I had to have one group reading alone and I juggled two groups on my own. Then I had half an hour to fill which I did with a game of 'hangman' at this point confiscating Buttons and holding him hostage in my shirt pocket.Of course they beat me again and they cheered as I hissed and booed.Then it was Religion and most of them went off to different parts of the school while I was left to look after the 'heathens, pagans, druids and devil worshippers'. Children filed in from other classes and I had been told to just read stories for half an hour but they were expecting to do colouring like they normally did. I read a story anyway and during a dramatic pause Sunny, for it was he suddenly cried out,"What happened to your hair?""That's a very good question Sunny," I said, " and one that I shall address with you later when I have finished this story.Later as Sunny was drawing a picture of the story I had just told. I went over to explain why I was follicly challenged."Well, you see Sunny, there was this great big wind....""And it blew off?" He looked aghast."Yes it did... and the moral of this story is, Sunny, always wear your hat!"Lunchtime arrived and I went over to the Bear Garden at the Prep Annexe. I was greeted merrily by the children who remembered me from my very first foray back into the classroom. Happily this duty was not as fraught as the last and I did not have to untie children form ropes.I was free to do my own thing for the last hour in the afternoon so took them out to do Parachute Games.Fidget and Toerag were pretty good though I did have to utter the immortal words,"No, Toerag, you are a number two," which was true on a number of levels.I am back with them again in June if not before but today passed without too much trauma.Tomorrow we begin our Road Trip south....you may not hear from us again until we get to Canberra on Friday.Adieu.