The One About The Fire Drill

So we had a fire drill today.  Normally we are prepared, the teachers at least.  They tell us the day and general time so we can be ready.  Today that wasn't totally the case though.  We knew it was coming but hadn't been told a time.  I, however, being somewhat nosey in the know, overheard them prepping for it when I was in the office on break.  My kids were in Library and there was about 5 minutes left.  I hustled upstairs to get them and hurry back to our classroom so we could be totally ready to go.  However, life (the kids), had other plans.  It seems several of my friends were having a serious case of "I can't figure out what book to check out so I'll just walk around the Library a couple of dozen times picking up and putting down random books while my teacher attempts to hurry me along".  I'm sure you've experienced something similar.

So, I'm checking my watching, tapping my foot, and hopelessly trying to get them to just grab a book already pick the perfect book.  I decided to send those students who were ready back to the classroom, at the end of the hallway, and wait with the indecisive ones.  Usually we return to the classroom after Library and have snack while they peruse their books, so I had them get started on that.  There I stand, in the doorway to the Library, simultaneously watching the kids returning to the classroom and still (why, I don't know) attempting to hurry along the stragglers.  There were only 3 left, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.  We were going to make it!  Then the fire alarm went off.  Yep, you knew that was coming right?  My one little friend who inevitably get freaked out by the alarm, no matter how many times we hear it, was a straggler.  So now, I'm calming him down while rushing with him and the others down the hallway amidst the classes pouring out of their rooms to evacuate, trying to reach my other friends so we can all leave the building.  Lucky for me the 2nd Grade teacher, a good friend, absorbed by kids from my room into her line and I caught up to the end of that time on the exterior stairway.

I'm still frustrated and flustered but I think it's going to get better.  Then a 2nd Grader falls down a step or two.  Nothing major, just enough to slow us down a bit.  Then 2 of my friends decide now would be the perfect time to wander off from my line, all the while discussing the books they have from the Library.  Yep, the stragglers who evacuated with their books, giving me grief again.  Argh!  I mean this is only something we practice once a month and discussed ad nauseum during our Fire Safety studies.  Needless to say we were slowed even more by this.  By now I'm just thankful there isn't a fire because we'd be toast.

So, who knows how long it took the building to be emptied, but I can't imagine it was a record time.  Oh well.  Ever have one of those days?  Ever have one of those drills?  Luckily it didn't set the tone for the day and my mild grumpiness soon passed and we were back to normal.  Still though, it was the longest 10 minutes of my day.