And there wasn't even a ride at the end

Each year, we have one day set aside for Preschool registration at our school. Georgia has really been a pain in the tushie with their stupid, stupid rules and regulations on the front runner in regards to preschool. Because there are a set number of slots (our school has 40 slots), each school system is allowed to register the kiddos in one of two ways: first come, first serve or a lottery drawing. For a variety of reasons and our system's ability to be creatively cruel, we go with the first come, first serve method.

After school on Monday and after the halls had been sanitized again from the god-awful stomach virus making the rounds, we set up for the registration that was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. the next morning. When I got home, I reminded my husband of all the excitement called "Preschool Registration" that was scheduled to occur the next morning. And despite having several parents be rude to me on Monday (unrelated to preschool), I had a sucker of a happy and forgiving heart and I set my alarm to wake up at 4 a.m. (which is stupid only 30 minutes earlier than usual) so I could get to school early. I had even planned skip reading your blogs at home and just read them at school while the few early-bird parents thawed out in the lobby.

So there I sat on Monday evening tooling around on my computer when the phone rang. It was one of my custodians (she is from the Philippines - and is an awesome person). We'll call her Ms. Electrolux in honor of the vacuum she loves.

Ms. Electrolux - "Thay is people at da door and thay shake it and I is scared."

Me - "Holy &@*$! Those must be parents out there waiting for the preschool registration."

Ms. E - "Thay is got thay face up against the glass in da door and thay is looking at me. It only eight tirty and we supposed to stay until nine tirty but I is scared."

Me - "Well, just go on home. Let's call it a day."

I could not believe there were parents in line already. When I checked the weather report, the prediction was for the temperature to dip below freezing again. Didn't they know we weren't giving away any computers. And there were going to be no concert tickets available for purchase.

As I went to bed, I tossed and turned. I kept thinking I am nice and warm in my bed. They are probably freezing. Would it look bad if a parent froze to death right outside the front door? They'd probably blame the school because after all the schools get blamed for everything wrong in society. I can just see the front page of the local joke of a rag newspaper - "Human Popsicle sticks found outside school doors."

Finally, I got up at 2:30 a.m. (again, thanks insomniac sleep) and jumped in the shower. And holy automotive oil at the difference in traffic when you leave for work three hours early! I only passed one car and it was a police car. When I got to school around 3:30 a.m., it looked like a squatter's community had descended upon the school grounds. The parents were sitting in chairs with piles of blankets covering them. One parent who will probably have a child in the gifted program even had an extension cord plugged into an electric blanket.

I've never seen parents so excited about coming to school. There were FIFTEEN parents in line at 3:30 a.m. Unbelievable! It was probably my golden opportunity to plump up the principal's account but I resisted.

But next year, I am so going to capitalize on the preschool registration. We'll be selling coffee and donuts and for a small fee, we'll let them camp out in the lobby.