Today was a doozie.

Today was one day I could have done without. After many lessons and talks about not using too much toilet paper because it clogs the toilet and after Corey had to plunge the toilet once from someone using the entire roll, I witnessed one of my children wiping himself with the very last bit of the roll. Literally, the entire roll was in the toilet and only cardboard was visible on the wall. Shouldn't that be the signal that you have used too much?!?

So, my worst nightmare became reality and I had to put on latex gloves and scoop out every last bit of poopie toilet paper so the pot wouldn't clog. I literally had to lock myself in the bathroom so that I could dry heave and run to the open window for fresh air after each scoop without alarming the entire Star Room. I'm not sure that it really smelled bad, but I was just so aware of what I was doing that I was grossed. And for some reason, it doesn't bother me cleaning diapers. Maybe it was just the principle of it that was getting to my gag reflex. (Not to mention soggy toilet paper and turds.)

Debbie told the children about it at circle. "Miss Ida had to put her hands in the toilet and scoop out all the wet paper." You've never seen so many huge eyes around a circle captivated by the story and inspecting my hands for evidence. Well, everyone except the child who pulled the roll who just looked around accusingly at everyone else. (That was kind of cute, I must admit, redeemable even.) Now I wonder if it would be wasteful to set up toilet paper work on the practical life shelf. (Though hopefully it won't be necessary now that they all know the trauma I endured.)

This reminds me of a post I read on another Montessori teacher's blog about an accident a child had in her classroom in which she frantically went to search for the cleaning lady. (!)

They could never pay me enough for this doodie kind of day.