Day 16: Wha...?

Okay.  I have officially crossed over into the realm of "D'oh!"

Here's the deal.  I do Scholastic book orders each month for my class.  I collected the orders, submitted the orders online, and waited for the books to come.  Well, the books came.  As I was passing out the orders today, I realized that I didn't have books for one of the children.  Thinking I missed the books on the packing list, I dutifully checked and double-checked the list and the contents of the box.  Still no books.

So then I check in my gradebook. (I keep track of who gave me what forms in there so it's all in one place.)  Sure enough, there is a checkmark beside this student's name.  As I thought about it, I remembered that this particular student was the first person to turn in the book order form for this month.

By now, I'm frustrated.  Where on earth is the envelope with the order and payment?  I checked my Scholastic file (a large manila envelope).  Nothing.  Desk drawer where said envelope is kept?  Still nothing.  Remaining drawers in the desk?  You guessed it.  Still nothing.

Move from frustration to panic.

Every break I had, and some time after school, I rechecked all of my desk drawers (several times), checked over the files and filing cabinet drawers I have used in the past two weeks, and looked through baskets on the shelf behind my desk.  Over and over.  NOTHING.

So now I have to contact this student's mother and let her know that I cannot locate the book order and payment she sent in two weeks ago.  That she can still put in an order if she would like to do so.  (And secretly hope she doesn't think I'm an idiot.) 

Not a good start to the school year.

This would not be so frustrating to me if I was paying attention this past Friday when I put in the orders.  How I failed to realize that I didn't have this child's book order is beyond me.  While my class was in special, I gathered all the envelopes, took out the payments, and paper clipped them together. Then I took the order forms out to put the tallies on the master sheet and put the tallies on the form.  By that time it was time to pick up my class from special.  While the children were at recess I made the selections online, and recycled the envelopes.  I think I recycled this particular order with the other envelopes.  (File under: D'oh!)

The other frustrating part is the fact that I am usually very organized.  I've had principals and colleagues come to me for items when they haven't been able to find them.  I color code everything.  I file everything (You saw my before and after pictures in my earlier posts!).  I plan all subjects a week in advance.  I take the yearly and monthly calendars and write all of the information in my planner as soon as I get it.  I obsess over ways to make my classroom and organization more efficient.  I even made labels for my personal bookshelf according to reading theme and subject.  The student reading center is organized in 12 baskets according to topic; extras are on a shelf waiting to be put into rotation. I know where every item in my classroom is.  Every item, EXCEPT this book order!

Pray for me...and my sanity!