Man Your Battle Stations

Each Monday afternoon my office is invaded. 

 

Coworkers close their doors or prepare to spend the afternoon working at home. 

 

I attempt to get everything that requires concentration completed prior to the invasion. 

 

I try to keep my office as quiet as possible; attempt to focus; and keep the door firmly locked fully understanding that once 2:00 arrives, my work place will not be the same. 

 

Monday, in our school district, is "half day Monday" as I have lovingly (yeah right) dubbed it. 

 

This means that each Monday I leave my desk and rush to the bus stop (which I had changed so that it would be close to the office) to take responsibility for the Diva. 

 

We chat as we walk hand-in-hand back to the building.  We walk through the employee lobby, take the elevator up a few floors, and enter my office where I close the door as much as possible.  Each time I hope that she will find a book or settle down with this or that activity leaving those in the building wondering if she has arrived.

 

Alas, the Diva, by definition, is nothing but energy - especially when she is asked to inhabit a small office and stay quiet for more than a few hours.

 

And then, and only then, chaos ensues!

 

"Can I get a snack?"

"Can I go visit...?"

"I need to go to the bathroom."

 

Luckily she can do these things on her home as she has made my building/this floor a second home.  She has engaged in conversations about the Civil War with a retired Army Corneal; given ballet performances for some of the young women; played soccer in the halls; and entertained various other coworkers with her antics.   

 

She "creates" with lots of staples and scotch tape.  She hangs on my chair.  She sings songs from the "Sound of Music" in her best opera voice.  She is currently playing in a box and chatting as if she is a student at Hogwarts - a forth year of course as we are reading book 4.

 

It is a Diva invasion!

 

Tape, staples, paper, and coworkers are not safe!! 

 

I realize that, on such days, I should work from home but...

 

I want to share the love!