Boogers...

So when dealing with first graders there are some things you just get used to...things like little noses full of snot, kids who pee their pants, farting noises (real or imaginary), shoes that need tying, lots of hugs and "I love you's", messy handwriting, sweet handmade pictures, and etc.  But the one thing that I haven't been able to get used yet is a certain level of disgustingness (my own new word) that comes with some students.  Normally, and no stereo-typing involved, boys are the ones that seem to be the little gross ones...picking their noses and eating it, dirt, germs and the whole 9 yards.  Well, last Friday I was surprised to have the following incident occur between two girls.  We were waiting outside the Phoenix Children's Theater and all the students were leaning up against a window ledge outside.  Two of the girls scream "EEEEK!" and point to a really big, green, sticky booger on the ledge.  I tell them to take a deep breath and just step away from it...no need to get all freaked out, just don't stand near it.  I walk away thinking to myself, "Sweet...no worries."  I was horribly wrong.  Seconds later I hear one of the girls scream, "MS. EKLUND SHE PUT IT ON ME!!!!!!!!"  Ummm..yep...not joking...I walk back over there and sure enough one of the girls had wiped the booger off of the window ledge and onto the other girls' hand.  

It was one of those moments where you just stand there and stare at them in utter disbelief, thinking, "Really??  Did she REALLY just wipe a FOREIGN-UNKNOWN booger onto another student??"  (As if she would have gotten in less trouble for wiping one of her own boogers on the other girl...but when you don't know where it came from - it's much more gross!)  You're kind of left speechless.  I stood there thinking all of those things and then promptly reprimanded the booger wiper for #1 touching the booger (which has it's own set of issues...like GERMS) and #2 WIPING IT ON SOMEONE!  Ultimately both girls were sent to wash their hands for a FULL 30 seconds with soap and they still got hand sanitizer.  Ugh.  Boogers.  Gross.