C is for Cricket Craziness

My classroom door was unlocked when I got to it this morning. That was not a good sign. We've had a break in this year and I was ready to see a (more than usual) ransacked room and missing electronics.

Keep in mind that I'm in a portable (see picture in header) and let's just say Fort Knox it's not. I was scared.

To my surprise, the laptop was still where I left it. However, I heard a symphony of cricket chirps. It was deafening.

I was so confused. I turned on the light and this is what I saw.

I couldn't believe it! Someone put crickets in my room and they were everywhere! Tens upon tens of them! Who would do such a thing?!

I knew right away they aren't your regular black crickets. They were those pesky little brown ones you get for fishing bait. I know this because I'm a country girl. They are extra feisty because they know they are doomed to be fish food. This was not a circumstance in which critters got in my room over the weekend.

So what did I do you ask? I went and ate the yummy breakfast my team made for me and my (summer birthday sharing) teammate and left the crickets to their chirps.

When I came back it was with 17 (very excited on the day before the last day) darlings. 15 of them ran straight toward the sounds coming from the bookshelf. It was complete chaos as little hands started grabbing crickets and screaming when they caught one. There were hands being stepped on. Foreheads being knocked together and the sounds of chirps and laughter. My head was very close to exploding.

I gained some control of the situation and grabbed the (very much needed in Florida) net. If you can't beat them...join them I guess.

After I caught a few, I put a buddy in charge. He sat there with the net in one hand and a book in the other waiting for one of the little chirpers to be brave enough to come out.

Those suckers were loud! How were we supposed to get any of our end of the year stuff done with all of that racket?

Crickets


We even made a sign for the door.

I was too busy to think about who would have done this to me so I sent out this email to staff (professional, I know).

When I came back from lunch this was on my table.

When I came back from recess, this was on my table.

Then, randomly aged children started bringing more things to my room. By the time I came back from our AR celebration, this is what my stash looked like.

Despite having my request fulfilled, I was still wondering what made someone do this to me! By now we've captured about 13 crickets.

Since the crickets seemed to be mostly in my classroom library, this was our solution.

Not exactly the plan I had for packing them up, but that sure was a way to get the books off the shelf.

My favorite comments of the day: "Uh...we gotta cricket situation over here."
and
"{Yawn!} These chirps are making me so sleepy!"

I made my darlings say goodbye to the remaining crickets and I left to car rider line.

My coworkers asked me if I figured out the culprit, but I was still stumped. They asked what I had done to someone else recently (they know me so well) and I just couldn't think of anyone I've pranked lately.

I gathered some staff kids and moved the bookshelf out from the wall. I expected a few more. Imagine my surprise when there were about 7 more back there. And of course, they wanted to hide behind that gray pipe. I am surprised the dust bunnies did not scare them out of there!

My helpers and I high-fived each other after a solid 5 minutes of no chirping.

Then...it came to me. I KNOW who did this. It HAD to be a fellow country girl. Mostly because the rest of my friends wouldn't touch a cricket if they had to.

She had warned me there would be payback for texting her this picture while she was out of town for the long weekend.

Mind you I was NOT the one holding the toilet paper. Plus I was NOT the one holding the phone and taking this picture. I (could have) innocently jumped in the picture as an innocent bystander.

After I figured out this was that payback my friend warned me about, I sent her this text message. I am the blue one.

So the mystery is solved. I don't know how it took me so long to figure it out! Yes, she is still alive. I do have lots of chocolate after all. And I did need to get started packing up my classroom.

As I was walking out this afternoon, I heard a faint chirping from the math shelf. I guess the fun will continue tomorrow (WOOHOO! THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!) and we'll get the last of those crickets.

Who knows where it may end up. Sometimes one very sneakily hidden one can be more annoying that tens of tens of them. =)

I hope your Monday was not as "chirpy" as mine.



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