Boss Lady aka Saint Paula

I have decided that the lobby of the school would be a super place for a reality based sitcom.
The next few blogs are going to feature the cast of characters for the show. They are real people.
They are the core group who work in management and education.
They have to be smart, because they are HI-larious.
As it has been said - I couldn't make this up.
Just for the record, I asked permission to talk about the cast and use their names. It was their idea!
Enter the Boss Lady.
I think she should be skating in the Roller Derby, but that's just me. She is the head honcho of Cottage One. Soon to be Ruler of the Universe.
Susie (a soon to be featured cast member) says Paula likes me because I laugh at everything she says. I do. I can't help it.
She has been on vacation for 2 weeks and it is just not the same without her. For starters, she is clearly on a mission to un-do all the training we try to accomplish with our dogs. If anyone reading this knows a dog that is not getting enough attention, treats, food, water or being utterly, totally spoiled-call her. She's your girl. I say "All dog's have to sit to be petted". She lets them jump on her and gives them a treat for doing it. When I glare at her with my most menacing look or shriek her name, she looks up at me, confused and innocent, "What?" "He was hungry". Right. They are all starving. At other facilities, we have to constantly monitor the staff so that the dogs don't get crated for too many hours in a day. Here I have to beg, stamp my feet and throw a hissy fit to make them get crated a LITTLE during the day. She can't take it. Paula thinks I'm mean. In fact, this may be partly why she has named herself Saint Paula. Since I have known her "Saint" has NOT been the word that comes to mind right off the bat.
Saint Paula actively tries to torture me - Not kidding - She tries. Beside her job as manager of the building in which Loosen the Leash provides services, she is a practical joker. Boss Lady is good at this. She got me to believe her when she called to break the news that the dogs all had to go. Program was being dissolved. Come get the dogs and pack your bags. My heart sank, panic was started to set in and just before I threw up, she said she was kidding. What? She is laughing-ha ha ha on the line. Sooooo funny Paula. It takes me 30 minutes to recover. She is delighted. Actually she called to invite me to a meeting. She threw the other part in just for fun. Please note: there will be a payback for that.
When she least expects it.
Yeah buddy.
Just a bit more about the Saint:
I've seen here in action quite a bit. I was there they day she had all the kids interacting with physical games that required trusting one another to get to the goal. They were all totally engaged and it was really truly fun. I've seen her deal with several crisis' with the kids. This same woman who tries to take me down (not gonna happen) is so very cool headed and compassionate with these boys, you almost have to sit in awe of her skill. Saint might not come to mind, but the phrase "she gets it" certainly does. They listen to her. She can diffuse a crisis and talk about the heart of the matter with such ease. On top of that, she has has been the most outstanding supporter of me, the dogs and this program that we have experienced since the beginning of LTL. Cottage One and the staff are organized and the communication is amazing to me. She knows what the kids and staff are doing and keeps it all together. Everybody is on the same page at Cottage One. I have never seen her mad and I don't want to. So far it seems like she rules not with an iron fist, but a velvet glove. Staff is respectful of her and the kids like her. She makes them tow the line, but she seems to always see them as kids and not the bottom line on a report. And she's funny. Funny Saint Paula the Boss Lady.
AND, she can almost turn herself into a letter O when she takes off her glasses and tries to read the fine print. Boss Lady is awesome.
But she better watch her back. I am gonna get her.

Two really good people

Here's the set up for Good Person number One:
He is a student in the program. Each dog is assigned two trainers who are to partner in the dog care and training. On day one, this boy makes his partner so mad/sad/frustrated, he is in tears-big tears. We spend half the lesson working through this. The tears are a response to the hubris of boy one and his claim that he will essentially be the magnificent trainer and the other boy won't.
Fast forward 10 days. I walk into the dinner scene and have heard that another boy in the group was restrained earlier. The students restrain one another and only if the child acting out is going to hurt himself or someone else. So I walk up to Mr. Hubris and ask , "Who got restrained today?" He leans in to me and says quietly, "I don't want to say right now, because it will hurt his feelings".
BONUS!! DANCE OF JOY! LOVE YOU!
He gets recognized for that act of kindness later in our class and we mark his "positive comment" on our wall chart.

Set up for Good Person Number Two:
Boys go to regular school (well, not all that regular really, it's way more interesting some days than most) 5 days a week. They are in the same room, except for lunch and gym with one teacher. There are a number of classrooms, but one stands out in particular. This room has a teacher with bright blue eyes and dreadlocks. He grows a garden on the premises, plays fun and soothing music periodically throughout the day and somehow engages his students more than most that I have seen so far. He's smart, he's cool, he truly teaches and he is just amazingly nice. Yesterday, one kid seemed to be especially edgy, engaged in a little trash banter with another student and couldn't quite reign himself in. Now this teacher gives him a few warnings to just chill out and let it go. No way. Not happening on this day. So what does our cool teacher do? He gets up, opens his arm wide for a big hug with a "How 'bout it. C'mon dude (paraphrase)"? He keeps arms wide open till our boy lets go of a little smile. Crisis averted. Kid gets a chance to be wrong and then pull himself together to get it right with unexpected support to do it.
BUT here's what I really wanted to say. This is what leaves me with my mouth open every day.
When Cool Teacher leaves for the day-everyday-he says "Bye. Love you guys". Just like that.
Maybe he is just talking to the boys or maybe he is talking to everybody. I don't know. I just hope he doesn't mind if I steal his line.
As my mother would say, ' It's the darndest thing".