What Comes Before the Fall?

I should have known better than to post a success story yesterday. If you start thinking too highly of yourself as a teacher, this profession has a way of putting you in your place. I am still gargling with Coke to get the taste of shoe leather out of my mouth. Here's how it went down:

I decided to spill the beans about my wife's pregnancy to my students first. I thought they would appreciate knowing it before anyone else. I was very tired from helping my wife out with the kids and the house (on account of her state--pregnancy is tough on her), and I had slept poorly the past couple of nights from stress. I told my first period that we would have a light day on account of my exhaustion.

"On another note, I wanted you all to be the first to know that my wife and I are expecting a third child."
The class erupted in congratulations, what-is-its, and how many do you haves, what will you name it!???
I answered with thank yous, about the size of a poppy seed, this will be three, don't know yet. I added on:

"That's why I'm so tired."

Stunned silence for a nanosecond was followed by the same thought passing through everyone's minds. My face flushed and I stammered and offered explanations, but it was too late. The linkage between my exhaustion and my wife's pregnancy had already been made (that's as far as I will go in spelling it out).

A third period junior asked if it was a mistake.

A sixth period freshman asked if it was planned.

The baby: planned; today's announcement: a mistake, unplanned


Peace