Our school district has a strict policy regarding kindergarten students: they will only be allowed to get off the bus, at their designated bus stop, if a parent or other approved caregiver is present, or if the child has an older sibling on the bus. Last year Alyssa was in kindergarten, so of course we had to be there to get her every afternoon. This year she is in first grade, so she can get off the bus on her own, and walk home with the other kids (we live in a very rural, safe area, in a very small, safe neighborhood, with plenty of families – trust me, I would never let my children walk even the 1 or so minute walk from the bus stop to our house if we lived in a ghetto). But since Ryan is in kindergarten, he can only get off if Alyssa is with him, or if an approved caregiver is at the bus stop. Typically Alyssa and Ryan get off the bus together and walk home together, in the company of three of their friends, who are in second, third, and fourth grade. Though if it’s exceptionally cold, or raining, we’ll pick them up.
Which brings me to yesterday. Alyssa stayed after school for a bible program (she’s curious, Dan and I are ambivalent and open-minded and are encouraging her to be the same, so whatevs), so Dan and I knew that one of us would have to be at the bus stop for Ryan. The bus comes between 4:12-4:15, so I know to be at the bus stop no later than 4:10, which means leaving the house by 4:08. Guess who ran a little behind yesterday, and guess whose bus came early? I left the house at 4:10pm and got to the bus stop in time to see the bus pull away. AHH! I drove out after the bus, but either she didn’t recognize me or hear me honking, because I had to follow her for a good mile to the next bus stop, where she noticed me (probably because I screeched to a halt, threw the car in park, hit the hazards, hit the horn a few times, then jumped out and hobbled as fast as I could in my walking cast1. Ryan was crying when I got to him, and even though he calmed down when I put him in the car, he burst into tears all over again as soon as I pulled into our driveway less than two minutes later. 
I felt SO awful. This happened once before, when I completely FORGOT that I’d have to get Ryan, and the bus driver kindly circled back a few minutes later so I wouldn’t have to drive down to the school (which is 15ish minutes away) to get him.
Moral of the story? Ryan does NOT do well with being left on the bus, even if he knows it’s because we weren’t there to get him, and that we’ll get him asap. Sigh.
- I have a fifth metatarsal stress fracture that has not healed despite me being in a cast for FIVE MOTHER EFFING MONTHS. I am seeing an orthopedic on Friday. ↩
My name is Jenn, and I'm 27 years old. I'm happily married to my best friend and soulmate, Daniel. Together we have a seven year old daughter named 
Name: Alyssa
Name: Ryan
