A new bus rider.

Zack decided to take the school bus home yesterday. This is a big step since he was asked to take it but then backed out twice when I said he could if he wanted to. All this new and strange stuff happening has thrown him off a bit.

So the other night he asked if he could take the bus home from school. I said he could and that I would write a note to his teacher to make sure she knew. Yesterday we get into his classroom, he handed the teacher the note and she wrote it on the bus board. Then he tells me, "I don't think I want to take the bus today mom." I did not want him to back out since I thought he would be ready for it, so I told him that he already had given the note to his teacher and she wrote it on the board so he had to take it home and we would see how well he did. He had no choice but to accept it. What he did not know was I also let the teacher know that if he got upset or couldn't go through with it, to just give me a call and I would be there in a few minutes to pick him up.
No phone call was received so at the appropriate time I walked up to the school bus stop and I waited patiently for him. The bus was 5 minutes late (per the written schedule). Finally I see it coming down the road, it stops, 6 kids stand up and start walking down the aisle. I did not see Zack's blond head. Then I heard the bus driver call his name, up from the a seat in the middle of the bus I see his blond head pop up. He walks to the front of the bus and I hear her ask him who that is. He tells her 'that's my mom.' He gets off the bus and immediately tells me he got to sit next to a big kid, then he proceeds to tell me how 'the bus lady' did not know where he lived so she had to ask Coach J (the P.E. teacher) where he lived. It is unclear if she asked Zack where he lives. So of course because of all this the bus was held up which made it 5 minutes late.

When he got off the bus, he had a piece of paper that he handed to me and told me I have to write the stuff down that 'the bus lady' needs. Now I wouldn't mind so much but I filled out a bus form when I signed him up for Kindergarten (I was not sure he would be on a bus but I filled it out as a just in case). That form was turned into the main office at the school. I filled out a second form on the first day of school. That form was turned into the teacher. I talked with the teacher last week letting her know I would send in a note when he was ready to ride the bus. I talked with the bus driver during open house, now I have yet another form to fill out so they have the information. All this filling out forms seems a bit ridiculous. It just goes to show that one department does not talk to the other.

I am so grateful that he did not get upset with the whole fiasco of them not knowing where to drop him off.

This morning I asked him if he wanted to take the bus to school today or if he wanted to drive. He chose the bus! My little boy is growing up. We walked to the bus stop, he chatted with some of the girls that ride the bus also. When the bus got there, he turned to me and waved then got on like he has been doing it for years. When the bus pulled away I saw him sitting in the middle seat next to the window. He started waving and continued until I could not see him anymore.

I miss him!