Best Bus Stop in the World

This is our first year of having company at our school bus stop.  And the kids love it!  There is one girl in their class and one little girl in first grade, both of whom live up and around the corner.  We didn't really know them well before this but had been on a waving basis with the mom of the little girl.

And now the bus stop is their favorite time of the day.  They play soccer or basketball, chalk up the driveway, walk across the rock wall, run around the house, and play on the swing set.  There is lots of squealing.  And smiles.  At least until I yell, "Bus!" as it rounds the corner.  (I can always hear the brakes in advance.)  After school isn't quite as much fun--they all quickly separate, but the three older ones sometimes reconvene after homework.

The little girl's grandparents (it started with one set, now it's the other; both visit for a long time, from China) bring her every morning, sometimes one, sometimes both, and often with her little sister.  Her grandparents only speak Mandarin, so I get to practice my "ni hao" and "tsi jian" each day.

It's so much fun that the girl in their class has been arriving earlier and earlier.  Yesterday she was 23 minutes early!  And she might have been even earlier--we noticed her peeking through the window watching and waiting, which she did perched atop a lawn chair she'd dragged to the window.  Yes, a little stalking-ish.

But the kids are thrilled.  There's no dawdling in the mornings now.  And they're making friends.

Can't wait until there's snow!!!  (Though, that might be a little messy BEFORE school.)

What a Day.

You never want to see the school's phone number come up in caller ID.

And it happened today. Twice.

First was before 9 a.m. The nurse called. "No worries, Mommy Hungry, Bud is alright. But he did have to visit my office today. A little girl passed him the scissors and he cut his thumb just a bit and needed a bandaid. I'll send home a note but wanted to call too. He came in, said he cut it a bit, was fine with the bandaid, and then stood and did the pledge with me because the announcements were on. However, the girl in class saw the bandaid, she began to cry. And then he began to cry, a delayed reaction. THEN THE WHOLE CLASS BEGAN TO CRY. 'I guess we learned how not to pass scissors today,' the teacher told them."

The second call came after school. Except I didn't get it. I was outside waiting for the bus. Which was later and later and later. So I finally went in to call the school. And saw the caller ID. Uh-oh. I called the school immediately. The bus was in a little bit of an accident. The kids were alright. But the police had to be called because "a bicycle hit the bus." I haven't gotten any more details. And sincerely hope the bicyclist is okay--when a bus and bicyclist tangle, the bus is going to win. Bud and Sis didn't notice anything or seem to wonder why they were stopped for so long and the police came. That's got to be good. I think they would've noticed blood, an ambulance, or a stretcher.

Because worse than your school on caller ID is your school on the local news.