A Bus! Ride it?

After our travels, Ella got to embark on her own big adventure. This adventure was completely hers, without us. As far as she knew. Ella went on her first school bus ride. This year, Ella will continue her Special Ed services but in the afternoon. Now the bus picks her up and drops her off at home! It’s thrilling for both of us. She’s been eagerly anticipating this bus ride for weeks. Every single day she would ask me if she could ride the bus. Suddenly, it was the day before her first ride and we still didn’t know the bus numbers, or when the bus would be picking up or dropping her off. I was on the phone with the bus office and they said they’d call me back. Then it’s 4:30 and I still hadn’t heard anything. I left a somewhat frantic message with her Special Ed teacher/case manager and finally after 5, we got the call and then needed a second call because she gets picked up at two different places. I felt a little pushy, but I had to tell myself that I was just being an advocate for my child. It must be generally difficult for Minnesotans to be advocates for their special needs children, what, with all the passive aggressiveness and all. Finally, the big day arrived and Ella met me at the top of the stairs that morning excited as can be. When I dropped her off at her Montessori school, like usual, she nearly burst into tears. “The bus! I missed the bus!” The poor girl didn’t understand that her bus ride would be after her regular day at school.

Her first bus ride was the perfect ease into the world of bussing, she eats lunch at school and then the bus picks her up and drives her across the parking lot to the school where her services are. Her first bus ride was less than a minute long. However, it was her FIRST BUS RIDE! This milestone could not go unnoted. There is a chance that I drove to the school, parked far away and snapped some photos of the first ride with my zoom lens. I have to admit, while I was a little teary watching my baby get on that big bus and then get off the big bus a few seconds later, I also felt like a creeper who should have been sitting in a van without windows, snapping photos of small children. But, I’m not a creeper. My vehicle, while large, is full of windows. And I was snapping photos of my own child. See, not creepy. Just overzealous.

 

Leaving one school, arriving at the other! She and one other rider made it!

The bus driver told me that Ella did not want to let go of her teacher’s hand upon getting on the bus. Once on the bus, she clutched the aid’s hand and was then worried about getting off the bus. A few hours later, I eagerly awaited the busses arrival at home. As it made its way down the street, I was bursting with excitement. Ella was unbuckled and I saw her bounding down the aisle. She stopped at the top of the stairs, turned to the driver and said loud as can be, “Bye bus!” and then turned around to look at me and yelled, “MOM! I rode the bus!” then she bounded down the stairs and waved as the bus pulled away. Day one of bussing was highly successful!

Here she comes! They didn’t lose her!

Her next ride was two days later. Excitement, excitement, excitement. This day is a little different. I pick Ella up at school, rush her home and have a half hour to get her fed, complete a bathroom trip, shoes, backpack, bus. I was ready! I had pre-made her lunch and was ready to go! Unfortunately, we were also experiencing awful wind, which had knocked out the power in that area of town. Ella’s preschool class had been finishing their day in the dark at pick up. We were in the midst of lunch and pre-bus excitement when I got the call that school was cancelled due to the power outage. Sadness.

We have completed two weeks of bussing, three total days of riding. The excitement of riding has brought a new change to our routines, in order to avoid answering the question, “A bus! Ride it?” every single day, multiple times a day, we had to devise a calendar. Last year, Ella had a pretty easy schedule and this year, every day is different, so I printed out where she goes, day by day. It hangs on a clipboard on the fridge. This has been a major positive to our days. The first morning we had it, Ella consulted it no less than a dozen times. The next day, when she was home for her lunch break before the bus came, more consultation. The addition of the calendar has made her much calmer and happier. She knows what to expect with her days. And, I used some fine 3M laminating sheets so I’m able to add words and drawings with a dry erase marker when we have additions to our schedule – like PUNKINMANIA! (more on that later). Yes, I’m patting my own back. Every once in awhile, I do feel like Mom of the Year. Most of the time, the girls do something to put me in my place, like vomit down my back, so I take the victories when I can.

So, truth be told, this first bus ride was really hard on me. There was a certain level of fear in knowing that my baby. My THREE year old baby was getting on a big bus. I was nervous that they wouldn’t know who she was. I know that’s a little irrational and I personally filled out all of the forms that go with her on the bus, so I knew they wouldn’t lose her, but the mommy part of my brain couldn’t get that. To top it off, she’s only three and doesn’t know her address  (does know her street!) and most of the time, has been introducing herself as Sam (another child in her class). So, I’m not entirely confident she could get back home if left to her own devices. I did make sure her name and address were tucked in her backpack. Logic and motherhood don’t always flow together. Did I need to cry as much as I did? No. Did that stop me? No. Did it help that everywhere I went that morning while she was at Montessori, I kept seeing the bus that was going to pick her up and take her on her first ride? NO! It’s like when you buy a Honda Accord and suddenly you notice that everyone seems to be driving a Honda Accord. For me, it was bus 58. That bus is all over the place!