It's really happened

I know i've kinda put the blogging thing on the back burner for awhile. Three kids might do that to a person. Oh well, you'll get over it.

Yesterday I went on my first field trip with Joseph's class this year. His field trips and my availabilty just haven't matched up yet. But this was a whole day field trip out to Blackstrap to do some hiking, nature learning, fire-pit lunching and some *gag & shiver* snake holding...and NOT by me I might add.

It's 0900 and we are ready and loading on to the bus and there is Joseph, who by the way now goes by "Joey" to his uber-cool buds, on the bus with these previously mentioned uber-cool buds and there is no spot for me on the seat next to him. What the heck! How did THAT happen. Last year it was all "hey mom sit here!"

I guess 8.5 is when you become too cool for your Mom *sob* I guess I should just be thankful that at the end of the day after our long walk back up the hill (and oh did I feel the burn) we all loaded on the bus and it was about to pull away and Joseph popped his head up and made sure I was actually ON the bus. Is it 15/16 when they hope the bus has left Mom behind or better yet run her over?

Knock Knock, Who's There? An American.

A little update on the bus situation. It's going well, Joseph highly enjoys taking the bus and it has been a huge stress relief for me. It is nice to know that I don't have to wake two napping one year old's and possibly a four year old pile them into the van and go pick up Joseph. It's grand and Joseph loves the freedom.

However, I guess one thing I failed to inform Joseph about is that he actually lives in our house. He is not a guest, this is his home. After we got the bus routine down Joseph walks home from the corner. I unlock the front door in plenty of time so that if I happen to be elbow deep in crap (it's been known to happen) he can just come in. So there I am waiting for him and expecting the door to just fling open. All of a sudden I hear this little *knock knock knock* I go and open the door and he is standing there patiently. Cute. He thought it would be rude to just barge in. I had to tell him, this is your house, barge away my friend.

*********

Last night as I was getting Addie ready for bed the boys were in the kitchen making puzzles on the kitchen floor. I could hear that Trent was getting a little frustrated as the floor sized puzzles are somewhat difficult. Joseph does his best to soothe Trent's soul and encourage him along.

J ~ "Trent, its OK... I just am able to do them because I'm smart. I'm kind of like a dork."

T ~ "Joseph I don't like it when you say dork. It's a bad word."
J ~ "I know, but I am a dork. Like Boyfromclass always bugs me. Sometimes when I am like in the hallway at school he runs up to me and is rude in my face and yells blablabla at me! It's like he's American or something."

The wheels on the bus

For any of you that know us I don't think it is any big secret that Big Daddy and I have been on full effort to get Joseph onto the school bus since Kindergarten. Yes, we have been fighting this battle head on for two full years and well I wasn't ready to let the efforts die quite yet. Oh and I was I say 'we' I mean 'I' but I will say 'we' because Big Daddy once in awhile when I vent to him about said situation will nod his head in agreement.

I think that the most frustrating part of the situation has been that there is a young lady in Joseph's class room that gets the bus home and she lives across the street from us. We are both 'out of area' so why help one and not the other. Ok, I could even maybe a little bit understand if we didn't pay our taxes or perhaps if we weren't involved in the community in which Joseph's goes to school. Big Daddy and I have take the time and effort to heavily embed ourselves in the community and make it our home. We volunteer a lot, participate in community sports and attend as many community events as we can. So, I truly felt that this was a justified stance on my part. Did anyone else see it this way, probably not. But I really didn't care.

This year as our situation arose again, it would be so helpful and gas saving if Joseph could start catching the bus that I insanely follow each day to school and home from school. I pursued new avenues on getting what I wanted. With a very helping hand from a friend who is friends with the appropriate school board officianato I got the call. Bus driver Bob was calling to see when Joseph could start taking the bus and where our pickup/drop off point should be.

I think because I have been pursuing this for so long and it really would help my days I felt like an angel was shining down on us. I mean since when do good things happen to us?
So, Bus driver Bob and I set up our times and the next morning was to be day 1. I was excited and so was Joseph. I think it really helps that Joseph is that much older now and has grown to be that much more independant.

Morning arrives and the kids and I are standing at the bus stop waiting for Bus driver Bob to make his grand appearance. It all went off like a well oiled machine.

Later that night I had to admit what really happened on that corner at 8:whatever o'clock in the morning.
Big Daddy: "how'd the first day on the bus go"
Joseph: "good, I sit with Leon"
Me: "good, the bus pulls up, Joseph gets on...and then *sob* it DRIVES AWAY!!!"
Big Daddy: "well...uhh...isn't that what was supposed to happen?"
Me: "I know! But my baby was on there!!! and it was like he was such a big boy..just driving away"

I know Big Daddy was snickering and I feel so justified in finally getting Joseph onto the bus and I am glad he has his freedom. But I guess I had so many other thoughts about it I didn't realize that I would be so shocked and emotional about it. The bus drove away. Hmm. Who'da thought.