The Bus

Everyone acts surprised that I let my girls ride the bus. I guess that's because I'm a bit of a control freak (especially about my girls), and that darn bus is just outside my comfort zone. But I've let them ride it home every day, even the very first day. We have about 15 kids who get off at our stop, and they all look out for S&A, so that gives me some comfort. Until today. At 3:00 my phone rang, and it was their school. Sarah had missed the bus. But don't worry, they said, she's fine, she's not upset, and there's another bus that goes right by our stop so they just put her on that bus instead. They told me to just wait a minute after Abby got off, and Sarah's bus should be right behind her. Well, I knew that wasn't exactly right. Obsessive mom that I am, I've looked at the bus routes. There is another neighborhood bus, but it doesn't turn off the main road and pass our street. So I needed to walk up a block to catch it. In the meantime, Abby's teacher called to let me know that she had taken Sarah to the second bus and even offered to ride with her, but Sarah was fine. It all worked out, despite the confusion. Sarah was a little upset once she saw me, but I was so proud of her for the way she handled it and held herself together. It turns out that Sarah had a substitute today, and she didn't let them go early enough. Sarah went to get Abby (like she does everyday, sweet girl), but Abby was already gone (and I doubt that it even occurred to Abby that she should look for Sarah). So by the time Sarah finally decided to go to the bus without Abby, it was too late.
I'll try to let them ride on Monday, ... but no promises.