First Day of School

I think this says it all.

I Also Hate the Bus

I think we all know that the Lady doesn't like the bus. I don't really blame her, but the fact remains she has to ride it.

Do I wish we lived closer to her school? Yup. Do I wish I could drop her off and pick her up every day (well, maybe not every day)? Yup. However, that isn't the case and unfortunately we pack her on a bus full of kids who we don't know and who can be saying or doing any number of things out of my control.

So last night when the Lady said she had a secret for me, I wasn't sure what she was going to say. I leaned over and she cupped her hands around my ear and got really, really close and said:

"Guess what (insert some name here that starts with an M and I couldn't understand due to the close proximity of her mouth to my ear) said to a little kid on the bus today? You are going to be so angry mommy (said in a giddy voice)."

"What?"

"He said 'fuck the shuck up'"

FYI. . . in our house "stupid" is a bad word.

Although, I will admit that both me and her father curse like sailors and that I had to stifle a quick laugh after she repeated those words to me because I am pretty sure he said "shut the fuck up," I don't want the Lady to say anything close to that.

I feel like I have thrown my Lady to the wolves and said "Have at her world, have at my sweet Lady, teach her curse words and make her dread the bus. Shove her into an uncomfortable seat with no supervision and make me feel guilty about it because I am supposed to be at work 15 minutes before she gets on."

Ugh. I already promised her that I would drive her one day next week. Hopefully, she won't hear me telling the other drivers to fuck off on the ride there.

When Kindergarten Kicks Your Ass

Ugh.

Ugh, I say.

So that beautiful smiling face that gladly rode the bus with her parents last Monday has now resorted to trying to fake stomach aches and woke up proclaiming "I hate school."

It really isn't school. The Lady seems to love her teacher and although she told me that she was sitting on the bench at recess instead of playing, she seems to be making it through the day engaged and interested in her classroom.

The problem is the bus. More specifically, the bus ride to school.

Last week at this time I was being told about how the kindergartners sit at the front of the bus, how they get on first and very careful care is taken to make sure they are well tended to.

However, that is only on the ride home.

On the way to school the Lady is on a bus with 56 other kids ranging in age from 4-to however old  5th graders are, with no monitor, no seatbelts, and no assigned seating.

For the past five years I have been strapping the Lady into every type of carseat imaginable. I have been telling her that the car does not move unless seatbelts are on and that cops can give me a ticket if she isn't strapped in, and then I just throw her on a moving vehicle with a ton of other kids and only one adult and am expected to just accept it.

I know that the Lady has to get used to riding the bus. I know that in a few weeks this (hopefully) will be a non-issue. But for now it is.

I called the transportation office. They didn't call me back. Her father drove her to school for two days last week. We have resorted to having the sitter get her on the bus. I feel badly for the sitter because she has to deal with the drama, but at least with her there are no excuses.

This morning the Lady cried while getting on the bus. I am calling the transportation office again.

I don't want the Lady to dread going to school each morning. Selfishly, I don't want to have to worry about it. I want her to be excited for school, for all the opportunity she will have there. I don't want fake stomach aches and manipulative behavior. I don't want to have to watch my phone every morning at 8:30 and every afternoon at 4.

I had to bribe her last week. This should not be my parenting default. This is kindergarten right? A time where they are meeting new friends, becoming accustomed to the school day, going to art, going to gym, reading stories, playing games, being kids. Why then is it kicking my ass?

The Lady Starts Kindergarten

If any of you follow me on Twitter, are friends with me on my personal fb page, or if you saw the photo of the Lady on the Three Bean fb page yesterday, you know that the Lady has started kindergarten.

Deep breaths Bean. Deep breaths.

On the bus for kindergarten orientation

Yesterday was kindergarten orientation. My husband and I rode with the Lady on the bus, we were able to bring her to her classroom, we met the teacher, we had a Q&A, we sized up the other students, checked out where the bathrooms were and tried to get the Lady and ourselves acclimated to elementary school.






It was a great day. We left there feeling positive and not at all echoing the sentiments of one of the Lady's new classmates, who blurted out when they were all sitting down for circle time "This is the worst class ever."

With the school mascot

Fast forward to this morning.

Waiting for the bus on the official first day

We weren't riding the bus.

There wasn't going to be two kindergartners and three parents on the bus.

There were at least 10 kids at the bus stop.

The Lady was nervous.

Looking kind of nervous

I was nervous.

The bus pulled up. It was pretty full.

The Lady got on. There were no seats until the back of the bus.

The bus started to move before she was seated.

I started crying.

The babysitter started crying.

I got in Minnie-Ru and headed towards the school.

After sitting in a bit of back-to-school traffic and driving behind an incredibly slow blue Nissan Altima, I finally pulled into the Lady's school. The place was packed. I inched my way down the long line of cars and as I pulled into a packed parking lot, I saw the Lady getting off the bus and running through the rain.

I had a moment of panic because I wasn't sure if she would know where to go and I was too far away to get to her.

I finally found a parking spot. I grabbed the raincoat she "forgot" and headed into the school.

There were people and backpacks everywhere.

I found her classroom.

She was sitting in her seat, coloring a rainbow.

I kissed her once. I hung her raincoat. I kissed her again.

I walked away.

I then bought one of those car magnets that says her school's name. I also perused page after page of sign-up sheets that lined the table outside of the entrance. I was surprised how many times I found my name. Yesterday, in my quest to be as involved as I could be in the Lady's school, I pretty much signed up for any event that said it was ideal for working parents. I have no idea what these events are or when they may occur, but I will be there, for the Lady.