Bus-ted

Remember this video from Reese's first day of school? Fast forward to the 45 second mark and you'll hear her explaining why she cried at the bus stop that afternoon. She was petrified. Thought that the bus driver was going to drive off with her on the bus. Well, the poor kid's worst nightmare came true yesterday. I'm not really sure why they gave us a bus schedule because it means nothing. There is a 10 minute window before & after the time we're given and the bus will come somewhere in that 20 minute time frame but it varies from day to day. One thing that has been consistent since day one is the time that we go out to meet the bus daily. 4:45. The bus is scheduled to come at 4:50 but 99% of the time it pulls up around 4:55. Yesterday was just like any other day but as Kevin was walking out of the door, right at 4:45, he said "I have to use the bathroom...do you think I have time?". I said "definitely". I was that confident. He was in and out in 1 minute. I know this because I looked up at the clock, thinking I may have heard a bus. He walked out and sure enough, there goes the bus, leaving the stop. Here's the thing, Kindergartners have to have an adult with them at the bus stop when they get on and off. If someone isn't there to meet them the driver cannot let them off and instead drives off with them. Well, because the stupid bus was EARLY we weren't there and she wouldn't let Reese off. Fortunately Lydia (1st grader) stayed with her so at least she wasn't alone. Kevin jumped in the truck and sped off to catch up to the bus. After 10 frantic minutes he finally found it and flagged her to pull over. She said that her plan was to drive back by the bus stop at the end of the route and if we hadn't been there at that point she would have had to go back to the school. Reese was scared but it would have been 100 times worse had Lydia not been with her. I felt like crap but it really was the bus driver's fault. And you better believe that I threw her right up under the bus when explaining to Reese why it happened. Of course today it was back to being late....and Kevin went out extra early and stood in the 15 degrees (with a negative windchill) to wait. Go figure.