1st Day of School Pics, 3 weeks later :o)

It's the 3rd week of school here and all I can say is Amen for the teachers who take our kids off our hands all day so we may read our blogs in peace who educate the youth of this wonderful country. And the busdrivers who wrangle them pick them up and transport them to and from school. The first year MonkeyButt was in Kindergarten a couple years ago (my first of the five to go to school), he wanted me to bring him to/from school and I didn't mind because I didn't want my TINY 65 pound 5.5 yr old going on that big yellow deathtrap.

Then, the 2nd week of school came that year, and he decided he wanted to ride with the big boys. Ummm, ooooookay. So, I set it up. I told his teacher what bus to put him on and to please make sure he gets a reminder, as they'd be outside at recess when the bus is called to line up. And then, at 3:25pm, I parked in my car near the playground and watched.

I watched him play happily in the sandbox, I watched his bus pull up, I watched as the other kids who live on our road ran to line up when the bell rang, and I watched him continue to play with the children who didn't need to line up yet, as they're bus is the last to leave. I watched our neighbors get on the bus and watched the bus drive away. THEN, I saw the duty teacher telling MonkeyButt that his worst fear had been realized...he missed the bus and was stranded at school. I saw my little boy cry, and I fought back my own tears as I raced around the building and met him in the office to rescue him take him home, after paying a little visit to his teacher. (Grrrr.) MonkeyButt swore never to ride the bus again and I was sentenced to transport his behind to and from school forever.

Well, that lasted all of a week. But this time, I asked one of the sweet little neighbor girls to make sure he got on with her, and I repeatedly stalked him at afternoon recess and followed the bus home for the next few days, because I'm THAT cool. ;op

Last year, MonkeyButt moved onto 1st grade and CuriousGeorge joined the Kindergarteners. They rode the bus from day one, which I thought was great, because they were one of the last ones on in the morning and one of the first ones off in the afternoon. About a month into school last year, though, they changed the bus route. My boys had to get on it at 7:45 instead of 8:40 and had to ride almost an hour in the morning before going to the school 4 miles away. I told them no more bus in the morning, but they insisted. We all got up earlier and I gave them their first breakfast of the day (they were starved by the time they arrived at school after riding so long...the school has a free breakfast program for all students).

This year, I was VERY happy to see the original schedule was posted in the Superintendent's mailing that came out in August, the schedule was printed that they were first on and last off. We didn't HAVE to be up until 8:00am, not 7:00am and I felt better knowing they wouldn't be on any of the loopy roads this winter...well, at 7:45am on the first day of school this year, as CuriousGeorge stood in the bathroom with his socks pulled up to his knees, undies, and toothpaste foaming from his mouth and MonkeyButt was outside feeding the puppies, I saw the bus go by our driveway!

I was looking out the window at that time thinking to myself, I wonder if they ever changed the schedule to reflect the new run. NOPE. So, I did what any kindhearted mother would do...I screamed and yelled like a crazed banchee and threw CuriousGeorge out the door with pants in hand. Juuuust kidding. I said, "No problem, children...Never fear, Supermom is here...and I'll just bring you to school today."

WELL, guess what Supermom did the previous day??!? Washed three car seats and two boosters, all of who's cloth materials were still in the dryer and who's belts, buckles, straps, etc. were sitting in a heap on my counter. Shit.

So I served breakfast, got the Twinkeys set up in their high chairs, bribed SpiderMonkey away from the puppies with a breakfast sandwich (which he probably just fed to them anyway) and set out to get the car seats put back together. The first bell rings at 8:40am, I started the seats at 7:50am, and had them put together (no manual needed...I rock! jk) and buckled into the car by 8:23am, had everyone strapped in by 8:32am and dropped the bigs off at the school with 2 minutes to spare...and it's a good thing they had that couple minutes, too, because you know I was THAT mom who dropped them off in my bathrobe and had parked as far from the door as possible! :o)

Here are some pics from them getting OFF the bus on the first day of school 2008, because they certainly didn't get ON one that morning, unless you count my car. heh.

Yes, that's a cowboy hat on the busdriver...guess he thinks he lives in the deep south,
not New England...lmao

CuriousGeorge, age 6, my big 1st Grader

MonkeyButt, age 7, he skipped up to 3rd grade this year
(but that's another post, I've kept you long enough today!)

I have one more picture, but I'm going to wait and use it for tomorrow's WW. See ya then!