I roll up to a grade school stop this morning not expecting it to be any different than any other day. There were a half dozen kids waiting for me to come along. One first grade boy saw me and took a stance. His feet were planted firmly. He extended one arm straight toward me and I could practically see the energy waves coming from the palm of his hand. The bus stopped. He came on board. I asked, "Did you use the force to stop the bus?" He just smiled and said, "Yep!"
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Day 19/180
It's Friday afternoon before a long weekend. Everyone is in a hurry to get away. Luckily one mom of a kindergartner had taken the time to cross the street and talk with another mom. As her son ran toward her, instead of crossing the street, a car blew through both the stop sign on the corner and my stop arm. Had he not seen his mom, he would have been hit. Two days in a row in the same neighborhood at the same intersection. People blame high school drivers, but so far I have only had adults run my stop arm.
Day 18/180
At my first stop this afternoon I had someone run my stop arm. Luckily I had called the kid that is supposed to cross the street there back to the bus for something. He was safe. People see one or two kids get off at a stop and don't realize I have 12 that exit the bus there. Or they see a bunch and don't realize that the one last kid sitting in the back of the bus is struggling to get through a narrow isle with a french horn and it takes him twice as long as everyone else to get to the door. Especially when it is raining, kids run form every direction to catch the bus at the last minute. Morning or night, sun, rain, sleet, or snow, JUST STOP.
Day 17/180
It's wiggly tooth Wednesday! Once one kid comes up and shows you they have a wiggly tooth, EVERY kid wants to show you either their wiggly tooth. (Or the hole where it used to be.) I told them all about my gym teacher when I was in grade school. He was the HS football coach and a retired player from the 49ers. If he ever found out you had a wiggly tooth he would pull it right then. Of course everyone always told him if anyone in the class needed his services. I asked them if I should start tying a string to their teeth and when I open the bus door it would yank them out. They all yelled NO! and ran back to their seats!
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Day 16/180
Warning! Someone forgot to take his ADHD meds this morning!
"When I go swimming in the ocean my mom calls me a fish and sometimes they call me pescado because that is fish in Spanish and when I swim in the pool my mom still calls me fish and sometimes Michael Phelps..."
One sentence and 4 minutes later, I think he finally took a breath as he hopped off the bus.
"When I go swimming in the ocean my mom calls me a fish and sometimes they call me pescado because that is fish in Spanish and when I swim in the pool my mom still calls me fish and sometimes Michael Phelps..."
One sentence and 4 minutes later, I think he finally took a breath as he hopped off the bus.
Day 15/180
It's Monday morning and some people forgot to turn their brains back on. As I pull into a round-about, I see a truck that had started to pull into it the wrong way because the driver didn't want to go 3/4s of the way around. It's not the first time I've had to slam on the breaks so I didn't hit someone head on at this same round-about. Luckily this time I didn't have a full bus of little kids that went sliding onto the floor. He quickly backs up 3 feet and instead of waiting on me to pass, pulls directly in front of me.
In the afternoon someone ran my stop arm. I am so done with Monday drivers!
In the afternoon someone ran my stop arm. I am so done with Monday drivers!
Monday, August 29, 2016
Day 14/180
A few of the 5th graders were having very grown up conversations this afternoon. It started off with racism and wound its way to politics. Some of the things that were said would have caused an argument between them last year. But now that they are in middle school, these kids have magically figured out how to talk with people that have different opinions and not get hung up on proving that theirs is the only right view. (If only they could talk this way once they all become adults!)
As I heard bits and pieces of the conversation in between radio chatter, I could tell they had changed the subject once again. This time it seemed like they were talking about capital punishment. I was super impressed. And then I heard... Darth Vader...
Good to know that 5th graders can still be 5th graders!
Day 13/180
After all the craziness of yesterday, this morning I got to my first stop on time. As the 9 kids are crossing the road and began loading the bus, a guy in a car decides he is done stopping at my stop arm and he is going to turn into the cul-de-sac once enough kids move out of the way. I honked at him. He motioned he was just going to turn and started to move again. I blew my horn again and motioned for him to stop. He was not so happy with me. And really that's alright by me! He has no idea how many kids I have at that stop or what direction they come from. On grey days like today, and even more so when it is winter and completely dark, or raining, a late kid can dart down the street and pop out of nowhere.
It's called a stop sign, not a pause-as-long-as-you-feel-like-it sign.
Day 12/180
It started out a warm and sunny afternoon. All of the buses were parked at the middle school waiting for the students to be released. The announcement came over the radio that there was a tornado warning and all drivers should go inside the building. We were there a while. All of our phones went off at the same time. The storm blew in. A couple of songs were played over the intercom. We waited. The assistant principal read a story to occupy the kids. We waited some more.
Over an hour later we loaded up the buses and headed out. The weather outside was back to being sunny and muggy. I was close to the end of my route when the sirens sounded again. I was at the last stop in my subdivision and I told the kids to hurry home. The two kids that live outside the subdivision and I took off in the bus and headed to the grade school.
One kid could see his mom waiting in her car at the end of his driveway as we turned into the school. Because there was nowhere to turn the bus around I told him he would have to stay with me. As I parked the bus they ran inside. Once inside, I let the first boy call his mom. As soon as the warning was lifted she said she would pick him up at the office. The second boy couldn't remember his mom's phone number. We hung out in the hallway with all the little ones. He played on his computer and I shot off a couple of quick texts to find out where my own boys were.
The younger kids were all lined up in the hallway curled up in little balls. It was hot. They were scared. It had already been an extra long day for all of them. One brilliant teacher went down the hallway handing out suckers. Sucker-juice goes a long way in a situation like this!
I managed to arrange for my last middle school kid to ride home with his little brother on his bus. Both boys liked that and it sped up my route by 15 minutes.
We were all finally on our way home.
I rolled up to my last stop at 6:00 PM. Over 2 hours later than normal. One mom said, "Well that's one way to get overtime!" I assured her that it was not my preferred method to get extra hours!
Over an hour later we loaded up the buses and headed out. The weather outside was back to being sunny and muggy. I was close to the end of my route when the sirens sounded again. I was at the last stop in my subdivision and I told the kids to hurry home. The two kids that live outside the subdivision and I took off in the bus and headed to the grade school.
One kid could see his mom waiting in her car at the end of his driveway as we turned into the school. Because there was nowhere to turn the bus around I told him he would have to stay with me. As I parked the bus they ran inside. Once inside, I let the first boy call his mom. As soon as the warning was lifted she said she would pick him up at the office. The second boy couldn't remember his mom's phone number. We hung out in the hallway with all the little ones. He played on his computer and I shot off a couple of quick texts to find out where my own boys were.
The younger kids were all lined up in the hallway curled up in little balls. It was hot. They were scared. It had already been an extra long day for all of them. One brilliant teacher went down the hallway handing out suckers. Sucker-juice goes a long way in a situation like this!
I managed to arrange for my last middle school kid to ride home with his little brother on his bus. Both boys liked that and it sped up my route by 15 minutes.
We were all finally on our way home.
I rolled up to my last stop at 6:00 PM. Over 2 hours later than normal. One mom said, "Well that's one way to get overtime!" I assured her that it was not my preferred method to get extra hours!
Day 11/180
A girl got on this morning and told me she was a frog. In the past week she has been a dog, a princess, a cat, and now a frog. I told her to go hop to her seat.
Day 10/180
I took this morning off to take one of my kids to the Dr. In the afternoon I had a couple 5th graders ask where I was and at least half of the grade school kids asked. It's funny how much those 5th graders are so much like the grade school kids the first half of the year. After Christmas you would swear they turned into 8th graders!
Monday, August 22, 2016
Day 9/180
A middle school girl gets on the bus this morning and says, "This backpack is so heavy I'm turning into a whale. A humpback!"
Day 8/180
A 2nd grader that is new to the school this year hops on my bus after school.
Him - O! H!
Me - O H spells Oh!
Him - No, O! H!
Me - Oh?
Him - No! I say O! H! and you say I! O!
Me (laughing) - Oh!!!! Ohio. Dude, I grew up in Indiana and had no idea how you wanted me to answer back.
He just laughed at me and went to his seat.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Day 7/180
At the grade school they always wait for all buses to arrive before releasing students into the building. A lot can happen in that 2-5 minutes! This morning we were waiting for the last couple of buses to roll in and two 2nd grade girls came up to talk to me.
Girl 1 - She hurt my feelings by calling me chubby. (She is not.)
Girl 2 - I didn't want to be mean. Just her cheeks. My older sister says I have chubby cheeks and it makes me feel good because then my sister hugs me and smooshes my cheek with hers.
Me - Can you tell Girl 1 you're sorry?
Girl 2 - (With tears in her eyes and a broken heart because she hurt someone,) I'm sorry.
Girl 1 - I accept your apology.
Me - That was so nice.
Girl 2 gave Girl 1 a big hug.
Me - Girl 2 is a nice girl and she really didn't want to be mean to you. Girl 1 is a nice girl and is forgiving. We are all just learning about each other. Sometimes the same thing at one house means something different at another house. (Now I felt like they both needed to smile because they had both been so serious. So I gave them an example...) Like the word butt. We all have one! But some kids tell me it is a bad word in their house. They tell me, "Oh Miss Andrea! You can't say that! That's a bad word!" Other kids tell me they that their parents say it all the time. And so now I say - Put your bottom in the seat!
Now they both were smiling and it was time to go to school.
I would love to have a whole bus full of kids like these girls. There's not near enough cheek smooshing and forgiveness in the world.
Day 6/180
Getting up and to the bus stop is rough. Getting up earlier and to the bus stop because you are now in middle school is even harder. But missing the bus and having your parents take you when it is not in their schedule is the worst! Kids! Get up and get to your bus stop on time! I'm tired of having the same conversation with grumpy parents when I come back and get your little brothers and sisters. It is not fun for me, so I KNOW it can't be fun for you!
Day 5/180
We survived the first Monday!
The natives are definitely feeling more comfortable. The noise level has gone up accordingly.
Middle schoolers are usually SO quite in the morning. The only ones that talk are the 5th graders. The problem with that is, this year almost half of my middle schoolers are in the 5th grade! 12 seats full!
Of all the kiddos on my elementary route, I'm starting off the year with 15 kindergarteners and 17 1st graders. That's a lot of little kids still learning how to sit down and "keep your hands to yourself."
The natives are definitely feeling more comfortable. The noise level has gone up accordingly.
Middle schoolers are usually SO quite in the morning. The only ones that talk are the 5th graders. The problem with that is, this year almost half of my middle schoolers are in the 5th grade! 12 seats full!
Of all the kiddos on my elementary route, I'm starting off the year with 15 kindergarteners and 17 1st graders. That's a lot of little kids still learning how to sit down and "keep your hands to yourself."
Friday, August 12, 2016
Day 4/180
This morning I questioned a 2nd grader when he got on the bus to make sure I really saw what I thought I saw.
Me - Did you just lick your dog?
Him - He always gives me puppy kisses so I gave him a puppy kiss goodbye.
Me - Okay then!
Mom was holding the dachshund the whole time but didn't see a thing.
Happy Friday!
Me - Did you just lick your dog?
Him - He always gives me puppy kisses so I gave him a puppy kiss goodbye.
Me - Okay then!
Mom was holding the dachshund the whole time but didn't see a thing.
Happy Friday!
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Day 2/180
Nothing like getting to a kid's house in the morning and his mom walks up to the bus instead of him and says, "He's feeling like he might vomit, so go ahead and go." I made sure to thank her VERY much!
This afternoon the middle school boys' conversation topic of choice was the movie Spaceballs. Good to know that move has stood the test of time?
Luckily today I finished my grade school route in 25 minutes instead of over an hour! And no tears from the students OR me!
This afternoon the middle school boys' conversation topic of choice was the movie Spaceballs. Good to know that move has stood the test of time?
Luckily today I finished my grade school route in 25 minutes instead of over an hour! And no tears from the students OR me!
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Day 1/180
This morning, 10 minutes before hopping on my bus, my route changed. Kiddo needs picked up on the south side of the road, right next to the county line, with no place to turn around. In essence this totally reverses my route.
*Welcome to the first day of school!*
In the afternoon I had a little girl get on the bus and ask me if I knew how big the worlds biggest cookie was. I told her I had no idea. She said, "Three football fields big! I could snack on that for a few weeks!"
When it was time to take the little ones home, things started to really get adventurous! I had a mom meet the bus, but no kid. I found him. He thought he was a car rider and was waiting in the office for her. She starts going off about how she filled out a form... All I could tell her is I never see those forms. It's something the teachers use but I don't even know what one looks like.
One little girl was in tears before I left the parking lot because her brother wouldn't sit with her. Then she got off at the wrong stop and cried because he didn't get off the bus with her. I got her back on the bus and they got off at the next stop. But their mom wasn't there so... more tears. I got them back on the bus again and still no mom at the next stop and now, non-stop hysterics! I start to take off, and then, in my mirror, I see mom running down the sidewalk. The girl wouldn't stop crying. The mom is mad. And on top of that - THEY WEREN'T EVEN IN MY ROUTE BOOK! That means they signed up for school less than a week ago. I had NO information about them. No name, no address, no parent phone number. Common sense would say if you drive your kids to school the first day and you are new to the neighborhood, you shouldn't expect them to know where to get off the bus.
I complete my route and there is one kid left on the bus. Bonus!!! The school put his older brother on the bus they rode to school on, but the 2nd grader on my bus. He was probably scared, but so much calmer than the screamin' meemee. I got him home and his grandma came running out of the house so happy to see him and thankful I got him home safe.
This afternoon only took an extra 30 minutes. What the heck. My normal route doesn't even take 30 minutes to begin with!
*Welcome to the first day of school!*
In the afternoon I had a little girl get on the bus and ask me if I knew how big the worlds biggest cookie was. I told her I had no idea. She said, "Three football fields big! I could snack on that for a few weeks!"
When it was time to take the little ones home, things started to really get adventurous! I had a mom meet the bus, but no kid. I found him. He thought he was a car rider and was waiting in the office for her. She starts going off about how she filled out a form... All I could tell her is I never see those forms. It's something the teachers use but I don't even know what one looks like.
One little girl was in tears before I left the parking lot because her brother wouldn't sit with her. Then she got off at the wrong stop and cried because he didn't get off the bus with her. I got her back on the bus and they got off at the next stop. But their mom wasn't there so... more tears. I got them back on the bus again and still no mom at the next stop and now, non-stop hysterics! I start to take off, and then, in my mirror, I see mom running down the sidewalk. The girl wouldn't stop crying. The mom is mad. And on top of that - THEY WEREN'T EVEN IN MY ROUTE BOOK! That means they signed up for school less than a week ago. I had NO information about them. No name, no address, no parent phone number. Common sense would say if you drive your kids to school the first day and you are new to the neighborhood, you shouldn't expect them to know where to get off the bus.
I complete my route and there is one kid left on the bus. Bonus!!! The school put his older brother on the bus they rode to school on, but the 2nd grader on my bus. He was probably scared, but so much calmer than the screamin' meemee. I got him home and his grandma came running out of the house so happy to see him and thankful I got him home safe.
This afternoon only took an extra 30 minutes. What the heck. My normal route doesn't even take 30 minutes to begin with!
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