I need to vent!

Reference the post from a few days ago, what cute girls, setting out on their first day of school. How exciting. What anticipation! They innocently got on the bus that morning, fully trusting that they would then be dropped off in the same spot without incident that afternoon after a full day of learning and fun. At dismissal time on the first day of school, Micheala was placed on bus #10 instead of bus #1, a mistake by the bus company who added in a random zero on the bus sheet they sent to the school. Not a huge deal, she still got home, an hour later than she should have and on a different bus than Saige, but at least she got home safe and sound. After talking to the office and her teacher we thought it was all resolved.....so they get on the bus the second day of school after much reassurance from me that today would be better. They would both be on the same bus coming home and please make sure you are on bus #1 this time. Apparently, partway through the day Saige's teacher is notified that she is to ride bus #18 instead. Micheala gets no such note. So, AGAIN, they are placed on separate buses. Saige is let off at our bus stop.....but no Micheala! I stop the bus driver and explain that I am missing a kid. He radios bus #1 to make sure she is on that bus. The driver radios back that yes she is. She is then told that she need to be dropped off at Dublin and Killarney (our bus stop). The driver makes her move to the front of the bus, then proceeds to make her get out at a bus stop on the opposite side of our neighborhood!!! How did I find this out you ask?!? While waiting at our stop for bus #1 to come, a lady driving an SUV comes around the corner, looks in her backseat, then looks at me really oddly. She rolls down her window and says, "Do you know who this girl is?" I look in her backseat, and you guessed it, MICHEALA! She proceeds to tell me where she was dropped at and that she found Micheala running down the sidewalk crying, picked her up, and drove her around until she found us. Micheala does not know her phone number, doesn't know our address, and I don't even think she could point out our house to someone! Thank goodness she was picked up by a very nice, good samaritan.

So, the next two hours I spent on the phone with the school, the bus company, her teacher, and finally left a message at the superintendents office demanding a call back in the morning. I was FURIOUS!!! It takes a lot to get me to the point of yelling at someone, but I WAS FURIOUS! The bus company was very unsympathetic and unapologetic. I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the lady! I actually thought (sorry if this shocks you mom), "I wish I knew how to cuss someone out, because I really want to, but I know it wouldn't come out right out of my mouth!" I was fired up, it took hours for me to calm down last night. And Micheala, she went right upstairs and played with Barbies all night. She is so sweet, and has a really short memory I guess, because she got on the bus just fine this morning.

So today I'm thinking, "Am I a fool for putting my children on the bus for the third day in a row considering all of the mistakes made the past two days?!" Unfortunately, I didn't really have a choice. To drop off and pick up kids at school you actually have to get out of the car, show photo ID, sign them out, etc, etc. And with two little ones in tow that often run opposite directions...I just can't do it. I have learned my lesson for next year though. My kids will NOT ride the bus the first week of school. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, again.

This morning I spoke with the superintendant and relayed to him all of the above. Of anyone I talked to, he was the most sympathetic, apologetic, yet least responsible for the whole ordeal. I feel better now having voiced my concerns to him, and I have been guaranteed that they will be on the right bus today, and will be on the same bus. If not...............