bus rider

last night matt and i discussed having madelyn ride the bus home in the afternoons so that manning could have at least one nap in his crib.  we agreed that she could start coming home on the bus this week.  since mason didn't have school today, i thought that it might be nice to have her take the bus too so that i could speak with the bus driver.  there are two bus stops near our house so we picked the one towards the back of the neighborhood because there would be less traffic and thought that it was a hair closer to our house. 

well, the boys had a horrific night's sleep and spent most of it in our room.  matt gave up on sleep at 5am and just went to work and i got up around 6am because mason and maddux had finally dozed back off and manning wanted to be fed again (yes, he got up too so that he wouldn't be left out last night).  needless to say we are all - except madelyn - tired.

the bus comes less than five minutes earlier than when we would leave the house to drive her to school but for some reason it was impossible to leave in time!  i left manning sleeping in the swing (the stop is about a block from our house) and told mason and manning to get their shoes on.  they were both just waking up and crying - so difficult. instead of putting his shoes on, maddux took his pjs off.  so i just got him dressed and carried him without shoes.  mason was just sitting and crying about being hungry.  i gave him a leftover pancake and told him that he could bring it.  we would be right back.

i put madelyn's cold stuff in her lunch box, filled up her water bottle, checked manning one more time and picked up maddux to leave.  mason was just sitting with his shoes and crying (while holding his cold pancake).  i decided it was best to leave him because the bus was going to be there in two minutes!  i told him to put his shoes on and come outside when he was ready. 

we got halfway to the bus stop (a la the end of our driveway) and mason came out the front door screaming/crying at the top of his lungs to "wait for me".  i told him to come on with us.  and then i see that he never put his shoes on but is just carrying them (and his cold pancake).  i am sure that we were a sight with all of the yelling and crying.

we got to the bus stop, mason caught up and got his shoes on and the bus pulled up. 

the driver said that madelyn wasn't on her list.  was i sure that i had the right bus?  yes, it was the number assigned to her by the school and it was written on the name tag she was wearing.  the driver took her but i went home and called the school about her riding the bus to make sure everything was okay and that there wasn't anything else i needed to do.  they assured me that everything was fine and would call back if they needed me to do anything else.

once madelyn was off, the boys and i had a nice day at home.  the best part was waiting for madelyn to come home.  the boys were really excited to see her bus (and her of course).  i wasn't sure what time the bus arrived in the afternoon so we headed to the stop at the time school lets out.  of course, manning woke up at that same time and i had to quickly get the stroller so that we could get to the bus stop and wait.

maddux wanted to be in mason's picture, but mason wasn't feeling it.

and then the bus came.  in the picture with mason she is dropping off a neighbor, she told me that she would come back to drop madelyn on our side of the street, which i thought was pretty nice. 

the driver explained that madelyn was assigned to the other stop in the neighborhood and that was why there was some confusion in the morning.  if i want her to be at this stop i just need to call the transportation department (i had read that the rules are kids can't be dropped at stops they aren't assigned to - for safety).

because of all the chaos in the morning and talking with the driver in the afternoon, this is the best picture i got of madelyn with her first school bus.  the slight pink in the lower right corner?  that's madelyn.  i promise.  oh well.  i did try. 

madelyn loved the bus.  in fact, she cried when i told her that i was going to drive her to school in the mornings and she would only ride it home in the afternoon.  "no, i want to ride it all the time!"  it might be tempting once manning starts eating a true 'breakfast' in the mornings.  baby steps, madelyn.  mommy and daddy need baby steps...  love.