Back to School Stress

Yesterday was the first day of school! I am once again relieved to have survived the summer break. :0) Ellany is starting 3rd grade this year, and Brynn is in 5th - her last year in elementary school! They normally take the bus, but I drove them to school the first day. This was partly because Brynn wanted me to, and partly so I wouldn't worry about Ellany getting to class. When I took Ellany into her new classroom, she was greeted by 2 little girls who have been in her class for 3 years now. They were so happy to see her, and it totally made my day! Ellany also has the same classroom aide as last year - a big bonus! Here are some pics I took before we headed to school...

Both girls were excited for their first day!

Their new backpacks reflect their personalities - Brynn's "Planet Earth" panda backpack and camouflage lunchbox, Ellany's pink with hearts combo that she picked out.

Brynn really loves her new plaid shoes! She is impressed that I approved multi-colored shoes, since she knows I like clothes to match. ;0)

I enjoyed having some quiet time at home in the morning, while Ryker was in class. But the afternoon brought some SERIOUS stress! Here is how the situation evolved:

2:30 - School is out! I am expecting the girls to arrive home on the bus at 3:30, the time they got dropped off last year. (We live 11 miles from the school and are the next to last stop.)

3:45 - The girls have not arrived and I am concerned. I call the school to see what is happening. They tell me there was some confusion about whether some kids were on the wrong bus. An autistic boy gave an incorrect name when asked, and another gave his nickname. The brand new bus driver went back to school, figured out who everyone was and left again at 3:00. I am annoyed. I now expect them to be home at 4:00.

4:00 - Still no bus. Ryker is up from his nap and I try to focus on him instead of looking out the window. I decide to wait a while before I bug the school again.

4:15 - I call the school and speak to a different woman in the front office. She says the bus actually left again at 3:30, so I recalculate their arrival time to 4:30. She also tells me that they have been trying to contact the bus driver, but he isn't answering his dispatch radio. My imagination runs wild with the dire possibilities...

4:30 - I am so antsy I have to walk outside (Ryker is parked in front of the TV). As I walk out on the driveway, I call the school again. As the woman answers, I see a bus at the end of my street. I tell her about the bus and she asks me to stay on the line until the girls get off. Then the bus drives right past me...it's from a different school! She asks me to call the school when they do arrive.

4:45 - I am really upset now!!! I call the school again. When I say "I want to know where my daughters are!" in a not-so-calm voice, I am asked to hold for the principal. He says he is also upset and working with the person in charge of buses. He then tells me the driver is about to turn onto my street and the girls should be home any minute.

5:00 - 15 agonizing minutes later...the bus finally arrives!! I march out to the driveway and give the driver evil looks, because I don't trust myself to go talk to him. I usher the girls inside and discover that Ellany is completely calm! I had expected her to be in full meltdown mode, but she didn't even cry when they returned to school...something I would normally expect to derail her.

5:30 - The assistant principal calls me to make sure the girls are home. She also reassures me that someone from the office will ride their bus the rest of the week, until the driver knows his route.

All of this craziness is exacerbated by the fact that I already feel guilt about putting my girls on the bus. They have to get up earlier, and spend a lot of time sitting on that bus. But they get to school on time (without their chronically late mother), Ryker gets to take his afternoon nap and I save gas money. I'm still trying to convince myself that putting them on the bus is the right thing to do! Ellany told me this morning that she doesn't want to ride in Mommy's van to school anymore, so that made me feel a little better. :0)