The Wheels on the Bus

Holy. Moly. WE MADE IT TO FRIDAY!!!

Obviously, I’ve been pretty quiet on this here blog for the past few days as we settle into the new school year (!). Devoting lots of extra time and attention and snuggles to my babies as they reacclimatize.

I promise to share oodles and gobs of details in the coming days, but for now, I have one MAJOR tidbit I’ve got to share, because it’s been life-changing:

All three of my crazies are riding the school bus home this year!

(Insert jazz hands, confetti, and a choir of angels singing the Hallelujah chorus.)

I. KID. YOU. NOT—in just a few short days, this small change has brought so much joy that it’s actually ridiculous.

And it’s not just me reaping the benefits!

Chicklet came home yesterday with a hand-drawn note, and I was like: you’re thanking me for something that works in my favor???!!!! This is bananas!

Truly.

The multi-faceted joy triggers are astounding.

But, first, a little context:

For a year or two, there’d been loose conversations in our household about riding the bus home from school (riding it to school just isn’t an option—ever—as it comes through the neighborhood nearly an hour before school, and that’s just insane, and I’m not waking up any earlier than 6 a.m. just to avoid a drop-off).

Anywho.

We’d discussed. There was always mild interest by one, two or three children during any given conversation, but we just never had the logistical opportunity.

For the past two years, Chica was involved in after-school programs (choir and strings) that totaled four afternoons a week, and riding the bus an impossibility—for her. And let’s be real: my twins/not twins could not be trusted to walk home and and inside unaccompanied. I mean…the trouble these two could stir up unsupervised: nuh uh.

However.

Heading into this particular school year, I had two epiphanies:

First: with Chica headed to middle school, the annoying school pickups were about to multiply, and I wasn’t keen on that. More wasted car time. Ugh.

Second: neither Chicklet nor Little Man will have any programs that require them to stay late at school for the time being, so…

Put those two epiphanies together, and…

BRING. ON. THE. BUS(ES)!

Chica wasn’t as thrilled about the idea as the younger two, but I knew it would be important to just launch middle school with the bus expectation, or there’d be no turning back.

The twins/not twins, though…they were so game. More time with friends, the fun of a bumpy ride, and the chance to feel a little more independent. Obviously, they were thrilled enough to write me thank you notes, tehe.

It is seriously so stinking cute to watch from the dining room windows when I hear the bus approaching. After the first day or two, the bus drivers even tailored the drop offs to get my kiddos closer to home, and it’s just the BEST to see them depart.

Chicklet and Little Man are dropped off literally at our driveway. And Chica prefers to walk a bit from down the street, which isn’t a bad way to stretch her legs, now that she’s a giant middles schooler with no recess, ha.

I’ll share a whole other post about the unexpected joys of Chica’s communication via cell, now that she’s in middle school. For the time being, I’ll just say that I LURV the bitmojis and cute little messages she sends me when she’s en route home. Be still, my Mama heart!

Again, I can’t tell you how very much this time-honored bus situation has enriched my life in just a week. To gain that extra time back in the afternoon, especially when I’m losing more of it in the morning with Chica’s later start time, I just…UGH. I’m grateful! And honestly, my kiddos’ collective crankiest time of day was always that drive home from school, so to bypass that is a GIFT.

I know that schedules and extra-curriculars and my kiddos’ life stages might change at any point in the foreseeable future, and take this bus convenience away. But I’m just going to marinate in the now, and the joy of this particular transportation gift, and worry about future changes another day!

SO excited to sleep in a bit more in the morning. My babies handled their first week so well, but we were all showing signs of a bit of exhaustion tonight, so…

HAPPY WEEKEND, peeps!

More mañana.

Over and out.