my space & only 13 days left of school

D (lighting matches boy who wears his girl friend or his sister's pants to school) -- "hey bus driver!  Are you on my space??" 

me --  "oh God no D!  that, my friend would get me fired"

A couple of days ago a driver called over our 2 way radio that a junior lad near her route had fallen off his bike on his face right on the sidewalk.   His face was a bloody mess, too, according to her lengthy report.  Her route is near mine, and I thought nothing of it, as some drivers tend to exaggerate, do commentaries on the comings and goings of the world, etc.

Until today.  A student comes on the bus at my first stop and says, "bus driver don't look at J face!"

You guessed it, J was face plant boy.  One of my more polite riders too.  Poor kid's face was a mess, he chipped two teeth, and both his arms were wrapped up.  All I could say was "Man J your face is ... AWESOME!!"  Sure threw those kids off guard, they surely expected me to be grossed out or have some sort or kind reaction.  Not me, Mrs H always says I am brave because I have 8 kids.  Brave or nuts...

Oh and they glued J's teeth back on, can hardly tell...

Parenting part 2

Before I began I would like to thank you, my friends for the kind words you had to say about me regarding the children I am in charge of every day.  I appreciate the sweet words and this week especially I have had to rerun those very words in my head many times through out the day...school will be out in 3 short weeks and it seems the free for all has  begun. 

Here are some examples of my day:  "Bus driver there's a lighter in the back of the bus!!!".  me:  "is the bus on fire?"  "well no."  ok then things are fine.  ...

I think the lighter which was wedged behind the seat has been there for weeks, just now being discovered. 

more..."bus driver, can I change seats?"  "no."  this rule has been in place since September 1st, 2007.  "then can I open the window?" "bus driver, E has her window below the line!!"

and from skateboarder kid who hangs out in my neighborhood, "bus driver lady, do you life on M street?"   me, "maybe"

and more...I come in after a long morning ready to head home for my one and only break already picturing the scrambled eggs I am going to eat.  ~my boss, "we need 4 drivers to head to LC school ... 200 kindergartners need to go to Blackberry Farm and they/someone forgot to order buses"..."Rose, you go"...great...no eggs for me (fortunately my monitor Julie, who loves me & cooks wonderful meals brought me some veggie chili, so I did not starve)

kindergartners who have never ridden a bus as they are walkers..."bus driver we're scared. " (you haven't seen scared kid!)  "  Hey, hey why are going 35 that's fast!" (stop looking over my shoulder kid!)  I was a good girl and humored them, that and the parents who were in charge.  Teacher was young, blond and a cutie, no where near being burned out, yet.

The trip was only 15 minutes and they were ever so grateful, and the chili was awesome!

On a lighter note the two children that had me so worried are doing better, one got some outside help and the other has calmed down and only spits at me once in a while this after saying "I love you mommy"

Geeeeeez

My own life is fine.  Daughter has talked to ex-boyfriend and they will remain friends, but will call off the future they had tried to plan.  For the best she's too young to hang around waiting for a boy who spends most of his life 6 hours away at college.  She'll cry for a while but she's my hero and she's brave and good and beautiful, she'll be better for this.

My stepson who is in jail is getting help for his temper there so maybe this stay will not be for not.  Hope so.  He's a very talented, cool kid who is wasting his time on being angry at things that happened way too long ago, at people who do not deserve his rage.  Time to move on.

I am not as perfect as I try to say I am .  I have a 28 year old stepson who moved in with us in November of 2006.  Bad luck and some bad decisions caused him to come back home.  Mark and I need to work on pushing him  along in being more responsible.  He does contribute money wise when asked, he has a heart of gold, but there of course issues.  Oh and he's never been jail.

We all have them though, in all families big & small the world is full of issues.  I just try to do my best each day, and when tomorrow comes start all over again. 

I am tired of all the drama, struggling and junk I have no control over.  I need some fun!  Mark is working two jobs until the weather driesup and I have my one and 1/2 jobs.  Our birthdays are early this summer so I vote we take a mini vacation over a weekend and just go away.  What do you all think?? 

I vote yes!

parenting 101

I had a big entry all written, but to honor my dear daughter Liz's privacy I will only say this...last night her boyfriend of four years broke up with her.  Seems he had some issues with the direction of their respective life's.  The wording was not his, someone coached him.  I have my own opinion, and a short list of butts I'd like to kick, but I am a patient soul, I can wait for her tears to stop flowing.   She's true to being an only girl in a family of 8, she's already at the angry stage...the grieving process works quick in this family.  Years of therapy sure comes in handy in times like these.  She has a summer full of work and a theater group.  Best to find these things out now before anymore time passes.   Her broken heart will heal, I know this, but I hope her faith in the opposite sex isn't  marred.

I also heard from a certain 4 year old that one of my husband's sons is being housed in a certain county facility (jail).  This particular son has issues with his temper that have never been resolved.  He's made a habit of this and I believe this is his second such stay.  My husband made some calls and will be visiting him Saturday to hear his side of the story.  I  have had to remind my husband that if it was one of my kids in trouble I would not be enabling them to continue a life of crime, by offering money or bail.  I have my hands full with the drinking issue with my two boys, thank you God Liz is very anti drinking.  Thankfully, so far they both stay out from behind the wheel of a car and bar fights. I believe in tough love.  I figure if you're over 21 and you get into trouble you can get your own self out.

 I suppose in life everything  can be put into perceptive, today while I was sighing over my own children another driver told me she thought her only son was living in his car.  At least that's what he was telling her.  Such a life is a parent. 

There are days though that I  feel as though I have dodged a bullet, as I was an awful child and into my 20's & even my early 30's I was giving my parents a bitch of a time.  My mother always swore I'd get paid back.  Fortunately I believe in Karma and the Golden rule, I have tried to make up for my errors...so the blow sure seems light.

Hopefully....but then again there's always grand kids...you never know who may end at my doorstep suitcase in hand!!

 

 

 

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lilacs...spring...and babies...

this has been a tough week...I feel like there are days I truly fear for the state of our children...this week while tough brought plenty of smiles and down right pleasant moments from my life as a bus driver.   A couple of my charges are having such a rough go at life that I wish I could scoop them up and bring them home and be their everything.  But I am only one woman.  My husband gets irritated with me, as I am always looking out for the strays of the world.  I try, but it's just so damn hard some days.

Thank God for bringing us a wonderful, beautiful spring this year.   Every single tree, brush and bush that flowers is in full bright bloom.  And the blooms are hanging in there.

Seeing natures bounty brings me a ray of hope.

I love lilacs and my bush actually bloomed this year!

while these aren't mine, I took them from a neighbor whose bush was loaded, mine are slowing each year getting more blooms.

My bright spot over the past few weeks has been these three, they never let me down in the appreciation area.

An old pool and a few bags of sand...magic!

 

 

 

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