Mama's little baby......gets on the bus!

I just put Cole on the school bus for the morning ride to school for the first time a few minutes ago. I should probably explain why it's January and it's the first time he's riding the bus: Sshh! He's really not supposed to be riding the bus. Technically, preschoolers are not allowed on the bus. I found out about this rule about this time of the year when Curtis was in Preschool and he had been riding the bus, whenever available, since the beginning of the year. I continued to put him on the bus for the rest of the year, because our bus driver was OK with it. Cole has not ridden the bus, because he just has a totally different personality than Curtis did at that age and would probably draw a little too much attention to himself on the bus, therefore getting us all in trouble! I'm also a little worried about the boys, Curt and Cole, in particular, fighting, arguing, and just causing a ruckus with each other on the bus on the way to school.


Anyway, so until today, I have taken the boys to school on the days when Cole has Preschool. Clayton sometimes catches the bus anyway on those days -- some social networking, perhaps? -- but Curtis really seems to enjoy the extra time to get ready or just be lazy on those days. Cole has been begging me to ride the bus and I just kept telling him that he's really not supposed to be on the bus and just wait until next year. Well, this morning was a rough one for me with the paper, and I had gotten home LATE last night from a Day Camp Meeting.....took me almost an hour and 1/2 to get home because of the weather and poor road conditions. There was a 2 hour school delay this morning because of the weather, again, and while I was home in plenty of time for the boys to be ready for school, I was not up for driving into town at 10 am and then again at noon to pick Cole up. It crossed my mind to just put him on the bus and then just kept festering there until I got home. I decided to try it and Cole was THRILLED!!


He was so cute stomping thru the snowdrifts at the church to get to the bus. He promised to sit with Clayton and Clay was OK with that too. They also promised to just stay away from Curtis....he sits with Caleb anyway once they switch buses....and that will maybe avoid any fighting.

So, I waited out by the church with them and just asked Kim, the bus-driver, if it was OK that Cole ride. She didn't care. I reminded him to stay with Clayton and be good. Gave him a quick kiss and he was off.

Why I am dwelling on this little milestone this morning?? I am really not that kind of mom. I did not cry when any of the boys left for preschool or kindergarten. I took pictures of them all at their first day of school, but really did not get very upset. I put both Clayton and Curtis on the bus without it even phasing me. I'm not sure that I am seriously upset about Cole getting on the bus, but it did cross my mind here more than once this morning. "I just put Cole on the bus for the first time." "My little guy just got on the bus....he truly is out there on his own."

Again, I am really not this sappy kind of mom. I think I have always embraced the new phases in the boys' lives as new adventures, exciting expeditions. I have worried a little bit about a few things......Chris' first day at ICHS, I was worried that he wouldn't know anyone or know where he was going. Clayton just always kind of rolls with it or figures out the situation pretty quickly. He may be the most like me, in that he is a little nervous inside about a situation, but will not really let you know. He just goes in and tries to figure it out. In preschool, Clayton asked me not to come in with him! As long as he is not overreacting to anything, people enjoy him. Curtis TOTALLY rolls with the situation. He probably doesn't even get nervous about it at all -- inside or outside. He so "flies under the radar" that he just observes quietly for a minute or two in order to figure it out and then either jumps right in to the middle, or hangs on the edges doing his own thing.


I guess it comes down to -- "Cole is my baby". And he is; he always will be. His personality (a little high maintenance, a little crazy, a little too old for his age, a lot clingy onto me!) lends itself for me being a little apprehensive about sending him into new situations. He REFUSED to stay at VBS this summer, he "needs" me quite often, he hated the church nursery........


Oh well, I will embrace this today and see how it went with him on the bus and then getting to his class at school. I don't know if I will be sending him on there again, or continue to drive him to school. A new phase of my life, too, I guess.....all my boys leave on the bus in the morning and I get a little time to catch up on laundry, hit the blog and enjoy the quiet!! :)