LJ Starts Kindergarten/ First day riding the Bus

We found out LJ's teacher less than a week before school started (on a Wednesday), and as I barely know anyone at LJ's soon to be elementary school, I wasn't too anxious about this! But our dear friend Val knows everyone at the school, so as soon as I got an email from Ms. Stroh, LJ's kinder teacher, I text my friend Val. And, received the best news: she seems to be the most loved and experienced teacher for kindergarten!! Everyone that knows the teachers smiles and tells us how great she is when we mention that LJ got her! It is SO great to hear!!! 

On Friday afternoon, we got to go to the school for 'Meet the Teachers'. We got a quick orientation in the cafeteria, headed to the library to get an ID card made for LJ, and then went to his room to meet Ms. Stroh, drop off LJ's supplies, and get acquainted with the room. 

And I got a picture of LJ and his new teacher- she seems awesome, and we are excited for a fun year! 

School started the following Tuesday for LJ (Aug 23), and LJ was acting really excited! 

LJ's school bus was scheduled to arrive at 6:59 am! This is EARLY for us! But he was so excited! Evan also begged us to wake him up so he could see LJ get on the bus. So we got LJ up first, and Barrett found him already dressed in his bed! Apparently, he got up in the middle of the night, got ready, and then fell back asleep! We had breakfast and headed out for some pictures. I quietly spoke into the monitor in Evan's room to tell him we would be heading out to the bus soon, and he popped out of bed and ran down stairs! He was already dressed too!!

We asked (almost begged) LJ if we could take him or pick him up on the first day instead of him riding the bus, but he insisted on the bus. He was SO excited about riding the bus!!! And Evan was so sad he didn't get to ride with LJ! 

I kept asking LJ for a day or two before filling out his sign what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he just kept saying, "Hmmmmm.... I don't know yet!" I offered several ideas, but none seemed to be the right fit. So when we got to the morning of school, and he was still undecided, I almost just wrote "Hmmmm" in the spot! But then Barrett started suggesting things, and his eyes lit up with joy at the thought of being a professional Lego Building and building legos all day!

  The best news is that the bus picks up right across the street at the mailboxes (visible in this picture behind and to the left of LJ). I can see the bus turn onto our street and beat it to the mailboxes from inside my front door!! This is great since Evan (usually) and Ellie is almost always asleep when LJ gets on and off the bus!

 Evan wanted to be in a picture too! Cute brothers!!! 

 Here it comes....

 There goes our bus rider!!!!  Our next door neighbor also rides the bus to school, and he was there with LJ! He is a 4th grader, and doesn't ride the bus home.

After school, Evan was so tired but determined to wait for LJ to get home. He was dying to see him get off the bus, and I think he just really missed having him with us! So we put Ellie down for her nap, had a snack, and then Evan asked if he could ride his bike around the pocket park until the bus came. Well, poor Evan was so tired, and the bus was SO late! We were told it should drop off around 3:15 and got out there just before 3 pm. We expected it to be a little late, but by 3:30, Evan was so hot and tired, he gave up, went inside, and fell asleep! Barrett came home around 3 pm too- anxious to support LJ and see how his first day went. 

By 3:45, we were getting a little anxious with no sign of a bus! Two other neighbors were out there waiting for their kids too. Apparently both of them took their kids to school that morning, but their kids will normally be on both morning and afternoon. There is another kindergartener, a 2nd grader, and a 3rd grader that will ride with LJ. 

So FINALLY at almost 3:50, we see the bus turn onto our street. At the exact same time as the bus is heading towards us, I get a call from a random number.  I answered the phone and a man says, "Is your son LJ?" I said, "YES! Who is this??" 

Well, my poor baby had gotten off the bus at the wrong stop and was wondering around the neighborhood trying to figure out where he was. Apparently, this nice man picked up his kid, noticed LJ but thought he knew where he was going, went to get his mail, and saw LJ still circling when he came back. So he went up to LJ and asked if he knew where he was... and then (I am still shaking as I type), LJ just burst into tears and said he was lost! My POOR BABY!! 

LJ has our address and my phone number memorized, but he was too upset to tell the man. Thankfully I had put a paper with his name and my number in his bag, and the man found it right away. 

Thank God for this wonderful man! And so glad he called before I realized LJ wasn't on the bus and didn't know where he was! So when we get this call, I started freaking out! The man asks where we are, tells me we are very close, and he will keep LJ safe until we get there. Barrett got he address and was in his truck in seconds to go get our baby!!! 

I stayed behind to tell the bus driver what has happened! She was very apologetic and promised to always remember LJ in the future and make sure he gets off at our stop. We are the last stop. 

LJ was very hot, sweaty, and out of water when Barrett got him. 

He didn't really talk much, and said he didn't really want to ride the bus anymore- well at least not home. This broke my heart!!! Unfortunately, picking LJ up from school is not an option as it is right in the middle of nap time for the other two! So we said not to worry, that driver will never forget him again, and he will have fun and make friends there. 

When the other two woke up from their naps, we packed up the car and went out for dinner. We tried to turn a horrifying turn of events into a happy evening, and even went out for ice cream to celebrate our kindergartener! 

I wish I could say that was the whole story and end of the bus drama- but unfortunately it continued for a whole week!!! But finally, at 8 days into school, LJ is good friends with the other 5 kids who ride the bus from our street, we have a new bus and  better driver, and pick ups and drop-offs are right on time (to the minute!). So thankful that all has smoothed out now!! That was pretty rough!!!! 

Day 2, the kids from our stop/ street all began bonding and playing sports in the pocket park while waiting for the bus. Evan got up late, but the bus still wasn't there so he got to come out and see everyone! He was in an interesting pj choice!!

But school was about to start, and no sign of the bus!! I called the school, and apparently WAY more kids tried to ride the bus the second day, and it got full before our stop! So it had to unload at school and come back. Well, we didn't want our kids to be super late on the second day, so we carpooled other kids from stop with us to school. They were about 15 minutes late.

But at least LJ got off the bus after school!! Barrett and I were nervous all week waiting to see that face safely home!!! Yay!!!!

And here are some pictures from Friday after school... Think they missed being around each other?! I love this!!!