The First Day of School (Part one)

It was a beautiful morning. The kids got up with no problems. They ate breakfast without an argument. We were ready for the bus. My parents came to see Aaron off on the bus (and take pictures) and to take Adam for the day. The bus came. We were very happy to see that it was the very same bus driver from last year. It was a great morning.

Before starting work, I called the school and the after school daycare to make sure that everything was in place. No, Adam will not be going to the after school daycare until next week. Yes, Aaron is to go to the after school daycare. The daycare is to pick him up from school. etc etc etc.

So, I went about my day. I called my parents during my first break to see how Adam is (he was having a great time). I called the after school daycare at 3:45. That's when the perfect day went south. The school put my son on the bus to go home.

Something happens when you're told that your five year old son is on his way home to be picked up by no one. Your heart stops. Because he's in grade one, he would have been dropped off even if no one was there. FIVE YEARS OLD!!! I still hold his hand in parking lots. He's not allowed to play outside in his own backyard unless I'm outside with him. He's FIVE! Tell me that a child of five would have been able to handle getting home from the bus stop all by himself and be fine. I think NOT!

I bolted out from work. Outside, I called my parents to see if they would go down to my place to see if Aaron was there. In the meantime, I was on the phone with both the after school daycare and the school to see where the hell my child was.

The school called the bus driver and asked him to drive him back to the school. Just in time also because when they got ahold of him, he was just getting to his stop.

The after school daycare had sent someone to the school to wait for Aaron.

My Dad and Andy were rushing to my house to see if he was there. He wasn't (thank goodness) so they came to pick me up.

We got to Aaron's school at the same time as the bus. I was inside talking to the principal and the person from the daycare.

When I looked at Aaron, I felt my heart beating again.

IF my parents had gone to the cottage for the day with Adam as originally planned
IF I had called the daycare even two minutes later
IF the school and daycare hadn't had gotten ahold of the bus driver
IF IF IF ... it could have been a very different story

The good news: Aaron met the nice daycare lady, he was happy with the long bus ride, and I got to spend precious after school time with him.

AND we finally got it all straightened out.

Well, until next Tuesday when Adam starts school.