A Family Journal

Everything has been going really well this last week, except for a few bus mishaps. Abbie missed her stop on Monday, but just got off at the next stop around the corner. We caught up with her pretty easily, though I wasn't really happy about the bus driver letting her off at a stop not her own. Then on Tuesday she got on the wrong bus. Lauren got off at her stop, but no Abbie. This time Lauren told the bus driver that her sister wasn't getting off, so he used the intercom to call for her. No Abbie. So we walked back home and called the school. The school called the transportation department and they supposedly checked on all their buses. No Abbie. So by now I am getting really worried and call Quentin at work to come home so he can go out and look for her. The principal and some of the teachers were going to go looking in neighborhoods too, since it appeared that Abbie got off on a stop not her own. Then I get a call saying she was on a bus all along, that the bus driver on that bus apparently didn't check. Abbie says she heard her name on the bus communication system like 4 times but the driver on the bus she was on never asked. She went and told him that she was the "missing kid" they were talking about. The principal and teachers were great through all of this and Abbie got a ride home with the principal.

Now after this you would think Abbie would be extra careful. On Wednesday I picked the girls up from school so we could take Lauren to her first dance class. No Abbie. I checked with the office and found out she forgot and got on the bus for home. I rushed Lauren to her class then headed home to get Abbie from the bus. She looked pretty relieved to see me at the bus stop since she had realized that she wasn't supposed to be on the bus.

By this time I had pretty much decided that we were just going to forget the bus and I would just pick the kids up. End of problems. Abbie had a meltdown when I told her, and declared that made her feel like a "little kiiiiiiiid!" (complete with wail). So we have discussed this and she knows that this is her last chance. Any more forgetting or not paying attention and no more bus. We talked about safety, and that her safety always comes first. That she has to be responsible for herself and make sure she is staying safe. Her comment : " I think about so many things all the time that my personal life just flies right out of my brain!" Her teacher told me that she told her pretty much the same thing but with a "I am so smart and talented that I can't remember my personal life." That sounds like Abbie-LOL!

Lauren loved her dance class on Wednesday despite the fact that I pretty much dropped her off and ran. The parents aren't supposed to stay anyway. She says she got to use her ballet shoes AND her jazz shoes. But they didn't have time for tap. She remedied that when she got home and tapped a bit in the kitchen until I told her it was time to eat.

Reina, Alina and I had a playdate on Monday. We had a friend over and the girls had a good time. Alina was very shy at first, but warmed up after a bit. While I like the snuggles she gives when she is unsure of what's going on, I will be happy when she is more sure of herself and her place in our family and no longer needs to cling to me so much.

We went to Quentin's softball game last night. I packed some snacks and water bottles and we made a picnic out of it. The girls enjoyed getting out and it was nice to just sit and enjoy even though it meant bedtime an hour later. Too often when we get into the routine of school we just don't have time for sitting and enjoying each other. The girls get home at 4:15, we unload backpacks, I fix dinner for them. After we eat they have about an hour before the little ones go to bed and then we start homework. Bedtime at 8. It is even crazier when we have after school activities.

Oh! Too cute! Reina and Alina are dancing in front of the TV with the Fresh Beat Band right now. They love that show!

That's it for now...