An odd relationship

That piece of transportation you see to your left is how our children get to and from school each day. The school bus and I have a love/hate relationship. Well, love is kind of strong. And hate, at times, isn't strong enough. (And that is not just because in the town we live in, we will be paying $550 for all three children to ride the bus next year. No, I am not kidding. Yes, I felt sick even typing that. Anyone ever paid for their kids to ride the school bus? Help a lady out, please.) Anyway, back to my strange relationship with the large yellow (or is it orange) piece of traveling metal.

I watch the situation with the bus like a hawk. I wouldn't hesitate for seven seconds to pull the kids off the bus. So far, any problems there have been haven't escalated to the point we would need to pull them. But good grief, sometimes there are ridiculous things that happen and kids that are really mean. It is really hard for me at times to see them go through it. But they have always come out of it better and stronger and wanting to be kinder themselves. And especially to make good choices about the things they say and do. Don't get me wrong, we don't have constant problems or anything, but stick 50 sweaty, tired kids in a large piece of tin at the end of the school day and boy howdy, you are asking for trouble.

On the other hand, I was standing at the door waiting for the bus to pick up our three oldest this morning, and I felt so grateful for them and for the opportunity they have to ride the bus. It teaches them a little about the world. About the good and the bad and the hard and the fun. It teaches them that not everyone is kind and that being kind is still the right thing to do. It teaches them to be grateful to adults that serve them and to say thank you every day, even when you've said it a thousand times before. It teaches them to ignore a lot of junk (yeah for reading great books on the bus!) and it teaches them, in a small way, about handling real life, without letting it change who you are.

So for now, they will keep riding the bus. And they will keep growing up and making me proud to call them my kids. And every single one of us will keep doing our best, one day at a time.