School bus

Most of you know that Petite has not had an easy time separating these past eight years, and school has been a constant source of anxiety.  So, it is not surprising that we have spent the past few months hesitantly anticipating the start of the school year.  Familiar country but new school, yet again

Petite has taken the school bus for almost two weeks now! The first day she was so excited the night before.  School is practically walking distance so it's comical that we drive or do the bus.

She's been so excited all summer which I find surprising bc the idea of school bus always made me nervous.  Isn't that where all the unsupervised teasing and bullying goes on? I guess not here.

The bus is a yellow mini bus - or maxi van - depending how you look at it.

It's scheduled to arrive at our house at 8:20 (school starts at 8:30).  Either because it's the first week or just Italian time "start" time is flexible.  Since the bus didn't arrive at ours till 8:35.

Petite was up before 7am,  anxious to be ready.  By 8:15 were in the driveway awaiting the bus. The plan was that Petite would board the bus and, to make her comfortable this first time, Hubbie, Bambina and I would pile into the car and follow the bus to school, since we had to drive our little one anyway.

Petite hopped up and down with excitement.  John, our friend who lives at the stop before ours, would text when the bus picked up his daughter, so we would be ready.

At 8:20 John texted,  "Dense fog. No sign of bus"

Ten minutes latwr we received the next text ,"Child on board, bus headed to you."

I felt like we were on some covert mission. 

I buckled Bambina into her car seat.  She was so so so anxious, protesting that she didn't want to go to school.

The bus rolled up at 8:35 and Petite boarded.  Hubbie and I hopped in the front seat of our car and followed the bus.

I didn't even see Petite disembark and head into school. I hoped that she was feeling ok.  Meanwhile Bambina vomited in the parking lot.  Thee butterflies in her stomach got the best of her. Poor baby.

Two and a half hours later when I pick up Bambina,  she pronounced she hates school and wants to come to work with me.  We drove home and waited for Petite to return by bus. Soon, the bus pulled up and she ran In the front door,

"I love the school bus! Can I take it tomorrow? I love school! We had science and it was sooooo fun and the teacher was so nice!"

Quite a change from school drop off and pick up a year ago.

Is it here vs there? Age? Development? Phase of the moon?

Who knows?