The aches and pains of parenting

OY! What a week it has been for my heart. I just need to get it all out of my system so here goes. And for those of you who have already heard parts of the story on the phone .... bear with me .....

So here in Ohio - everyone rides a bus. No matter how close or how far you are from the school - you get a bus. In fact, every year we get a letter from the school discouraging us from dropping off and picking up our kids. It's easier and safer they say to put the kids on the bus. They let you drive thru to drop off but if you pick up you have to park, walk in, sign them out and then wait for your child to be released to you. I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how fun this whole procedure was when Allison was a baby and Amy was a pre-schooler and it was raining or snowing outside .....

Fast forward to this year. All three kids are in some sort of school - yea! However, they are in 3 different school and all three begin at 9:30am and Audrey and Amy's schools both dismiss at 3:55. Yes, even though Amy is in 1st grade and Audrey is in 3rd grade - they are at different schools. Why? Because this is Ohio and well .... this is Ohio ..... And being the way they are in these parts, both schools run 9:30am-3:55pm. Surely I am not the ONLY mother who has children at both schools.

So I try to limit the amount of time they spend on the bus. It's ridiculous. We live 5 minutes from both schools and yet Amy spends about 45 minutes each way on her bus. And Audrey's bus is so packed full of kids they are sitting 3 kids to a seat. However, with the stupid schedules and the stupid drop off and pick up systems they end up riding the bus far more than I would like.

Monday afternoon Audrey gets off the bus and looks upset. I ask her what's up and she tells me she had to sit in the back of the bus and she doesn't like sitting back there because it is so loud. BUT THEN .... Tuesday morning my walking buddy says to me; "Soooo - did Audrey tell you all about her adventure on the bus?" I say yes, she told me she had to sit in the back and how horrible and loud it was. My walking buddy then tells me that ain't the whole story, APPARENTLY the boys Audrey had to sit by were talking to her in an EXTREMELY inappropriate manner. Asking her if she knew what certain body parts (male and female were called) and trying to find out if she knew what "sex" was and how much she knew about it. On the outside I maintained my calm. On the inside I was boiling over with anger. I asked Audrey about the incident and she said it was so loud she couldn't hear what they were asking her and she ignored them.

Ok - good - my BABY, my first born, my precious baby girl was not sucked into some sordid conversation nor was she teased or taunted for her innocence - at least not to her knowledge.

BUT

The more I thought about it .... the more I worried

How long would it be before talking about body parts turned into pointing at body parts? and how long until that then became touching body parts and essentially groping my daughter?

Again - I was BOILING mad. Audrey has continued to ride the bus to school but she has not ridden the bus home since Monday.

I looked up how to contact the bus company. All the school has on their website is a phone number:
"If a problem or concern arises related to school bus transportation, parents are encouraged to write the driver a note or phone (513) XXX-XXXX to leave a callback message at the Lakota Service Center."
I called today and I spoke to an operator at the service center. I gave her a "Reader's Digest" version of what occurred and said I wanted to make sure my daughter was never put in the back of the bus ever again. She told me the driver happened to be there at the time and she would pass along my request to him and then thanked me and told me good-bye.

Well .... OK .... but .....
I wanted more than a promise .... I wanted something in writing ... some sort of documentation .... and some other sort of action .....

So the school website also says:
"Building administrators may also assist with transportation related questions."

I decided I would email the principal. I spent about 30 minutes on that email and then read it out loud to a neighbor who happened to call as I was finishing my typing. She said it sounded good and suggested I copy Audrey's teacher on the email and then together we also decided I should copy the school guidance counselor. So I stared at the email some more. Spell checked it one last time, added David to the "cc" list and hit send.

And then I headed to Crate and Barrel and The Container Store for a little retail therapy.

When I got back home I had a message from the guidance counselor. She let me know the principal was not in today but said she would make sure he was aware of my email on Monday. She apologized that Audrey had ever been put in that situation and told me she would personally speak to the driver this afternoon. I emailed her back and thanked her for her response. I let her know that Audrey would not be on the bus this afternoon as I had already told her I would be picking her up this week. I let her know she would also not ride the bus on Monday as that is an AHG meeting Monday for us and she is picked by another mom on those days. We don't have school on Tuesday (they close school for election day here). The counselor let me know she would speak to the driver on Wednesday and believe you me - I will be emailing her to remind her.

UGH!

I know she has to grow up and I know I have to let her. But ....
She's only 8!!!!! OK 8 and 1/2 but still ....... this momma bear is going to shield and protect her cub for as LONG as possible and HEAVEN HELP the boy/girl/man/woman who tries to interfere!