crying kids...

The summer has been a long hot one for this bus driver. The past few years I watched my grand sons so I shared a route, which meant I only drover ever other day. This year because my grand kids spent most of their time here, and I am helping support them I am working instead of babysitting.

Normally I have a smallish route with no more than 12 kids, maybe a few car seats/booster seats or a wheel chair...this year 20 kids under 7 most under 5 and 12 of them in some sort of harness/booster or car seat. Nice that they are tied down, BUT most of them have a reason that they are going to summer school. Either it's not following directions, being nonverbal or just plain having behavior issues. It's me, the driver and my trusty monitor. E is a good kid, but she tends to complain about the kids, her life, her boyfriend, other drivers, having no time left on her cell phone or worse she wants to "hang out" between routes. I fixed that we have lunch once a week.
Oh and no air conditioning.

This week has been a loud, soggy, fit throwing screaming mess of children. Today especially so...but we survived. Everybody got home in one peace...one kid broke his glasses, but nobody puked, one of the twins punched the other, the girl that freaks when she hears all the screaming fell asleep before the bus got to nuts and I feel like I did a good job by them.



TG tomorrow is F!! After that only 9 days left of summer school and I even have summer left to have a nice break!

just when you think---> :)

Thank you all so much for the encouraging extraordinary words ... I always feel like journals are my place to vent, get a hug or a kick in the shorts and go on...

I've said this before nobody in my world comes here, no one can see my blabbings here... they can't call me into their office (like work) "bad bus driver", or roll their eyes at me, or tell me to grow up, or zone out and then change the subject to something they want to talk about=themselves...or worse "don't tell people our problems!!"

You all are the **best**

3 day weekend...

The kids came over on Saturday for an unscheduled visitation and we all had a good time hanging out in the back yard. Built a fire, threw water balloons until somebody cried and it was time for going in...dark is 9:00 pm here so it's late by the time kids have to be talked into giving in for the night. But crying makes this all null.

My two stepsons have been living here since October 2009. We have been tolerating the ignorance of my oldest stepson. He is not working, will not be working for a while (construction, no work...messed up something with the union, etc) so we are putting up with his erratic behavior...the grand kids spend at least 1/2 the week here so we try to work with my stepson and his self center ways. Put it this way if I made a list I could evict him for a load of reasons. He isn't much of conversationalist so we settle for baby steps...

The other one has been working in Wisconsin so he's gone most of the week. He at least pays some rent.

Someday we will both retire, downsize and then the grown kids will have to figure out life for themselves.

I actually think I am reaping my karma...in 1985 I moved into my parents house with my two sons, had another kid, my daughter and stayed for 5 years!

9 months down a bunch o' years to go!

I love the grand kids and some how some way this too will pass....and I will someday be sitting on the beach smiling at the memory...

there I feel better...

Let freedom ring!

the best part...

One of the best parts of summer is family & fests...



LaLa & Dayton...



Grandpa having some of Cody's candy...



Jake


Kristen & Tim..
My son's Tim & Eric

storms

I've had a heck of week. My dsl was down for a couple of days, I thought because of some recent storms, but it ended up being my 10 year old modem finally bit the dust. I had a replacement and quickly got back online again...until Wednesday when a bad storm knocked our power out for nearly 2 days.

Rumor was it was to be for 5 days, but thankfully it was only 2.

I went back to work for a part time summer route. I now remember why I don't have a permanent route...20 special needs kids under the age of 7 with 13 in car seats in a bus that is not air conditioned take it's toll on even me...but I am trooper and have whipped young monitor into line. With a little positive re-enforcement she is doing a great job of keeping the little ones happy and under control.

Otherwise the normal summer time stuff...weddings, showers, fests and kids...

Oh and planning my escape to Florida in December. Getting our tickets early and waving them under my nose will keep me in a good mood!

hanging out...

I've been off work for a couple of days. Summer school starts the 21st, part time only, so I am enjoying my time off.

The little kids have been here every day also.

I've been trying to do some cleaning, mostly getting rid of years of junk the big kids have left behind. Dayton & Cody keep trying to talk me into giving them Liz's old "Barbie girls" so their army guys can have friends. This is contrary to their firm belief that Barbie is for girls only. The dolls are sentimental favorites of Aunt Lala, I am sure she would part with some, but Barbie is stored away and I am not looking for her.


Also, both my sons are facing their own growing pains, one related to growing up, living with his dad and step mom and letting them enable him. He's only 25 so he'll get it eventually. The other related to growing up and balancing the needs of both his career and newly pregnant off for the summer school teacher wife. :sigh: I can only add input and wish them the best...growing up sucks sometimes. :)

We still have a lot of work to do on our house, but we realize it's ongoing forever...so no hurry or worry.



I turned 53 Monday...still feel young...I started jogging again, something I loved to do when I was in my 20's. Great both for the body and mind.

I am off to do nothing...something all of should do from time to time!