2019 School Year Starts

School is starting, and the first week of school is here.  I received a phone call wondering if it would be ok for Payton to ride a regular bus instead of the van.  I’m a mess.  I put off answering; so that I can talk with Jimmy.  The poor bus garage guy who has to deal with me LOL.   I let them know she needs to be buckled in.  I go further; and let them know it has to be a five-point harness.  If you only put a belt over her lap, she’ll be off and running around.  They assure me she will be strapped in.  I tell our sitters the plan.  They look at me like this is the most terrible idea they’ve ever heard.  I secretly kind of like it though.  They clearly care about what’s best for Payton.  The bus that picks up kids at their house doesn’t have belts at all.  Wait what?  I told them they assured me she would be strapped in, and no way would her teacher let her get in a vehicle where she isn’t strapped in.  I’m freaking out.  I email her teacher, and she’s going to talk with the IEP team about it.  I’m feeling better.  Her teacher knows Payton really well, and I trust her.  The IEP teams gets back to her that they think Payton riding the bus is a really good idea.  Well the first day is here I’ve already emailed her teacher a reminder: “please oh please don’t let her get on the bus after school if she’s not strapped in.”  I’ve also told Jimmy maybe six times that if she’s not getting strapped in to get her off that death machine and take her to school yourself.  I’m feeling scared to death, and now I’m off to work. I’m a ball of nerves waiting on Jimmy’s phone call to let me know how it goes.  He calls … it went great!  It’s a full-size bus and there’s an associate on the bus.  The associate puts Payton into a five-point harness.  Jimmy asked if he could strap her in himself for the first day; and the associate said of course.  After getting her all strapped in, Payton excitedly says to him, “bye daddy”.  She’s all smiles.  Just like school never ended, and this big giant bus with new faces doesn’t faze her at all.  What an adventurer we have.