A Day in the Life of A First-Time Bus Rider

Boy, do my kids and I sure know how to make a great impression with our neighbors...

During the first week after moving into our new home in SC, we officially met our next door neighbors AFTER they graciously helped the soaking wet, frantic versions of us locate the water main valve in our front yard. You see, I had accidentally dropped a painting on top of a water pipe causing it to break apart and send (what seemed like) millions of gallons of water per second gushing into the first floor of our house....They were so calm and helpful when they found Nate and Jules, and I at their front door that cold December day, barefoot and dripping wet with water...for an honest to God good laugh, read all about it HERE.

Now that we live in Birmingham and are still meeting new people, we had another great opportunity to get to know some more of our neighbors today while at the bus stop (Jules and I were there waiting for Nate, who was taking the bus home from school for the FIRST time ever!!!!). After making our way there, I parked Juliana's stroller on the side of the road, and she got out to play on some grass. All was going fantastic. I was even chatting it up with a really friendly neighborhood woman, and then Juliana decided to run off and head back home- a few houses away- for real...Off she went, just like THAT.

So I was forced to rudely interrupt this newly met neighbor of mine, and had to frantically chase after Juliana, calling her, threatening her like a crazy woman, camera hanging around my neck and all, "Jules, come back, right now, or you're going to be in big trouble!!!!"

Then, I heard it. The bus was coming, and I stopped in my tracks and turned around.

Crap.

So, pause for a moment with me here. Do I keep heading home and make sure Juliana is okay? If I do, I'll miss getting a picture of Nate stepping off of the bus, and worse, I won't be there for him to run to and hug ( remember this is in my imagination- because in reality kindergarten boys do NOT run and hug their moms in public anymore).

Or...do I turn my back to Juliana (who has now slipped well beyond my vision) i order to make sure I am ready and waiting for Nate at the bus stop?

What would my new neighbor friends think? (Gasp! She let her 3-year-old run off out of her sight?! Or, What a shame, her poor sweet kindergartner has to get off of the bus for the FIRST time ever and not have mom waiting for him....)

Oh, the dilemma....

Thankfully, just in the nick of time, I saw Juliana emerge over the hill and I had just enough time to turn around and quickly aim my camera in the direction of the bus- just as Nate was stepping off.

And if you can believe it, he actually was so excited to have taken the bus home that he DID run straight in my direction, and gave me the biggest hug ever!

Fabulous.

Well, it was for a minute anyway. I looked back in the direction of Juliana, who was in tears, unsuccessfully trying to get her tricycle over the neighbor's hill. Oh man...(can I not catch a break?!)

So I grabbed Nate's hand and headed in her direction only to turn around a second later after hearing a strange and rather unnerving sound- it was the sound of one of my neighbor's SUV's running over my stroller- the stroller I had carelessly parked in front of her car.

Wow. Things were getting bad. Really bad.

I turned around yet again, and headed in THAT direction, assuring her that there was no damage (even though one of the wheels was literally crushed). But I felt awful, it wasn't her fault, she couldn't even see the stroller sitting in front of her car.

So, Nate and Jules and I stood there for a moment, trying to catch our breath. And as soon as everyone else departed, off we headed home. Tails between our legs (well, mine anyway), with me pushing Juliana in a wobbly, broken stroller.

How poetic.