Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Bus Aide

I saw a familiar face on the bus yesterday morning as our defiant 10-year-old climbed the stairs. She has served as an aide on our son's bus before, albeit many years ago. A kind woman, she and I spoke often. That morning, however, I couldn't get over the shock of seeing her face.



Not only was I seeing her amidst the semi-crisis of our older son deciding he was too cool to sit ON HIS BUM on the bus like the rest of us dorks in the world. But, oh gosh, do you think she remembers what I remember?

"S**t" said our then 4-year-old younger son to her and to the rest of her charges on her afternoon bus that sunny day years ago. I remember it so well. To clarify, that word that he said? It rhymed with "sit", and it was a bad, bad word.

I was shocked.


So was she.

We stared at each other, our eyes wide. Staring, the bus attendant and the mother of a foul-mouthed preschooler, and saying not one word. The minutes passed like hours.

"I'm so proud," was all I could muster. And, I scurried along the diaper padded bottom of my angelic son as quickly as I could to get us both out of sight.

I couldn't blame him. He was young and impressionable. And, just that morning, his low verbal brother had announced the same word to his morning bus. I turned my head to laugh and, as I did, I looked squarely into the eyes of our younger son.

Don't think he didn't notice.

He decided to prove that point in public on the afternoon bus, I guess. It was a stellar day in our home, that day. Yes, it was.

There I was again this morning, years later, face-to-face with this kind woman, and my children were once again being themselves.

Once I recovered from the shock of seeing her, I noticed that our older son had made his way onto the floor beside his seat. Alrighty, then! Well, at least we're keeping appearances to her consistent.

Five minutes of hard talking later, our son was sitting ON HIS BUM on the seat of the bus as it drove out of the driveway. I said a silent prayer that he didn't change his mind some time before they hit the school parking lot, causing the bus to turn around and come home.

It wasn't yet 9am. I'd had an unexpected shot of adrenaline to jump start my day. I opened the door to our house to tend to our younger, school phobic son, wondering what will be happening in our lives when next I unexpectedly find myself face-to-face with that kind bus aide.

38 comments:

  1. Relax. Somehow I imagine she has seen and heard much much worse! If not, well, bless her sheltered little heart.
    My not special needs son once shouted in a half cry and half demand at the top of his lungs in the middle of a very busy K-Mart (he was 3)...
    "I want that fire_uck,pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!"

    It's life with a son. That words was NOT and is NOT spoken in this house. He just couldn't say "tr" and it was perfectly okay in his world.
    *sigh* Ah, the memories.

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    1. I can't be bothered. It's just who we are! Sitting very comfy in our handbasket on our way to you--know-where.

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  2. Amy, I have told you all the stories from my classroom. Trust me, they have heard worse. :-D

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    1. I'm sure! Again, I'm not worried,but I'm also sure our house is noteworthy.

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    2. Yours is noteworthy for other reasons hahahahaha.

      You know I love you guys.

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  3. HAHAHA. Love this post. Zach loves to say "damnit" He says it quickly over and over again. With his articulation patterns ebbing and weaving, I didn't worry about it, because only Steve and I could understand what he was saying. But you know those pesky SLPs working on stuff like that, right? Yup. Boy was I surprised in church one Sunday. I said something totally ridiculous to cover: "Yes, honey, the music is nice." Which, of course, made no sense whatsoever. And we just kept on moving along. Remind me to share the f-bomb story with you one day. Husbands... uughh.

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    1. I want to hear it!

      BTW, I have to take the blame for this one. I enjoy that word. It's true. I learned in this stage of extreme stress that my downfall was a dormant potty mouth. I have two favorite words that I have to work to keep quiet. This is one.

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  4. Shit. I kinda had to say that. Wonder why we do that? Most often times I could gives two sh*ts about what my kiddo does or says in public. But every now and then, when I'm feeling my least confident and I'm out of fruit snacks for bribery, he pulls some kind of crazy ars move, and someone's ALWAYS watching. You'll probably run into bus aide 18 times a month until he graduates high school, most likely because God has a sense of humor. You know tyrant wreaks havoc, bummer, God says I'll have Amy run into bus aide for a laugh. Shit. Also thought I'd throw that in a few times for good measure; seemed appropriate.

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    1. LOL!! That day, earlier in my parenting, I WAS shocked to hear that word come out of our son's mouth, particularly since it was his first bad word and said right after his brother had said his first bad word at an earlier time. This particular aide was of a personality to be shocked as well. It was a moment for us both. I've laughed a lot about that moment, and I laugh about most moments because what else can you do, right? And, yes, as luck would have it, I will likely run into this person every time we are showing our challenges at our best. You just watch.

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  5. Hey Amy :) I'm just visiting from the A - Z challenge but I enjoy reading your blog :)

    I have a little brother who likes to catch our attention with interesting combinations of foul language he's picked up from us when we're not being careful. There isn't much that can be done since if we let him know the words are bad, it makes them sooo much more appealing!

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    1. Nikki, thanks for stopping by! This will be my first try with the A to Z challenge. Don't know if I'm crazy or not? Looking forward to starting! Looking forward to finding you as well!

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  6. Another day in the life,and yes...rest assured I am sure she has heard plenty worse. Kids are like a sponge and they love to shock. It gives them some kind of charge. With the bus U turning every little bit it is a wonder they ever make it to school.

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

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  7. So glad to find you with the AZ challenge. I have triplet sons with autims..low functioning...18 years old. Yep, I can relate to your life. Looking forward to getting to know you better! :)

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  8. Oh my. That story could have been my own. Those aides have seen (and heard) it all!

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  9. Great story :) Kids throw anything and everything out there, don't they? Watching them do so is an incredible journey :)

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  10. I'm not sure this one would have embarrassed me. As the oldest of 13 siblings, there isn't much I haven't witnessed, been part of, heard, or explained after the fact. ;-)

    A-Z 2012 (#49) - Bloggit Write A-Z 2012 - Poetry
    A-Z 2012 (#861) - Bloggit Write A-Z 2012 - Haiku

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  11. ha! I love this! my older son made a big deal out of the fact that a neighbor kid had said the dreaded "S" word. I did not know that my son (then 7) knew that word, so I asked him to whisper it to me. Yep, "stupid".

    found you from A to Z. good luck with all the letters!

    best,
    MOV

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  12. I have a son with ADHD, and two teens with depression and mild bi-polar. I've had my fair share of challenges. I'm glad I stumbled on your blog from the A to Z Challenge. http://1000wrongs.blogspot.com

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    1. I'm so glad you did as well! I think we can learn from each other.

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  13. Ahhh - yes our bus experiences are similar! Great post. Always a challege and never a dull moment...Good luck with your CSE. What can they get changed to help you with the bus?

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  14. I used to be a bus aide for a camp for kids - trust me, she's heard worse! The bus is the place to try out things like bad language for many kids :)
    Glad I found you through A-Z. Definitely enjoy your stories.
    ~AJ @ frodofrog.blogspot.com

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    1. LOVE that I'm hearing from a former bus aide!!! Thanks for commenting!

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  15. Kids do say the darndest things!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com
    Just A-Zing around!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! The link on A to Z is bringing everyone here to this post. I AM doing the Challenge. If anyone cares to read the letter of the day find your way to my home page.

      Looking forward to reading!

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  16. Aren't kids great? (they must be great for something) I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month. My alphabet blog is myqualityday.blogspot.com

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    1. Good luck! I'm reading as well. Will see you on your blog later.

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  17. Lovely little story. I'm sure the woman in question understood your situation. Blog on!

    http://francene-wordstitcher.blogspot.com

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  18. Oh this is great. I bet she had a good laugh about it with her friends in the pub that weekend.
    Rhia from Five Minute Piece for Inspiration (about # 776 on A to Z list)

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  19. So funny! I'm just A to Z-ing it, and stopping by to say "Hi." I seen you are not campaigning, but your story caught me. My youngest of five at age two, said the "s**t" word every time she dropped her doll or bottle. I had been driving, when I heard the word for the first time, and thought, nah, she must have been saying something else. Then, more clearly the word came when she dropped her bottle, and I looked in the rearview mirror and explained once it was not a nice word, and realized maybe I'd used it before when I dropped things, and realized how much they watch what we do. I swore that day, I would never swear again. Hehehe. She never used the word again, nor did I.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! I AM doing the Challenge, but the A to Z main board has a link that is bringing everyone here to this post...

      Honestly, this type of situation sure is an ugly mirror, isn't it?

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  20. Oops, correction here. I see you are, not I seen (typo)

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  21. Even though I'm sure you were (and still are) mortified over the incident, I don't think the aid is going to hold it against you. Stuff like that happens all the time.

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  22. Kids are something else, especially boys. Our younger son, who now has a houseful of his own kids, had a very sweet angelic face when he was a child. Y'know, the whole fat rosy cheeks, blond hair, and big blue eyes look. But I'll never forget the day when he was in first grade and hopped off the bus and walked across the yard toward me with a big cute-as-a-button smile on his angelic face ... and promptly flipped me a bird.

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  23. Hi, Just stopping by on my way through a to z travel. Bless your heart and those of your children. I know the s word quite well. That was my daddy's byword and so became ours as well. Funny the things that parents will pass along, isn't it? Ha. When my youngest brother was in first grade, he wanted chocolate milk with his lunch instead of white, but because it wasn't Friday, the teacher wouldn't let him have it. So he promptly called her a S*** A** and kicked her in the shins. He walked home and announced that he had "Twit School". Of course, he didn't get away with it. Best wishes to you. Ruby aka Grammy

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  24. That's a fun story, but like some other commenters have said, I'm sure that she's heard kids say worse. Don't stress it too much :)

    ~ Rhonda Parrish

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