Today I honor Elizabeth Graham and Donna Gayle Higgins.
They have helped mold my heart and soul.
They believed in me when I felt no one did.
Their laughter brings laughter to me.
Their happiness gives me joy.
The one thing they couldn't begin to explain, I had to experience on my own;
the love I'd have in being a Mom.
My children have molded my heart and soul
I believe in them when they think no one else does.
Their laughter brings laughter to me.
Their happiness gives me great joy.
The one thing I couldn't begin to explain is
the love you have for your children and what an honor it is to be a Mother.
all flowers can become a bouquet ~ JULIE HIGGINS
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Bus Ride
I carpool to and from school with two of my girlfriends. Our motto is, "No kid left behind", although it has happened. During the school year all three of us have had "family issues" affecting our carpool schedule. Cynthia and I both work from home while Jane, who is a stay at home mom, volunteers enough to equal anyone's busy schedule. Recently we had to revamp our carpool schedule to get us through school year. I attempted, even began putting it on an excel spreadsheet, to readjust our driving duties. Interrupted by numerous calls, appointments, school and family activities, I failed to get it completed. Gratefully I passed it off to Jane to figure out. Within a couple of days, Jane returned back to us the sheet of paper with new driving schedules and at the bottom of the paper the formula in how she determined who was driving when. It looked fine to me so I called Cynthia to see if it looked alright to her. She didn't quite like it and as we hung up we decided we'd just keep our old schedule. Soon my husband arrived home, I showed him the schedule and told him about my conversation with Cynthia. He said, "This is a great schedule and you should call her back to see if she understands she drives less."
My first random thought was; I am spending so much time on this blasted carpool schedule...to...there are starving people in the world and we are concerned about this crazy carpool schedule. URG! Then a revelation came to me, THE BUS. Lets just put the kids on the bus. The kids will be last on the bus on the way to school and first off on the way home. Quickly I called Cynthia and Jane, they were in agreement. The following day I called the bus barn to schedule a bus pickup for the children. Done, they're scheduled. Yippee!
The next morning Gracie and I had our usual morning: coffee, breakfast, devotion and a quick game of Yahtzee. We got all of our stuff ready for the jaunt down our 1/3 mile driveway to catch the bus. I could tell Gracie was feeling some butterflies about riding the bus for the first time.
I remember my bus driver, Randy Johnson. He was so strong he picked up a car blocking the road which was stuck in the snow and moved it out of the way. All the kids had their faces smashed up against the window ooing and awwing. All the girls on the bus thought he was the most handsome thing they'd ever seen. As Randy drove our bus down the road, periodically looking up in his mirror to check on the kids, he'd have about 10 seats FULL of girls smiling dreamingly and waving back at him. He would flash a grin and keep on driving. Since all the seats up front were taken by the others girls, I had to sit in the back of the bus by that mean "Barry" boy. I threatened Barry every inch of his life that if he ever laid a hand on me I would clean his clock. With my teeth grit together I would say, "Barry you get near me and I'll clean your clock". I guess I made a believer out of him because he never bothered me, although down deep inside I wasn't sure if I could clean his clock.
Unsure of the exact arrival time of the bus, Gracie and I were ten minutes early which gave us time to talk about which seat she was going to chose. She decided she'd just sit in the front close to the door. Good choice! Soon the bus arrived and since it was the first time for it to stop at our driveway, all the kids stood as if they were giving Gracie a standing ovation for getting on the bus. Gracie's bus driver is a sweet Grandpa, Mr. Jim. The bus stayed still until Gracie chose her seat...at the back of the bus. I slowly turned around trying not to look obvious, but wanting to see Gracie. The bus STOP sign was pulled in and the bus slowly took off. With a smile on her face as big as the United States, there Gracie was waving goodbye from the back of the bus.
I hope Gracie's bus experience is as memorable as mine was and if she does meet a "Barry" boy I know what our next discussion will be as we travel down the driveway to meet the bus.
My first random thought was; I am spending so much time on this blasted carpool schedule...to...there are starving people in the world and we are concerned about this crazy carpool schedule. URG! Then a revelation came to me, THE BUS. Lets just put the kids on the bus. The kids will be last on the bus on the way to school and first off on the way home. Quickly I called Cynthia and Jane, they were in agreement. The following day I called the bus barn to schedule a bus pickup for the children. Done, they're scheduled. Yippee!
The next morning Gracie and I had our usual morning: coffee, breakfast, devotion and a quick game of Yahtzee. We got all of our stuff ready for the jaunt down our 1/3 mile driveway to catch the bus. I could tell Gracie was feeling some butterflies about riding the bus for the first time.
I remember my bus driver, Randy Johnson. He was so strong he picked up a car blocking the road which was stuck in the snow and moved it out of the way. All the kids had their faces smashed up against the window ooing and awwing. All the girls on the bus thought he was the most handsome thing they'd ever seen. As Randy drove our bus down the road, periodically looking up in his mirror to check on the kids, he'd have about 10 seats FULL of girls smiling dreamingly and waving back at him. He would flash a grin and keep on driving. Since all the seats up front were taken by the others girls, I had to sit in the back of the bus by that mean "Barry" boy. I threatened Barry every inch of his life that if he ever laid a hand on me I would clean his clock. With my teeth grit together I would say, "Barry you get near me and I'll clean your clock". I guess I made a believer out of him because he never bothered me, although down deep inside I wasn't sure if I could clean his clock.
Unsure of the exact arrival time of the bus, Gracie and I were ten minutes early which gave us time to talk about which seat she was going to chose. She decided she'd just sit in the front close to the door. Good choice! Soon the bus arrived and since it was the first time for it to stop at our driveway, all the kids stood as if they were giving Gracie a standing ovation for getting on the bus. Gracie's bus driver is a sweet Grandpa, Mr. Jim. The bus stayed still until Gracie chose her seat...at the back of the bus. I slowly turned around trying not to look obvious, but wanting to see Gracie. The bus STOP sign was pulled in and the bus slowly took off. With a smile on her face as big as the United States, there Gracie was waving goodbye from the back of the bus.
I hope Gracie's bus experience is as memorable as mine was and if she does meet a "Barry" boy I know what our next discussion will be as we travel down the driveway to meet the bus.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)