Last Day to Play, First Day of School.

To celebrate our last play day of the summer my family and I went to Riverfront Park on Labor Day. We had season passes to all the rides and fun at Riverfront Park. So we spent the day getting our last fill of dizzying fun.

Bumping around in the bumper boats.

And although it smelt delicious and was very tempting, we did not, "Pig Out in the Park." Had it been my choice - I would have sampled and sampled until I literally burst. But as it was my husband's choice - we did 5 hamburgers for $3.99 at Arctic Circle.

My kids were very excited for school. It is always fun to have new stuff!!! New backpacks, new pencils, new shoes, new clothes, etc. I had also hyped them up all summer about going to their new school (which is really a very old school), Adams.

Halle and Chad ready for the first day of school.

I had planned on driving them to school the first day. But they both insisted on taking the bus. After the bus finally arrived (at the new and more inconvenient bus stop) and the children were on board (9:05 am - and they still had to drive to the school) I quickly ran to my van and drove to the school as fast as I could in hopes of catching my kids off the bus.

Chad and Halle with their bus stop buddies.

I beat the bus, but by the time I found parking and then walked the half mile to the school my kids had already found their way to their classrooms inside the building.

I was still a little nervous about sending my kids to Adams. But after meeting with both of their teachers the Friday before and seeing how well organized they both were the first day of school I felt a little more comfortable. In fact each day I have been more and more impressed with Adams over Lincoln Heights.

Halle, absolutely thrilled to be in kindergarten!

Chad, sculpting his name from clay.

Now the busing is another story. As I already mentioned the bus was way late in picking up the kids for school the first day and the second day. Today it was only 5 minutes late and my children made it to school before everyone else had already lined up and gone in.

The first day Halle took the bus home, I was already nervous enough for her. But when she was an hour and a half late in getting home I was about in tears. The school kept reassuring me that she was on her way - but it sure took a long time. I was positive that she was probably crying and never wanting to take the bus or go to school again. But when she got off the bus she was as happy as could be. She was just so excited to go to school and have a bus ride!!!!

The irony of the busing story is that they changed our neighborhood's school boundaries to help save money in transportation costs in a domino effect with closing down Pratt Elementary. Well, the bus that brought Halle home is the Lincoln Heights Bus!!!!!!!! The bus comes all the way from Lincoln Heights (after collecting their children) to pick up Halle and then drops her off home and then takes the rest of the children home. Can you say Lame?! Stupid?! Does anyone in the transportation office have a brain?

And then today, after Chad's bus was 20 minutes late again in dropping him off home, my neighbor called to say that her son had forgot to go to express and would I please collect him from the bus stop, drive him back to the school, and check him into express. I was glad I could help out - but thought it was funny that here I had just waited 40 minutes for my son to come home and then I ended up driving back to the school anyway.

Last year I loved the bus. This year, I am not so sure yet.

I'm just glad my kids are enjoying school. It has been fun to have just Sean around with me in the mornings. But at the same time I can't wait for preschool to start! Don't try calling me or dropping by M,T, or F mornings! I will be savoring my peace and quiet!!!!! (Just kidding - I won't know what to do with myself!)

Sean keeping himself entertained during our 1 1/2 hour wait for Halle.

I never did end up getting a photo of either Chad or Halle getting on or off the bus. I was always so flustered and worried, that taking a picture was the last thing on my mind.