School Bus Chronicles - Random Rambles
These are a collection of moments and short stories that happened on the School Bus...
1.) Student:" Ms.Anja, you and your daughter could seriously be twins!" Me:" Thanks for telling me I'm still that young-looking with the tinsel in my hair" Student:" I don't see no tinsel but yeah, she looks just like you"... #greyhairdontcare
2. )This happened on the HS run, the radio on the bus was going wild, just one of those days. Student:" Yo Ms. Anja, if I'm on a different bus, I will get on that radio and say really loud GOOD MORNING MISS ANJA!" Me: "So what you are saying is that you want a different driver!! Since you can't just get on a different bus! If that's what you want, I can make that happen and just be moved! " Student:" OH HELL NO Ms. Anja!!! Don't you dare leave us because if you do that, I will bring EVERYONE to your house and we will make you come back and drive us again!!!" ... All the reasons I love my kids!!
3. ) Talking to one of my High School Students about random things one day, he stops mid-sentence and says "Ms. Anja, when I get married, you have to come. I mean it seriously, you have to be there!! If I get married somewhere else but here, I promise you, I will buy you a ticket so you can come and be there! Will you do that for me?!
-- How can anyone say "no" to that??? I promise and put it in writing right here, right now, you send me an invitation, I WILL BE THERE!!
4.) a little longer... I pulled my bus over one day because kids were acting up on the bus. We set for a few minutes while I was trying to see if they would realize that we are dead stopped and would maybe pay attention without me screaming at them. No reaction after about 3 minutes. So I started to yell a little, just got their attention, when I see through the back door that a cop pulled over right behind me. The Police Officer was amazing!! Came up to the door, asked if everything was ok and when I told him that they were acting up, he asked if he should give it a whirl. I appreciated his efforts and he jumped right on and gave them the spiel of why it is important to stay seated etc. Two days after that. 2 of my little girls asked me "Ms. Onion, what did you do that the cop pulled us over??" ... yeah, I guess they already had forgotten what he said!! A Huge shout-out and THANK YOU to Officer B. who stopped and tried. He had me smiling the rest of the day with a comment he made. "it's almost over ;) remember at the end of the day, there is a cold beer!" God bless his heart!! #reasonsformygreyhair
5.) I was leaving the yard one day and out of the blue something starting flapping around me... The day I caught the bird on the bus... Birdie took a little ride with me until I could safely open my windows and doors, and let Birdie fly freely ;)
6.) I was covering a Pre-School run for 2 days recently. The second day, one of the kids was a little chatterbox, counted the humps we drove over, talked about who is next to get off the bus, and gave me directions. Even so, the directions went something like "you go straight here" to "you turn THIS way here" the best part was when the little voice, loaded with a bunch of attitude chimes in from behind me, telling me "You Gotta Back That Bus Up Right Here!!!" I had to hold everything together from busting out laughing. We talked about a few other things and it just amazed me how well this student knew the run at 4 years of age!! I truly enjoyed driving these tinys and hope that when the need arises again, I get the pleasure of driving them again!!
7.) The day they told us that the school district decided to let the kids be without masks on the school bus was AWESOME! I finally get to see the smiles again I was missing, I get to see the gaps where teeth have fallen out. It's the little things that make all the difference and make you happy!!
8.) I hope you are ready to shed a tear or maybe two. We're a week away from the End of the School Year and one of my boys who is moving on to a different school due to the township having Grade Level Schools comes on the bus this morning with the most amazing Summer Gift Basket for me. Yup, this Bus driver was crying but what got me, even more, is the most amazing card he wrote for me! I will share a photo of it with you. If this doesn't touch your heart, then I don't know what will. For the past 2 years (pandemic chaos included) I had the honor and privilege to drive these kids and this, oh my heart! I'm just going to miss them!! This was the first one and I didn't realize how many more would follow. Each and every one of them had me in tears and I will save them, hold them close to my heart! #TheBestBusKids #IWillMissThemDearly
9.) I was listening to a conversation that went on behind me for a while. One of the discussions was if a certain person on the bus stop was someone's dad, or the boyfriend of a mom if someone else was a sibling or not when out of nowhere I heard this surprised, outburst ton of voice of "Ms. Onion isn't married!!" The back and forth went on for a little longer and it ended with the First Grader explaining to the entire bus, that her teacher told her that you refer to someone as "Ms." when they aren't married and "Mrs." when they are married! #familiescomeinallshapesandsizes #MsorMrswhocares
12.) The sudden shutdown last year, left me hanging, and I cried a lot during the time because I missed my kids so dearly. What makes me feel like a million dollars and more, coming up to a bus stop that I had last year too and a little guy who stands at the corner, or comes running to the corner as soon as he realizes it is me in that big yellow limousine, waving and yelling at me, "I miss you!! So much!", it melts my heart each time. I always hope I make a positive impression on the kids, leave a mark on this world somehow, and seeing, hearing this, just shows that we all can leave a mark on this world in one small way.
13.) There was some commotion going on on the bus with the little ones and all I heard was something about kissing. I stopped this by saying silly things like "No smooching on the bus" , "No sharing cooties either" and it got the kids laughing hysterically. They explained they weren't going to smooch, just kiss. This went on for a little while when the children song hit me where you spell out the word "kissing" so I said to the kids, "is it sitting in the tree and kissing or is it kissing the tree, I can't remember because you haven't sung that song in a while" Again, there is laughter and I get the "IT'S KISSING IN THE TREE!!!" After I asked them how is this going again? (meaning the song) they totally misunderstood what I meant and I had about 27 Elementary Students making kissing sounds at me HAHAHAHA. Once it was cleared up and they actually sang the song for me, it didn't end the way it used to with the " then comes baby in the baby carriage" but they added another rhyme to it which had me completely speechless. "That's not it, that's not all, the baby is drinking alcohol!!!" .... Remind me to never bring the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G song" up again!!! #SAYWHAT
14.) Preparing for "See you later" ...
It's the last week before summer break and I have been talking to my -in trouble seat or "hot seat" kids about what they will do this summer and what will come in September. Funny enough, I currently have First Graders sitting in the "hot seat" and I've told them that come September, they will have a new Bus Driver. They have been ok with that, probably hoping to be out of the "Hot Seat" forever but I told them too how difficult it is for me to see them go. It truly is because many of them, I have been driving for 2 years, and seeing them leave is pulling on my heartstrings. From the first day, these kids have boarded my bus, they have become "my" kids and I love them all dearly. To think I will not see them again is just completely messing with my heartstrings!!
In preparation for this occasion, I have little gifts for all my kids, working on a way to decorate the school bus and make the last day as fun as possible. The gifts for my First Graders are personalized and a little more special because I have to say "see you later" and I always want them to remember a few things. They are cups, with their names on them and it comes with a card that explains what each item stands for but there will also be a letter to each of them and their parents. For some, I will be sharing "School Bus Chronicle Rambles" of their kids because I do have stories ;) I hope the kids and parents will enjoy the little antics from their kids and get a laugh out of it and maybe they will keep the content of the cup or the card that goes along with it all.
The Items inside and their explanation are :
Marker: To remind you to leave a mark wherever you go.
Pencil: To remind you that there are still many things to learn.
Chocolate Hug: (Thank You Hershey LOL ) To remind you that you are loved
Penny: To remind you that your thoughts are important- share them.
Eraser: To remind you that it's alright to make mistakes.
Rubber Band: To remind you to be flexible.
Smarties: To remind you that you are a smartie.
Bubble Gum: To remind you to stuck with it and you can accomplish anything.
Star Post It Notes: To remind you to shine and always try your best.
Smily Face Sticker: To remind you to keep smiling.
3 days to go :(
I decided to hand out the gifts early because come Friday, it will be a crazy day! Some kids may not be there on Friday anymore because they leave early for vacation. So I decided, today had to be the day and send my little ones off with their gifts. When I explained to them, that some would get one thing while others would get something else because it's something I do, I started an avalanche for one without even thinking about it. This little one, as she is leaving my bus, got so emotional, that she started crying as we got to her stop and kept on crying. It truly ripped me to shreds and as I was pulling away, the tears rushed to my eyes and ran down my face. I will be a boohooing mess the next 2 days too...
The Last Day of 2020-2021...
And I was boohooing for the following two days because I got the sweetest notes from my kids! From little ones and Big ones too! The little one, that stopped at my seat before leaving, asking me to please wait for just a moment so he could get me my gift and let me tell you, that little note, he had written to me, made me feel like a million dollars and more. The excitement, and the importance in his eyes, the pure joy, just made my heart melt.
The 7th grader, who just a day prior made me cry the biggest ugliest crocodile tears over a letter she wrote me, as she is leaving the bus for the last time, stops to give me a hug because she cares... It took everything out of me this last day, to not cry during my HS run, my MS run, and my OV run because at every stop, there would be a child walking off my bus for the very last time and a piece of my heart, went along with all of them.
To my parents, I hope you know how wonderful your children are and how very grateful this Bus Driver is for all of you!! Thank You for trusting me with your most precious cargo, Thank You for sharing them with me! Thank You for letting me learn from them and grow alongside them. For the kindness, you always shared, for not being super angry when I didn't get there by a certain time, and for understanding that their safety was always my biggest priority. Listen to your kids and talk to them often about anything. They are incredible humans and they have "insides" we often may not see or forget about. I have the best conversations with my students! From those that ask a lot of questions, to those that have great explanations for anything, we talk about anything and everything and they always leave with me feeling a little smarter, a little more educated ;) They truly are great!! I love your kids like they are my own and my heart broke when I saw them walk away - one last time. I wish I would have had a little more time, for one more story, for one more question, for one more explanation, for one more "how to solve the problems of the world" conversation but my time with them has sadly come to an end. I'll always think of them fondly, I will always look at the stop and see if I spot one or the other and I will always love and miss them. Thank You for everything. Please enjoy all the moments this summer, because the moments you share with them will become the memories that will last a lifetime for all of you! Continue to be incredible parents and be proud of your accomplishments because being a parent is the toughest job in this world and you, my dear parents, YOU ARE ROCKSTARS! #AlwaysAnEagle #MsOnion #BusDriverLife #Bus2108 #HS14MS15OV6
