So the grandmas will put me back into the will

The kids are no longer riding the bus home from school.

I know that in most parts of the country, the bus is a perfectly acceptable mode of transportation to and from school. In fact, I did absolutely no research on the topic, and I'd venture to guess that most students in America ride the bus at some point in their school career.

Except me...I never rode the bus. My mom or dad dropped me off and picked me up from school every day until I was old enough to drive myself.

There were only a few exceptions. In 5th grade (or 4th grade, or was it 6th?), our class did a bicycle safety unit in PE. We were supposed to ride our bikes to school that week so we could practice all the rules on our own bikes. After much begging and pleading and gnashing of teeth, we finally settled on a compromise my parents could live with, and I got to ride my bike to school that week...with my mom following slowly behind me in the car. And we had to leave the house really early, and wait around at school and leave for home really late so the traffic wouldn't be so bad.

The other exception I can think of is that one time in high school. I refer to it as "The Day My Momma Made A Believer Outta' My Sorry Teenage Self". I was so absorbed in back-combing my bangs that I ignored her threats to leave and make me walk to school if I didn't hurry up. When I emerged from the fog of hairspray, I realized I was alone in the house and that she and my brother were not just sitting in the car in the garage patiently waiting on me to finish getting ready. They actually left without me.

I started walking to school, and met my mom a few blocks down the street as she was on her way home from dropping off my brother. She caved and pulled over and drove me the rest of the way to school. But I was tardy.

I'm pretty sure the only reason she caved was because she knew the guilt would kill her. In my world, kids walked or rode the bus because they had to. They were the kids that didn't have an adult around at school time to drive them.

All of my school years, and most of my brother's, my mom was a SAHM. And in her opinion, part of that title was the school drop off and pick up. I liked it. I liked having my mom home after school. I liked trying to talk her in to taking us to the convenience store to get a coke and candy bar after school. I liked getting home as soon as school let out so I could watch re-runs of Saved By the Bell.

And now I'm the SAHM. And I think part of my duties include the school drop off and pick up. And it was pretty much the guilt that kept me from giving in when the kids begged to ride the bus home from school.

Most of the kids on our street ride the bus home. We go to church with the bus driver. Bubba is one of the oldest kids on the bus, it's an elementary only route. Why not let them ride when it's about as safe as it's ever going to get?

And so I caved. And they excitedly rode the bus home for 2 months.

And then the adventure was over. It wasn't fun anymore, the sparkle was gone. They missed talking me in to stopping at Sonic for a drink. They missed the TV time while they ate their snacks.

And so, Gran and Grandma, you'll be happy to know that your precious grandbabies are no longer being subjected to the bus. I'm not shirking my duties any more. I'm being a good mom.

You can call your lawyer and have him put me back into the will.