3 streets and one lost kid.

My youngest little man, A, goes to "summer school". Essentially, he goes to the day care everyday, receives OT two times a week and gets "academic instruction" once a week.

I HATE THE DAY CARE! If for no other reason than he calls it "day care". For him it is NOT day care, it is school (but the school didn't have any other program, so they made this work). I hate that he tells people he goes to day care...I am a stay-at-home mom (and massage therapist) - there is NO need for him to be in "day care" - my days are scheduled around theirs..

The school department transports him back and forth to the "day care" Tuesday through Friday. Thursday and Friday I got into work for a few hours and the boys stay with a baby sitter. She is wonderful and great with them.

Thursday afternoon, while I am working, I get a near frantic call from C (the baby sitter) that A has not gotten off the bus yet and could I call her and let her know what is going on. The call came in at 1:30...he leaves school at 12:30...we live 3 streets over.

I panicked.

Immediately I called the school, they put him on the bus and couldn't understand why he wasn't there yet. They called the transportation department who told me he was in another town (about 15 miles away), they didn't know why but he would be home shortly.

Now, I must say, it didn't happen all that easily. I spent 15 minutes yelling and screaming at people to find out where the hell my son was. The transportation department was wonderful (and are wonderful) but when I called the school (day care) the woman wanted to chat...JUST FIND MY FREAKING KID - I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT - JUST DO IT!! And when I couldn't get through to transportation and called the SAU the woman explained that "these things happen". NOT TO MY KID THEY DON'T!

A showed up at the house at 2pm (no worse for the wear). He had been on the bus for 90 minutes. When I spoke with him on the phone and asked him where he had been he said "I took a nap on the bus". "I was SO worried"..."I'm sorry mommy".

Turns out that the school put A on the bus seat DIRECTLY behind the driver. Being such a little guy he was hard to see in the mirror. He also tends to be very quiet on the bus. The driver forgot about him, went to his last stop, checked the bus and realized that A was still there. A eventually fell asleep somewhere on this journey...where I am not sure.

It was an accident. I understand. The transportation department was wonderful (the SAU could get a few lessons on how to handle a terrified mother) and the driver is beside himself. I've been told that I can take further action if I feel it is necessary. I don't. It was an accident. He followed procedure and checked the bus and found my son. He made a mistake by forgetting him.

How he forgot about my son that lives 3 streets from the school is BEYOND me. But I rest assured that he will never forget him again.

The transportation director has no excuses. She is incredibly sorry and worries that A was traumatized (he is not, I assure you).

I may be, however...