School Bus Etiquette

Perhaps I romanticized riding the bus. I remember listening to the radio on the bus, my driver liked it loud and he played the top 40 station. I remember it quite fondly the newest Duran Duran song blaring as I tried to snag my favorite seat all the way in the back where the littlest bump would send you flying 4" above the seat. Maybe the music was not even that loud but it was louder than either of my parents ever played it in the car and more importantly it was no station any other adult I knew would play. Perhaps I do not have all the facts straight seeing as I only rode the bus from Kindergarten through the third grade, so here is the reality of the bus as seen through the eyes of another 5 year old. On Monday as Ella stepped off the bus I asked my usual "how was your day?" the answer was not what I expected, mommy some one peed on the bus. Oh really, how do you know? Well there was "water" running under my feet. So we talked about how they must have really had to go to the bathroom and how it was too bad because they were probably embarrassed, she agreed so then we talked about how it was not the end of the world and what she could do if she was ever in that situation. Then today when Ella got off the bus she exclaimed guess what mommy and I asked what to which she responded "well I did not really mean to say guess what, but guess what?" How about you just tell me I nudged, well some of the boys on the bus were telling mama jokes. Mama jokes? Yeah, big mama jokes. So tell me a big mama joke Ella (I was not sure what was coming but I should have known) well one boy told another boy his mama was so big that people tripped on her booty. I burst out laughing and it was not even a good joke but something about her repeating this information was funny. After funny passed came the realization that this is just a fraction of the things she will overhear on the bus, this could be a very interesting year.