Subtle, isn't he?

Ethan's not so thrilled with riding the school bus anymore. It's hot. It's noisey, and there is lots of chaos...which typically sends him over the edge. So, he's been wanting me to take him to school and pick him up. I really don't mind taking him, but I just cannot pick him up every day! I'm usually trying to work and lose track of time, then I'm late, then I have to go park and get him out of the office.... He has a VERY short ride home, and, in accordance with his 504 and IEP, he has his own seat right behind the bus driver, which, if he would just sit there and not worry about everyone else, would greatly reduce the amount of time and energy he would normally have to expend dealing with the other kids. He CAN do it...he just doesn't WANT to.

When just asking and begging me to pick him up didn't work, he stepped up his plan to get off the bus. Stepped it up so much in fact, that he was suspended from the bus. Well, like I told the Vice Principal and Steven...he got just what he wanted because guess who had to take him and pick him up in the car!

So...I sat him down and we had a little talk. He could either sit down in his seat, face straight ahead and not worry about what the other kids were doing and enjoy his bus ride home, OR, I would WALK him to school-which he really doesn't want to do-and, not only would we just be walking, but, because of other ways in which he and Claire have been acting out (fighting, biting, RUNNING OUT INTO THE STREET IN FRONT OF CARS AND BUSES, and I cannot keep them both safe when I am by myself) I would be walking them on leashes. Which was a great idea Mom gave me! ;) We even bought 2 leashes I can hook onto a belt loop on their jeans/shorts, and told him I would walk him right up to the front door of the school, not removing the leash until then to ensure his safety.

He is NOT happy with that idea.

Claire thinks it's about the best thing she's ever heard...we can play "puppies"!!

The threat is working so far...no complaints since 'The Talk'. But he's not giving up that easy, no sir! He drew this picture at school yesterday and gave it to me when he got home. He didn't even talk about it...just a "Hey, this is what I did today", kind of thing.



"I want to be a car rider." Ethan-Oct. 2006

This was one of those times when I hope he didn't see that I was "-" close to busting out laughing before I had to start thinking about baseball or something to take my mind off of it! lol! It's definitely a keeper! I think I'll frame it and hang it in my office.