Ch-Ch-Changes

So much for the blizzard of 11. Whatever. Anyone who lived through the Blizzard of 78 knows that what we got this week was a snow storm. Just a snow storm. Sure, the surrounding counties were shut down for a day. And technically, this storm met the criteria necessary to be categorized as a blizzard. But...it was a snow storm!

Alyssa was out of school on Tuesday in PREPARATION of the coming storm. I know!!

She was also off yesterday, because, yeah, blizzard.

This morning, her school was delayed for two hours. Why? I really don't know.

But it was delayed, which meant that this morning was the first time EVER she'd have to ride the bus...after a delay. Instead of getting on the bus at 7:18, she would get getting on the bus at 9:18.

And, instead of me walking her to the road to wait for the bus, my mom would do so.

It was DIFFERENT. And Alyssa doesn't handle different well.

At 9:00 this morning, I got a call from my mom. She said Alyssa needed to talk to me.

Now, before I go further, let me say that Alyssa is not a phone person. I'm glad for this and hope it extends into her teens. She isn't one to chat.

So when my mom handed the phone, I could hear sniffling but nothing more. She wouldn't say a word.

My mom took the phone back and said that Alyssa wouldn't tell her what was wrong. She just kept saying that her stomach hurt.

I asked my mom to give Alyssa the phone back and I talked her through the issue.

I asked her what was wrong.

She sniffled, "I don't know. My tummy hurts."

I asked her if she had her lunch.

She did.

I asked if she had her backpack.

She did.

I asked if she'd done her homework.

She had.

Then...I asked if it had something to do with the bus.

She wasn't sure.

I told her she could tell me anything. But that she had to talk to me for me to help her through whatever was bothering her.

She sniffled again. And she finally admitted that she was nervous about riding the bus after a two-hour delay.

I explained that it's EXACTLY like riding the bus at the normal hour. The bus driver would be the same, the kids would be the same, the drop off would be the same. AND!!! She'd still come home at the same time.

Even better still? She'd have lunch just a half hour after getting to school. Score!!

She handed my mom the phone back and I told her the problem. She tried not to laugh out loud and assured me that Alyssa would be fine.

I knew she would. She just had to get through this little change. She's eight. She doesn't like change.

But one thing she'll have to figure out is that life is all about change, even as things stay the same. And change isn't always bad. Heck, this morning's change was kind of cool. TWO-HOUR DELAY!! Wish my work would implement the two-hour delay rule.