Bus Trauma

So, yesterday was a bit of a ringer, and the fact that it was a Monday really didn't help.

First things first, Goober missed the bus. I admit it was partially my fault, but I'll also say the bus came early (I later found out that it had a substitute driver, so that was probably why). Anywho, I had to wake up his siblings and bundle everyone up to load in the van to drive him the 2 minutes to school. I'm so glad that Missy didn't choose to be an uber grump like she often is when I wake her up in the mornings. If the path between home and school didn't involve a 50 mph road that needed to be crossed I would have made him walk. But alas, this is why they even HAVE a bus route near our house.

The time between going to school and coming home was exhausting. Not because the kids were all that bad, but because it's that time of the month. Best. Time. Ever. I'm exhausted and my Christmas shopping isn't done yet!

Goobers school day was a short day, due to something about teachers needing time to work during school hours or something. Not entirely sure actually. Happens once a month and seems kinda odd. They never did it when I was a kid, but HEY! they have changed a lot since I was a kid. School providing breakfast is one of them.

So about the time Goober is supposed to be getting home I hear the bus and watch for him to get off. EB is napping, I just put him down no more than a half hour ago.

Goober doesn't get off the bus.

So I sigh, cause I'm tired, and go to the phone to call the school. No sooner do I get a message left on the schools machine than Goober walks in the door. ?? He tells me he "tricked" the bus driver into thinking he wasn't there when it was his turn to get off. Ahhh! Thank GOODNESS he let them know he was there soon enough they could stop and let him off near enough to home that it wasn't a problem.

I got after him, because he has been hiding and such from adults quite often to "trick" them and it worries the SNOT out of me. He hides from his dad every night when he hears the garage door go up signaling he is home. Jer doesn't even acknowledge it anymore because it is so standard. I've told Goober that it's not fun when he does it every night, that one of these times Goober is going to get upset cause dad doesn't look for him. He hides from me at his grandparents house (at the most inopportune times), and now apparently he has taken to hiding from the bus driver.
How do you explain to a six year old that in most cases, hiding from adults is not an intelligent thing to do? Unless of course it is someone that is trying to hurt them. It mostly just irritates adults, it's not fun.

After all of that, I realize he isn't wearing his backpack. I ask him where it is...

It's on the bus.