Happy Valentines Day

I am giving thanks on this Valentines Day.

Yesterday... Yesterday my girl was in a bit of trouble. Not the kind where she was misbehaving but the kind where she could have gotten seriously hurt or worse.

Typically she goes to the after care program at her school. When we have had to deviate from that we send in a note to her teacher telling her to take the bus. And on 2 occasions to send her as a walker and we were there to pick her up. Soon she will be taking the bus home every day since my husband's hours are changing so we have been having her take the bus more often lately to help get her used to finding it on her own since they no longer have the older kids or a teacher helping them find the right bus.

Yesterday she was to go to latchkey after school and we would pick her up after work. We were both at work when school let out.

Next thing I know I have the school calling me. I thought they were going to tell me she wasn't feeling well since the sickness will not leave our house. I am sick again (which makes it pretty much constant since Christmas), my husband is sick so I really thought that is why they were calling me.

It wasn't that reason. Belle got on the bus yesterday and went home but nobody was there. She was all alone in the world. The high temperature yesterday was around 30 degrees.

Thank God for my neighbor across the street. Her son also takes the same bus and as she was watching him get off the bus and walk from the corner she noticed we were not there but Belle was. She saw her go to our back yard and then start walking down the driveway crying. Just typing this still brings tears to my eyes. She had her come to her house and then she called the school to get ahold of me to let me know what was going on. She is the PTA vice president so the school principal knows her well but all she had was my home phone number. After I talked to the principal I called my neighbor and thanked her profusely. I talked to Belle and told her that daddy was on his way to get her. He works closer to home than I do. She was ok by this point.

Needless to say I took my neighbor some flowers last night for resueing my girl. I keep replaying what could have happened had she either been left outside for at least 30-40 minutes or worse if a predator saw this young girl (she is only 6) outside her house with no adults around.

I am a bit upset with the teacher that she let her get on the bus without a note from us. I am going to address this with the school but I haven't quite figured out how I want to do it. I will be there later for Belle's valentines party so we will see.

Thank you, God, you kept my Belle safe! Thank you!

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For some fun news these are the cards we sent to family this year from Belle for Valentines Day.

And these are the valentine treat bags we filled with large and small conversation hearts for her to pass out to all her friends in her class.