Things You Probably Don't Think About, But We Have To, 1:

Every school day, we wait outside for the bus. We go outside at exactly the same time, or as close to it as we can. Mr Bunches positions himself in a spot about 2/3 of the way down the driveway: this is where he can see just over the bushes in our yard to the top of the hill, where he can first see the bus when it turns the corner.

This is important to Mr Bunches. He has nightmares sometimes of missing the bus. He actually wakes up crying every so often, telling us that he dreamed he missed the bus. Even if we tell him that won't happen, that the bus driver would wait for him, it doesn't help him.

So he stands every morning watching for the bus so he can make sure he doesn't miss it.

Except this morning.

This morning, the neighbors had a truck parked in their driveway:

"I can't see the bus," Mr Bunches reported.

I suggested he move a little closer to the road, but the road is "dangerous."

In the end, I had to stand at the end of the driveway, between him and the road, to keep a watch for the bus.

So that he wouldn't miss it.