How do I make a long story short... I really can't...
I've been MIA from the boards because of a situation here at home. On Monday night Mikayla our 7 year old went missing for 37 minutes.
She stayed after school for a sign language class. She took the late bus home, this was the first time, at 4:20. Her normal bus picks her up and drops her off at my Mother's house because of our work schedules and where we live. We live on a dirt road in the country. My husband and I waited at her bus stop at 4:20, no bus. 4:30 no bus. 4:40 no bus, at this point I called the school, no answer. 4:50 no bus, again I called the school. My husband and I are really worried, but figure it's a new bus run with kids living all over town. DH wanted to go to school to check, but I said why bother, she's on the bus somewhere.
At 5:07 my phone rings, it's the school wondering if Mikayla got home safely. I screamed into the phone no, she's not here. I know my heart stopped beating. I was put on hold then the woman came back and told me she was dropped off in the next town (where we live) on the county highway 35 minutes ago. DH and I jump in the truck and fly home, it's only 1.2 miles. It's pitch black we have the windows down calling Mikayla's name. I'm still on the phone with the school, while they call the police for a missing child, then we get cut off. DH and I reached the location where Mikayla was left off and she is not there, oh god. We turn up our road, I'm crying to my husband go slow she might be on the road or in the fields and we don't want to hit her. At the top of the hill we could see our house with a light on. We jumped out and ran inside... there she was sitting on the floor crying holding her puppy safe and sound.
Police were called, schools, bus drivers, state officials, etc... Turns out the school gave her a bus pass to the wrong address. When the bus stopped, she told the driver I don't live here. He said your pass says you do. She said no, I go to my grandma's house. He said, too bad, your pass says you live here, get off the bus that's my job. She told us she started crying and ran off the bus. My 7 year old managed to cross a busy county highway alone in the dark, walk up a country road in the pitch black, found a neighbor but they weren't home, continue walking to our house, used the spare key to let herself in. From start to finish she was alone for 37 minutes. The only way anyone knew where she was, was when the bus driver had second thoughts over leaving a small child and called the garage to have someone check on her.
I can not tell you the **** storm I opened on that school Tuesday morning. I was there at 7:30 in the morning for 3 hours of meetings, reports and of course firings, Merry Christmas jerk!!!!!!! Lucky for us this ended well, but because of us the state is now requiring our district to rewrite it's entire busing policy. We did get Mikayla into to see a therapist because she's having a difficult time, but who can blame her.
It really needs to snow to feel more like Christmas.
Have one for us. Also, if you can check your PM I need to ask you to get me something.
Janeanne
I freaked out yesterday when I left my daughter in the driveway for a minute yesterday and I walked back out and she wasn't there. She had walked to the front of the house and I couldn't see her. It took about a minute and I felt like it was hours. So, I can't even begin to imagine how you felt. I'm so glad she is safe. 
