On The Bus

  
     On Saturday, Leif and I (and Ike) went on a date.  We wanted to take advantage of the nice weather and go downtown one last time before all of the fountains are shut off (actually, the main on already was!) and the flowers die.  It was such a lovely day.  Since our apartment is by the end of a bus route, it makes it easy to get on a big bus with the stroller before it gets super-crowded.  Ike slept soooo long.  He knew we wanted some kid-free time to talk!

     The main vehicles we ride on are called micro-buses.  They are little buses or large vans.  I took this picture so I wouldn't forget this story.  The lady standing up but kind of hunched down in the far middle was changing seats with someone who wasn't afraid of the draft.  It was actually very warm on the micro bus, with all of the bodies inside, but many people here think that open windows will make you sick.  More specifically, they think that drafts will make a certain part of your body sick, like your neck or your back.  I even have some foreign friends that now believe this is true, too.  I'm not quite there yet.  But anyway, this lady had her sweater up all the way over her head and asked the driver to close his window.  And then she asked a teenage boy if he was afraid of the draft and would trade her seats.    People also think that drafts are very bad for babies.  Thankfully, our babies like some wind.   I tell people that they are "tempered" and it seems to be an okay answer.

     On Sunday, Leif had to go to church early to help ask questions of a lady who has decided to get baptized.  This meant that I took all three kids on the bus by myself!  He offered to take one of the kids with him, but I thought that might be too much for any of them to be there an extra hour.  And it was an adventure.  It all went pretty well at first.  We got on the end of the route, and I decided to pay for three seats because I had the baby, the big diaper bag (full of snacks and things to do during the service in addition to changes of clothes and diapers), the stroller (for easier sleeping for Ike once we were there), and the too girls.  Normally kids under 7 are free if they don't take up a seat.  But I knew everyone wouldn't fit on my lap!  Very quickly the bus filled up and was standing room only.  A lady asked me if Anneka could be on my lap.  That was kind of a trick, but we managed (and paid for just 2 people then)... but when we got to our stop, the van was so crowded that it was a squeezing challenge to all get off.  Anneka paid the driver, while I grabbed all of the stuff and waited for Ella with my arms out.  But Ella wanted to stay on the bus!  At first I thought she was just afraid of the lady who was trying to help her, but no, she didn't want off that bus for anything.  By then, Leif had come to meet us at the bus stop and I had to get back on and grab a kicking and screaming Ella off of the bus.  I'm sure we were some show!  It took about 10 minutes for her to calm down.  I wonder how long she would have been happy all alone on that bus?  Funny girl.