Friday, April 12, 2013

Can't be Beat

little kid got beaten up by a 3rd grader on the bus this week, and I have spent the last two days on the phone and in meetings. It has been a roller coaster of emotions and a highly calculated battle on all sides, and I think I've finally got everyone's attention and have learned this ridiculous bureaucratic dance one must do to get anything accomplished. Exhausted does not even begin to describe how I feel right now--it feels like I've been crying for 3 days, and I've been too mad to cry at all.

Because they are also parents, I believe the school administration now realizes I'm a really good parent...but they will also probably be cringing at the sound of our name for a while. I feel bad about that, but not really. I'm confident they'll get it right if there's a next time, though.

Anyway, little kid is mostly fine and his regular, hilarious self. The day after it happened he came home and did jumping jacks and push ups, and stacked his bean bags up to practice punching them as hard as he could, asking me if I thought he hit hard enough to hurt someone. He's getting karate lessons and permission to defend himself however necessary. (Yeah, I'm that mom now.)

Yesterday morning while we were snuggling, he told me that I was so beautiful that someone should build a building that looked just like me.

"Yeah?" I asked, imagining a huge Kim Jong Il-like statue of myself.

"I'd build it myself, but it would be super hard." He offered.

"True." I said.

"It would have to be a pretty small building because you are pretty small and I really don't know how to do that. But if I could, I would. A building of you--that would be awesome."

Hell yeah, it would. How could you not love this child?

Then today he mentioned that he thought his brother would be rich when they grew up.

"I think you could be rich. You have charisma and you're a hard worker. You're good with people. I could see your bubby being some successful creative genius and you making a ton of money off of something more technical. Or politics! You could be the president!" I told him.

He wrinkled his nose. "Why would I want to be the president?"

"You would be famous! And you could change the world."

He looked unimpressed.

"Or you could be a lawyer. Or maybe just a governor or something. Someone who talks a lot would be good."

"Wait, wait!! Who are those guys who boss around the president?"

"Secret service? You'd be a great--"

"No! No! Those other guys...the ones against everything?"

"Do you mean...congress?"

"Yes! I will be a congress." He said triumphantly.

I laughed so hard. Yes. He would be the perfect congressman. God help us all.

Especially this little jerk on the bus.

11 comments:

The Lovely One said...

Oh, no! Isn't he too young to be beaten up? Why did that happen? Where was Big Kid? Did he try to break it up at all? I would be so mad!

Unknown said...

He's only in first grade. He was beaten up because he wouldn't stop talking. :-/ Big Kid was across the bus and didn't realize what was going on until the very end. I'm so pissed--slightly less so now that things are getting done but pissed that this turned into such a big deal when a child being attacked on the bus should be a pretty clear cut situation.

Preppy Pink Crocodile said...

OMG! I can't believe this happened and the bus driver didn't stop it! I can only imagine the nightmere this was for your family. So glad you feel things are coming to some sort of resolution (ish) now.

KK

Unknown said...

Argh, that would be crap. Way to go with the karate lessons - wax on, wax off little kid!

Bren said...

What a horrible thing to happen! I worry all the time about my 5 year old taking the bus, especially after hearing things like some parent on the bus making her sit in the back (near BIG kids). Hope little kid is ok and you get the closure needed to make sure it DOESN'T happen anymore!

Cindy * GoodHaus Design said...

That sucks so much. I'm sorry. My kiddo starts middle school next year and will take the bus for the first time. Yikes.

Cassadie said...

Oh, poor little kid! It's hard to imagine why or how any of this could happen. I'm glad, though, that you've learned to navigate the waters of educational red tape when it comes to bullying. I work in a school and I know how it goes. My kids haven't experienced this yet (they are little), but I know it will happen and I'll be signing them up for karate lessons, too! The admin knows now that you are a good parent. Your readers knew this a long time ago.

Desiree said...

I'm so sorry you and little kid are going through this. Give 'em hell Ashley!

Samma said...

Poor little kid! What did that third grader's parents say? What were the other kids on the bus doing? Love his karate kid reaction!

Unknown said...

It is so ridiculous, the whole thing has become so insane. Now all departments are fighting each other which is an interesting turn of events and I STILL know way too much about what's going on (I'm thankful to know, but still, they've handled this all very badly). I've spent all of this morning on it too.

We've heard nothing from the other kid or his parents and I'm sure they've been advised to stay away from us. I actually think hearing something from them would be helpful in resolving at least our parts in this, but oh well.

From now on, I know to start off by overreacting every single time because being reasonable just makes things too easy to ignore. I have explained that this is where I will be coming from in the future since assuming it was being handled didn't work.

Julie H said...

Oh man that's horrible. We had similar problems. TG the kid is finally not going to the same school. I had visions of taking him out with a sling shot on the playground.