Most of you know me as The Home Inspectors wife, but I really do have another life also.  My second job is always an adventure and I never know what will happen.  I just have to go about it day by day and sometimes it can be minute by minute.  There is always an unending supply of laughs.

You see I'm a school bus driver for Cherokee County and I drive all ages from Kindergarten all the way up to high schoolers.  It's the kindergartners that always amazes me.  Even in the mornings they are so full of life, even when I'm not.  Being full of life also translates into they don't know how to sit still or at least that is what I thought. :-)

Now keep in mind we only have eleven weeks of school left so at least half the school year is gone.  During the last half of the year I have tried everything from treats on Friday, caught being good to telling them that they have Ms Bonnie's imaginary seat-belt on and it is going to help them sit down and be safe.  Nothing has kept these little ones bottom to bottom and back to back.  After being in a seat-belt in mom and dads car ever since they can remember riding in a car, riding in a bus without seat-belts is such FREEDOM. 

Yesterday I decided to TRY something new.  When the little ones got on I sat them down and told them that I really really care about them and that I just really want them Safe and that's why I need them to sit in their seats.  Then all the way home I would say their name and I would say LOOK How good you're riding the bus, Look how Safe you are. I"M so proud of you!  I could not believe what a difference an encouraging word made.  They beamed and high fived me while getting off the bus and then this morning they were sitting bottom to bottom and back to back just like their suppose to.

My final thought was, how often do we even as adults just need that encouraging word.  Maybe as an adult we need it even more because no one remembers to hand out compliments to adults, it is as if we have OUT GROWN that stage of our life.  With it being Valentine's week, Share some love, AND Give an Encouraging WORD.