Stuck between pride and frustration

I think kids were put on this Earth to show us a variety of emotions, many times two or three at the same time.

Yesterday I went to the bus stop to get my daughter after school. It's only 5 houses down- corner of my suburban residential street. But she's only 7 and I am just not ready to have her go it all on her own yet. The bus came to a stop, flashing red lights and all, and the three sisters from down the street hopped off the bus, waited for the bus driver to give his signal, then ran across the street and past me.

Where the heck is my kid???

Bus drive started to inch away and I waved him down and asked where my daughter was. He calls for her. Nothing. Turns to me "She's not on the bus."

"She's supposed to be!" I start to freak out.

He calls back again. I hear some of the other kids on the bus calling too. He turns back to me. "She's not here."

Panic surges through my body. We rarely pick her up from school and it requires a note letting the teacher and office know. Parents then need to sign the kids out when they pick them up. I certainly didn't send in a note. I turn and start to trot back toward my house...to make calls, jump in my car, do something to locate my kid.

The girls from down the street come running over with their mom yelling "No, she is on the bus! We saw her!"

Bus driver stops again and then I see my child's head pop up from behind the seats and then around the front of the bus, book in hand.

Yeah....my daughter was so engrossed in the book she was reading on the bus she didn't realize she was at her stop...even after the sisters got off...even after her name was called multiple times. Fear having drained from my body, I couldn't help but smile.

I gave her a good talking to: You need to pay attention on the bus!

But I also told her it was good that she was so into the book!