Where is he?!

If ever there was a premonition, I certainly had it yesterday. Yesterday was the first full class summer preschool and boy were there some hitches. When I went to drop Wes off at 10am, there were five Sp.Ed buses pulled up along side the school. Some kids were being dropped off, some were in the wrong spot to be dropped off and three were picking kids up. No one had any idea who was going on what bus, and were the other buses should be. I thought to myself Crap, and Wes will be taking the bus later this afternoon. What if he gets lost in the shuffle? Thankfully, he made it home safe and sound. What a relief.

Today was typical drop off. Things looked to be going more smoothly and calmly. I felt much better today. I brought Wes over to his hook, gave him a kiss goodbye and dragged Casey kicking and screaming out of the school (He wants to go to school. I think so he can carry a pack pack too). Casey and I went for a little ride to escape the dripping heat that has blanketed our area. I made him lunch early because he was very cranky and we had plans for the afternoon. After I put him down for nap, I went outside to sit on our stoop and wait for the bus.

12:15pm came and went with no sign of the bus. I started to panic slightly. I grabbed my phone and called the dispatcher at the bus company. She put me on hold to find out where the bus was. Her response was that Wes was never put on the bus. No one brought him outside. Okay, panic set in a little more. The school hadn't called me to say he was still at school and I had a cranky 1 year old sleeping upstairs. What the hell am I supposed to do?? The dispatcher said she would call the school again and find out what was going on. Now, at this point, I'm nearly in hysterics with a slight panic attack happening. Where the hell is my child?! After a dropped call and being hung up on, I finally reached the bus company and she told me that Wes was indeed on the bus and would be home soon. Now mind you, this is at 12:30pm. After ten minutes of hyperventilation, I called the company again and demanded to know where my child was and when he'd be home. The dispatcher told me that he was at the other end of town and it would probably be 10 more minutes before he was home. I lost it. I blew up and told them that this was unacceptable. He was a special needs, three year old who doesn't speak! I am a frantic mother who isn't getting answers and all I want is my child!
Finally, at 1pm (an hour after school ended) my son arrived home unscathed and extremely sweaty, otherwise, no worse for the wear. The bus driver saw my face and nearly burst into tears herself. She apologize profusely and asked me to please put my faith back in her that she will never forget my child again. She told me that one of the aides told her that Wes was out today while another one put him on the bus. She assumed he wasn't on the bus and just kept going on her route. When dispatched called her, she said he wasn't on the bus. Now, mind you, every Sp.Ed bus has a monitor. Neither one of them noticed my child was sitting in the second row of seats until they were across town.
I want to know who told the driver that my son was sick. I want to know why she didn't do a head count before she left the school to make sure everyone was accounted for, and I want someone held accountable for all of this. I'm considering making them change him from the 10am class to the 8am class so I can pick him up and drop him off for awhile. The reason why I have him take the bus home is because Casey usually is down for his nap by 11:30-12 and would be so cranky at pick up. I figured it would work out perfectly.
I was just so glad to have him home. What a nightmare!