Dear Alex,

There are so many things I want to tell you before you get on that school bus for the first time this coming week. Please know that the wheels on the bus really do go 'round and 'round.

Kindergarten is a gigantic step — bigger than the first step up onto that big yellow bus that is taking you away from me. Our mornings together for the past five years have been filled with more joy than you can imagine, and there is going to be emptiness in my mornings that won't ever be replaced.

When you get on that bus for the first time, take a long look around. There are going to be new faces, sounds, smells and noises. Not all of them are going to be good, Alex. But at the end of the day, most of them are going to be nice, which should make your experience of going to school enjoyable most of the time.

Your bus driver is your new boss — at least during the 15 minutes from our house to the school. It's important that you do what the driver says, which means sit down, speak softly and pay attention. In order to hear the driver better, sit near the front of the bus. Listen to your 'ol dad.

There are going to be new words spoken you haven't heard before. Please don't repeat them in front of anyone, but if you want to know what they mean, don't be afraid to ask me or mom.

Your book bag is supposed to carry books, pencils and your lunch, nothing else — ever. This is especially true as you get older and the temptations on the bus extend beyond new words.

Remember that it's not the nicest person who makes people laugh, but instead, the person who makes people smile. Laughing and smiling aren't the same. Work hard each day to make your friends and teachers smile the same way I smile when we share a ride in the truck on Saturdays.

If someone is doing something that can hurt you or someone else, don't be afraid to ask them to stop. Asking is always a better alternative than telling. If they continue to do something that can be hurtful, then tell an older person.

Try to avoid fighting, but be quick to defend against someone who hurts your sister or your mom. These are the two best women in your life and they always will be, so it's our job to make sure that they are taken care of each day.

I've packed some extra lunch money for you in a plastic bag and put it in the secret compartment. Feel free to use this to buy an extra snack for a friend or if someone in your class forgot their money that day. Don't be afraid to tell me who you "gave it to" so I can replenish it at the end of the day. Always carry some extra change of your own around too, just in case there's an emergency.

Ask plenty of questions, and make sure they're the same one's I would ask, OK? I want to know everything you are learning and doing in school.

Work hard to make everyone want to be your friend, rather than working hard to be their friend. Basically, that means just be yourself.

Finally, remember that the wheels on the bus going 'round and 'round all over town may take you far away someday, but I hope that they bring you back to me safely every single evening so we can catch up with what you learned that day.

I love you and am more proud of you each day, Alex.

Love,

Dad