Hey everybody! Mayson here and I am SO EXCITED to be “GOING BACK” to see all of my friends!

Whether you take the school bus like me, or Mommy & Daddy drop you off, you’ve got to get there safely.

My Daddy knows all about that, so he’s offering this awesome Fall/Winter Maintenance Special:

Chris Wylie:  Thanks Mayson.  Right now, anyone who books an oil, lube and filter, tire rotation and comprehensive multi-point visual inspection will be entered-to-win: One of 75 Arlo Home Security Systems from our friends at NAPA AutoPro. Did you know we’ve been part of the NAPA AutoPro Group for 25 years now?

Mayson: That’s great Daddy, but this is “Mayson’s Blog”, not yours! “JOKE ALERT”: “Why do they call it The Malahat?  Did someone named “MALA” drop a HAT on the road?” BAH-HAHAHA! OK, let’s get serious.  If you’re travelling on the Malahat this year, don’t forget: you’ll need to get your winter tires on by October 1^st.  Searles can help with that too.

“The Wheels on the Bus go round & round, round & round, round & round…”

National School Bus Safety Week is October 22^nd to 24^th.  Most accidents happen when kids are getting on the bus, or leaving to cross the street. So here are some great tips to remember to stay safe:

• Be at the bus stop on time, and wait in a safe place well back from the edge of the road.
• Enter one at a time, and be sure to hold onto the hand rail.
• Find a seat right away and stay seated facing forward at all times (Dad says that’s a tough one for squirmy-worms like me…Hey that’s not nice – Worms are CUTE!
• Do not place things in the aisle, because your friends could trip and fall.
• If the windows are open, be sure to keep your arms and head inside the bus.
• Never distract the bus driver. Always follow his or her instructions.
• If you drop something near the wheels, never try to pick it up because chances are the bus driver can’t see you! Ask an adult or the driver to help, and always be polite.

When crossing the street to get on or off the bus:

• Walk at least 10 BIG STEPS in front of the bus, along the side of the road and look at the driver for a signal before crossing.
• Always look “ALL WAYS” before crossing the road. And if someone’s waiting for you, WALK towards them – never run, because that could be very dangerous especially if it’s raining & the road is slippery!

Whether on a city street, highway or county road, and no matter how fast you’re going – all drivers have to STOP when approaching a school bus with flashing red lights.

And never pass a school bus on either side…that’s not only super dangerous, it’s also ILLEGAL!

Now that I’m going to school for the whole day, my baby sister misses me BIG TIME!  But she’s not the only one. So do my DOGS!

After being surrounded by their favourite people all summer long, it can be awfully lonely for them, and quite a change in routine.

Here’s what I do to make sure they KNOW how much I love them: I give them a kiss on the forehead, and a special toy or treat just before I leave in the morning.

Sometimes, Mommy hides their favorite pet treats around the house, so they can find them throughout the day.

Rubber Kongs or hard hollow bones can be stuffed with a little peanut butter (yummy) or cream cheese (yucky for me, but yummy for them) and it can even be frozen if you like.

Then when I come home, I take them out to play right away. We play “fetch” or “cat & mouse” as a family for a while before starting any after school activities.

And after dinner?

You can usually find them right at my feet while I’m doing homework.

Yup, I’m only in Grade 1, but we’ve lots of reading to do.

If I’m lucky, maybe one day, I’ll be able to say: “Sorry, the dog ate my homework!!”  Just kidding.

These are just a few of the fun, pet-friendly things you can do to help keep your pets happy at this time of year.

By the way, my favourite subject is ART, and this fall’s after-school activities include: Swimming and Gymnastics.  So Daddy makes sure our vehicle is in tip-top shape – because as he says: “Mayson’s social calendar is busier than ours!”

You know it!

Oh, there’s the bell…gotta go, recess is over!

‘Til next time, if you have any “Grown Up” questions about NAPA’s Fall/Winter Special or any of the things you read about today, call us at (250) 475-2000, or book an appointment online at:  https://searlesauto.ca/make-an-appointment/.

See you after class!

Your friend, Mayson.