When first starting at CCI in September 2021, I instantly wanted to learn and experience all about the programs that the organization offered. Due to my love of kiddos and cows I knew from the beginning, the COW Bus would be one of my favorites. This past Monday was the first day that I stepped onto a CCI COW Bus, and let me tell you it’s a day I will NOT forget!

Walking up onto the bus was so exciting. I instantly felt this rush of childhood memories come swarming back into my 30-year-old head. Seeing all of the colors, arts and crafts hung on the walls and ceiling, books, and toys — I was in a kid’s dream bus! At four years old it doesn’t get any better than that! After exploring the bus for a few minutes, the kiddos started to arrive, and my excitement grew.

As the kids were being checked in, they started to take off their backpacks and jackets and put them away. Now remember we are on a 30-foot school bus, so every bit of storage is crucial, and Miss Cindy (who started CCI’s COW Bus program 25 years ago) has mastered the art of using every bit of space possible. After greeting each child and mentioning to them that they had a special visitor (me), she had all the kids sit down in a circle until everyone had arrived. 

To start the day off, Miss Cindy asked me to grab the flag so we could say the flag salute. After (of course) being shown by a few of the kiddos how to hold the flag properly we began. Hearing them say the flag salute was the highlight of my day! 

After the flag salute we all sat down on the floor of the bus and Miss Cindy asked each kid about an exciting thing that happened to them over the weekend. Hearing their stories was so much fun! As they described riding go-carts, playing with their Nerf guns, going to ballet class. It made me start to think about exciting things I did on the weekends as a child, and it made me slightly emotional. It made me feel like a kid again, where I had not a worry in the world. 

After the storytelling of their exciting weekend, the kids started to work on spelling their names and a fun project they had been putting together for the holiday coming up. It was a book on how to catch a leprechaun. Each kid in the class was working on a few pages where they illustrated and wrote what they imagined a leprechaun looked like, what you would need to trap them and so much more. While using their imagination, crayons, scissors, and glue they all were able to create their own pages in the book.

~ Tara Massa