Grandpa Buys School Bus So He Can Take His 10 Grandkids To School Each Day

He’s calling the bus the ‘Grandfather Express’ and it is AWESOME

Grandparents are known for being just a little bit “extra” most of the time when it comes to their grandkids, right? Well, there’s “extra” and there’s “buy my grandkids their own school bus” extra, like this grandfather from Oregon.

Doug Hayes purchased a small school bus for Christmas this year with one goal in mind and one goal only: to take his 10 grandchildren to school every day. He surprised them at their home in Gladstone, Oregon, a few days before Christmas. “When they saw it, they were just ecstatic,” he tells CNN.

Half of his grandkids attend Paideia Classical Christian School, a small private school in the area that isn’t big enough to have its own school buses, which means parents have to do the dropoff and pickup each day. “The kids have always said, ‘Gee whiz, I like our school, but we would like to be able to have a school bus,'” he says.

Welp, problem solved. Because this awesome Grandpa is here to take the wheel. Literally.

The remaining five grandkids aren’t school age yet, but will be soon and will have plenty of years to board the “Grandfather Express,” which is what Hayes has officially dubbed the school bus — and even painted the name on the side.

All of Hayes’ grandchildren live within about 20 minutes’ drive, and their school is just about two or three miles from Grandpa’s house. So he’s planning on making the rounds each day before he heads into work.

The idea first came about after his wife Amy, asked her husband if he had any “major goals” he’d like to accomplish, Amy tells Scary Mommy.

“I want a bus so I can go around every morning, pick up all the grandkids, and drive them to school before I go to work,” he told his wife. “Just a small bus. We’d sing songs, talk, and it would be something unforgettable they did with their grandfather. If money were no object, I’d want a bus.”

What began as a dream became a reality as he and Amy worked together to figure out how they could accomplish the task.

After about a month of searching, the couple found a bus that came pre-decorated for the kiddos — complete with magnets and numbers on the ceiling. They decided to add seatbelts to all the seats, too. So what did the kids think of their grandpa’s great gift? They freaking love it, of course! Check out this adorable video of the surprise in action and try not to get misty-eyed.

They might be getting to ride to school in style each day, but their grandpa is the one who’s getting the sweeter end of the deal.

“The heart of this gift was for my husband to impact the next generation by giving them wonderful memories of spending time together, every day,” Amy Hayes says.

Grandpa plans to make his first pick-up on their first day back from Christmas break.