Madelyn: “Mommy, why does that police man want to talk to us?”
Me: “I’m not sure.”
Officer comes over. I ask why I was pulled over because I was pretty confident that I was not speeding. Apparently I didn’t see a school bus with its stop sign out. Grrr…
Madelyn: “Did he tell you why he wanted to talk to you?”
Me: “Because Mommy wasn’t following the rules.”
Madelyn: “What rule did you break?”
Me: “I didn’t notice the stop sign out on the bus, and didn’t stop.”
Madelyn: “I’m gunna just tell him you didn’t see it.” (seriously)
Me: “No, honey. That’s very thoughtful, but you have to know the rules and always follow them, or you’ll get a ticket. I’m pretty sure I’m going to get a ticket.”
Madelyn: “But you didn’t see it. I saw it. But you didn’t, right?”
Me: “Right.”
I talk to the officer for a bit; Madelyn listens intently… officer walks back to his motorcycle….
Madelyn: “Mommy, how come you’re using your sad voice?”
Me: “Because I’m sad that I didn’t follow the rules. Think about when you get in trouble and you cry because you wish you weren’t in trouble. That’s how I’m feeling right now.”
Me: “Because I’m sad that I didn’t follow the rules. Think about when you get in trouble and you cry because you wish you weren’t in trouble. That’s how I’m feeling right now.”
Madelyn hands me a tissue and proceeds to make funny faces in the backseat, asking if it’s making me smile. Indeed it is. J
The officer leaves, and I turn around (legally) and head to Centennial. We’re about 300 feet from a stop sign and Madelyn screams, “STOP!”
Me: “Madelyn! I see the stop sign.”
Madelyn: “I didn’t know if you saw it. I don’t want you to get another ticket.”
We make our way to Centennial so I can drop Madelyn off at COOP. We walk into the classroom, and Madelyn lifts her eyebrows real high, with eyes wide open, and tilts her head to the side as if to say, “Don’t you have something to tell Mrs. Lee?”
Me: “What?”
Madelyn: “You need to tell her.”
Me: “We don’t have to tell her.”
Mrs. Lee: “Everything okay?”
Mrs. Lee: “Everything okay?”
Me: “Madelyn would like me to tell you that I got pulled over this morning. Okay. Goodbye, everyone. Have a good day.”
Sigh
Makes the whole experience worthwhile:
Officer (before he let me go): "Be sure you keep her buckled up.”
Me: “Oh, yes, of course.”
I loved that Madelyn heard him because when she’s having another fit in the back seat and takes her seatbelt off, and I have to pull over to put it back on, I can remind her that a police officer will indeed give us a ticket. We have been telling her this for a long time, and now I am pretty sure she’ll actually believe it. J
1 comment:
Madelyn Claire Nielsen! Don’t you ever take your seatbelt off when the car is moving. It is very dangerous especially in city driving where there are crazy drivers so close together. Your mom or dad will get in BIG trouble if you are not safely buckled in your seat. When you get older and your mom needs you to get something from the way back of the car, you can do it quickly while at a traffic light. And there are no police officers around. But you have to be like… 10 years old to do that. - Zona
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