I Broke the Law Today. ARGH!

I am so mad at myself.  I got a speeding ticket today.  It's been a long time since I've had one of those.  Let me back up a bit and explain how it all went down.


Doug left for a fishing trip on Thursday morning (today is Saturday).  I had a few things on the calendar that I planned to attend.  One of which was to go to Brooke's softball game at St. Marys.  If you are a mom with little children, you understand my dilemma.  I always hesitate to bring all the kids to the games/events because I don't know how long the kids will last.  I had no idea if St. Marys had a park for them to play at, or anything to keep them happy during the game.  My thoughts were to go and if someone had a meltdown, we could just leave and Brooke could find a ride home with someone else.  Positive thinking from the start... not so much.


One of my family members called and asked to ride along with me.  I was happy for the company, but worried about this car ride over.  I said, "Sure, if you don't mind riding with me and all of the kids."  It didn't sound like it was going to be a problem for her, but now I was worried. 


On the car ride over, the kids were having a grand ole time.  They were being rather loud.  They all have a good set of lungs, thanks to me.  Talking loudly, laughing, singing, etc... It all sounds great, but I was trying to converse with my family member and I could feel myself starting to get angry.  I couldn't even hear what she was saying, and I soon gave up on trying to have a conversation b/c I couldn't hear her!!!  After pleading with the kids for a while, I decided to threaten with a consequence.  "If you can't be more quiet, you are going to sit in the car for a while when we get there!"  Will didn't like this, and he was having a day where he just couldn't seem to behave.  More warnings and then... "Will, you owe me time in the car!"  To which he shouts "NO!"  Thank God we had just pulled in to the park, so I had the other kids get out of the car and walk to the diamond while I waited with Will.  He began screaming and throwing a fit.  He is on this kick where he yells "You are the meanest Mom in the world!  I hate you!"  I know that I need to nip that in the bud, but wouldn't you know, he says it when I'm away from home and my consequences are more limited. 


At this point, I'm picturing Ralphie (on the Christmas Story) with a bar of soap in his mouth.  No, I have never done that, but I've thought about it with Mr. Will.


After that, the game was pretty uneventful, but the next evening...


We went to the amphitheater to watch the Air Force Band.  It was difficult to watch the show because Will was running around on the concrete steps, climbing on rocks, which were part of their veterans monument, and walking away from the event that we came to see.  If it would've been just me there, I would've totally let him go because I know he has this extra pouch of energy and he seems to need to do these things.  But other people were trying to watch the show, not to mention, I'm sure they were worried about him running up and down those concrete steps.  (It's not that I don't care, but I know Will's limits.  He's an agile kid and I just know what he can and can't do... so I just don't get too worked up about the small stuff, usually.)  So I spent most of the evening trying to keep he and Libby happy.  I was just a little disappointed.  I always have these glorious images as to how each event is going to go and then it never works out that way, and then I'm sitting there watching the other kids who seem to be behaving wonderfully.  Isn't that how it always is.  You always notice the other kids who are so well behaved when your child is acting up.  Even though we all know, it could just as easily be them.


So, I'm getting to the point of my story.  On Saturday, I put Will and Libby down for a nap and left at 1:00 to go to JCPenneys to pick up a Father's Day gift for my hubby.  I was almost to St. Marys when my phone rings.  It's Brooke.  She was babysitting and she called to tell me that Will got up from his nap and won't go back to bed.  I know it's a normal thing, but I was so frustrated with him by this point.  So I'm telling Brooke what to do and I'm getting frustrated.  And as I'm getting frustrated, my foot is pressing harder on the gas pedal.  I'm not really noticing it at the time b/c I'm talking and thinking about what I'm going to do about that boy of mine!  So I hang up the phone and look down at my speedometer.  Wooooo, I was going 70 something!  So I pressed on my brake and what do you know, I look up and see a police car directly in front of me, with his stinking radar gun pointed right on me.  He did not waste a minute.  He turned those cherries on instantly and whipped around to my side of the road.  I wanted to SCREAM!   There was no arguing it.  I was totally speeding, and I really didn't even know why.  What the heck? 


When he came up to my car, he asked me where I was heading.... seriously... "JCPenney's".  Yeah - I just can't wait to get to JCPenney's and so I'm speeding.  What the heck!!!  I'm sitting there thinking... I'm an idiot.  God's teaching me a lesson.  I need to be more patient.  Why am I letting that little 4 year old boy get me so upset?  I love him so much.  But when he does those things that make no sense because he just can't help it, I don't know what to do with him.  I just don't understand little 4 year old boys.