Part 1 - trying to stay out of trouble...

with the police, that is...

Yes, in some ways, it has been a crazy week Let me tell you about our little adventures... you may have seen our photos from our outing at the ballet - we had a great time together - even at the part about getting pulled over. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

It's actually a great story! The Lord has answered our prayers concerning a new vehicle that can handle our many road trips this spring and summer. And once again, He has done more than we would have asked and provided a much nicer vehicle than the ones we were looking at. But the short of it is that right now we are without a license plate on it as we wait for our old one back, which means that the police are very interested in us as we drive by.

So, back to Sunday! After the ballet as we are driving home, sure enough, behind us appears the dreaded flashing lights. My daughter, in the back, is immediately concerned that I am going to jail. I assure her that I have all the necessary papers, and that it will not be a problem. My guess is that it was out of concern for a stolen vehicle that the officer was approaching us slowly, glancing over the contents of the van as he neared. I had a hard time not laughing as I thought through the whole situation...imagining myself in his shoes...

[Hmm... I wonder if this is a stolen vehicle...I'd better be careful, because people who steal a van might be carrying a gun and be prone to rash and careless acts. I think I'll just take it slow and check everything out, and I'd better keep my hand on my holster, just in case! Oh, but look at this - there are three little girls in the back, and it looks like a couple of moms and a grandma, and a wheelchair too! Not your typical car-theiving bunch! Ha! I don't really think they could be much of a threat if they tried!!!]

All it took was the necessary paperwork and off he went, bidding us good day He just said, "Keep your papers handy for the next time you get pulled over!"

After we got going again, the imaginations of 2 seven years olds were running wild.
So mom, you don't have to go to jail? No.
Did you get a ticket? No.
Have you ever gotten one? Just once. ( a good story too! )
Would kids ever have to go to jail? Maybe.
Is there a jail for kids? Yes, a juvenile facility.
Why would a kid go to jail? ... and this is where the friend, whose father is a police officer, chimes in. "Oh, well, you know, like if a kid grabs a gun and accidentally..." "Um, girls, let's save this conversation for another time, shall we?" (while the 3 yr. old is listening intently with wide eyes)

So, I have been intentionally turning at places I don't need to turn whenever I see a police car in the distance. Yes, I'd rather try to avoid having my children be able to say, "My mom was pulled over 5 times this week."

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of trying to stay out of trouble with the police.
Yes, there's more...