Pulled Over

I got pulled over by a cop tonight, which I guess is an appropriate way for a mom to end a busy chauffer day. My day of driving started early this morning when I took Ethan to jazz band (Joseph was finishing getting ready to leave for a jazz band tour to Dallas.) Then I came home and had to drive out there again as Wednesday morning is my day to take the jr. high carpool. It was while taking these kids that I first heard, via Hannah, that President Monson passed away. I'll write up a post about President Monson soon. I love and admire him so much, and his talks and his example have blessed my life and guided me and our whole family. So, I took carpool and Corey took Joseph to the airport while I was gone. Home to get kids up and ready for school.

Since I had a busier morning than usual, I didn't go to scripture study group but stayed home to try to get a handle on life again. Since I was home, I was able to listen to the 11:00 BYU devotional. Today it was this talk - Convenient Service by Sheri Palmer. I would like my service and my impulse to help to be automatic, like President Monson. I loved that she started with a quote by him.

I was coming in and out of my bedroom cleaning as I listened, but stopped when she was talking about the beggars at the hospital and her roast beef lunch money. We all need to learn, even President Monson had to learn. I will try write more about President Monson this weekend. What a wonderful man.

So... we had the usual afternoon - Sophi came home from kindergarten, lunch for the girls, naps for boys. At 2:15 I loaded the four little kids in the car, cause with Joseph gone to Texas, he wasn't around to drive himself and Mel to their 3:45 Lyceum rehearsal, or Wesley to Little Big Band at 4. So I got to do it. We headed to pick up Mel at the high school, then to the Jr. High to pick up Wes, then we were off to American Fork. We dropped off Mel first, then to the Soundhouse to drop off Wes. Usually I run an errand to Costco as I wait, but since I had four kiddos with me, they voted to go to the McDonald's playplace instead. I didn't know where a McD's was, so I just drove, trusting that in this fast food culture, I would be able to find a place. Sure enough, Chick-Fil-A came into view, we did a drive by investigation. Success - there was a slide inside. We parked and went in. I didn't have a big kid to help me, so we were a mass of 5 people that had to go places together. Before we went to play on the slide, we all went into the bathroom for a potty break. Then all 5 of us to the slide. It was messier than the last play places I can remember. I do not like fast food play places. The kids ran around for a bit, I got grossed out every time I saw Owen's blanket dropped or dragged on the floor, and then we took a break to go get 3 kid meals.

I was grateful to PBS kids and the show Odd Squad for helping my kids play pretend with their juice boxes -

All pretending they were Miss O talking on her juice box phone. Silly kids

They shared their fries with Daniel. I probably should have ordered an extra serving of fries for him, cause there's never enough fries, right? (Cue Jim Gaffigan at 2:22 "What happened? Where'd they go?") Then the five of us headed back into the handicapped bathroom stall to access the toddler table and change D's diaper. Then back to the playplace to try and kill another 20 minutes. While we were there, two kids were prowling around like Gollum, growling and hissing at each other. Owen and Daniel looked at them with some concern and confusion. Then another little boy by the slide was having a coughing fit, which made him hack and throw up on the slide. I was the only parent in the play place with the kids and I jumped to my feet, rescuing children from sliding into the mess. I signaled for the little boys older brother to go tell his mom so she could grab paper towels. And then I had had about enough. I sent Corey a voice message, telling him that it would please me if Owen and Daniel never learned the word "McDonalds" and if they never learned that these fast food places exist. Sophi and Natalie are lost to us, but there is still time to save Owen and Daniel. I left there feeling glad that my kids are my kids and that other people's kids aren't my kids. Although I do hope to someday learn to love all people and children as if they were my own. So, yay, it's 5:30! We killed an hour and a half! Time to go pick up Mel at 5:45, then Wes at 6. We had to briefly wait for Wesley. I turned off the car and turned off my headlights, but I kept the running lights on - aka this position:

Wes got in the car, I turned on the car, and we headed out. I turned out of the soundhouse parking lot, drove west through a 2-way stop where I had the right of way, and then a cop pulled out behind me. There is no way I was speeding, so he must be going after someone in front of me. So I pull over out of the way, and the cop pulls behind me. Ok, what did I do? I know that we are late registering the car, but there's no way you saw that as I drove by... The officer comes to my window. "Did you know you were driving without your headlights on?" I look at the switch... doh, it was still in the "running lights" position. I turned the dial. Doh. Really? Ok, you got me. Yes, officer, I didn't have them on, I'm sorry. "It makes a big difference, huh?" Yes, officer sir. I'm sorry, I was just picking up my kid right back there at the Chapman music soundhouse... I had just barely pulled out from the parking lot, sorry I didn't notice it yet, I'm sure I would have in a moment. "Can I see your driver's license and registration?" Mel was in the passenger seat and looked through the glove compartment. She grabbed the insurance papers. "That will do, thank you, I'll be right back." Lame. Oh well. I figured I'd get a warning or a ticket and we'd be out a $100 bucks, lesson learned. I'm glad it was just about the headlights. Although I'm sure he will now also notice our expired registration. Doh. Ok, so maybe $160. I sent Corey a WhatsApp message to let him know of my mistake. The officer came back. Pointed out that the car registration is expired. Yes, I'm sorry. He then gave me back my license and the insurance paper, but didn't give me a ticket or warning or anything. I was surprised, and then he then asked me if I'm related to Cory Wride. Since it was an officer asking me, I knew he was talking about the Utah County police officer Cory Wride that was slain a few years ago. I said no, I was not related. He then said "Oh, well, it's not that common of spelling of your last name..." Yeah, it's the same spelling, but we are not related. "Ok. Well... turn your headlights on, and get your car registered." Yes sir, officer sir, thank you sir. And he let me go after that. I was grateful for my good luck, but also felt bad that he probably didn't cite me because he thought I was Cory Wride's widow. I called Corey to let him know that because Cory Wride had been slain, I got out of a ticket. Poor guy, he probably shouldn't have had to die just for me to not to get in trouble. Now I feel like I lied or stole his widow's identity or something. Corey said that the officer should know that I wasn't the widow, cause the wife of a police officer would surely have shown more respect for the law than I had. Yes, that is true.

In January 2014, Corey was over at his parents house and the television was on, when he heard his name over the news. Old friends called, emailed, and messaged us on facebook asking if it was Corey. Mostly old high school friends that we haven't kept in touch with. Corey's answer the phone "Are you a police officer?" No, and I'm also alive, as you can tell by hearing my voice... As Corey heard it on the news, he had a Brian Regan moment... Where Brian Regan the comedian heard about Brain Regan the spy on the news...

I was watchin' the news the other day, and I heard them talking about a criminal named Brian Regan same spelling and everything. He's gonna be in jail for the rest of his life. So I'm sitting there doing a crossword puzzle and all of a sudden I hear, "It is unknown whether the charges against Brian Regan will lead to his execution." "Guess I can put this down. Honey, did we pay that parking ticket?!"

We were sad for his family and it was weird to be on our end as friends tried to figure out what happened and if it was us. I had a few friends reach out to me - "I thought it was Corey! Oh, I felt so bad for you! I'm glad it wasn't him!" Anyway, sorry Cory, I didn't purposely take advantage of your death to get out of a ticket. I go turn myself in, I'll pay it, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, and I promise I'll always turn on my headlights!