Just The Facts, Ma'am...

What's worse than being pulled over by a policeman? Being pulled over by a policeman with 3 impressionable children in the car....

"Mommy, why are we sitting here?"
"That policeman behind us wants to talk to me, honey."
"Why, Mommy?"
"I don't know, sweetie." (And really, I didn't.)
"Well, why is he just sitting in his car?"
"He's checking our license plate and making sure the car isn't stolen."
"Our car is stolen?"
"No! No, honey, it isn't. He's just making sure."
"Mommy, are you going to go to jail?"

Turns out I had rolled through a stop sign (barely, okay? I all but did a complete stop, dammit) waaay back, and then I was so busy explaining to my kids the difference between a limo and a hearse (don't ask) that I didn't see the police car following me with his lights flashing. Duh. When I finally spotted him, I pulled over thinking he needed to pass me. That's how innocent I felt. Really.

When he came to the driver's window, I felt as though I were being arrested by my teenage son Theo, as the cop looked all of 19 (which he may have been - he was an MP on an Army base). One great thing about being stopped by an MP is they sure are polite. Ma'am this, and ma'am that - hey, I may be a criminal, but I still get respect. And he let me off with a warning. I could have pinched his sweet baby cheeks, I was so grateful. But I didn't. I drove off (carefully) and made it to the commissary without being stopped again. And with the kids pointing out every single stop sign all the way there.