If you read my last post, you learned I'm in limbo, waiting for my new drivers license to come, and waiting to call and find out how much my fine is for my traffic stop. When the cop generously offered to "waive" the speeding issue in order to seize my license, I asked him outright if he was doing that because he knew it was more expensive to drive on an expired license than it was to speed. (I just ask quesitons so I know how many tissues to buy when I make the call to get the fine. Risky? Maybe.) The cop simply told me that they can't quote fines, and he wasn't sure. Well, I knew a girl once (of COURSE not ME) who got a speeding ticket for $150or so...same number of miles over the limit, and I was braced for the worst.
Today, I called. I figured my fine would be somewhere in the range between "I'm never getting in a car again" and "can I get some sort of car-diabling device installed in my car if I go over 25?".
I dialed the number, and after only 6 or 7 menu tree branches, I wound up typing in my citation number. "Your fine is......(enter digigized automated voice)....$300.
HUH????? REALLY????
I decided I was going to court for this one. I'd heard that if you appear, they are likely to lessen the fine just because you went out of your way to contest. My defense? SIX KIDS. Need I say more? Doesn't that cover a multitude of sins? Aren't I entitled to forget a few doozies now and again simply based on the fact that some mornings I can't even remember if I put on deodorant or not? And hey, I donated to the Sheriff's "Shop with a Cop" program last Christmas. I figured that was worth at least a couple hundred dollars right there.
I dialed again, choosing a NEW maze of menus to navigate through for a court date, and landed with a LIVE person. I gave the citation number...and BINGO. Suddenly, all those little good deeds I've done in my life started falling out of the sky onto the scales of justice...(dinner for the new mothers, changing diapers, pulling slivers out of my kids' hands, not purposely stepping on certain bugs on the sidewalk, on and on and on...)
The lady said there was a mistake, and apparently when the cop wrote up the ticket, he wrote in the code for "Driving on a SUSPENDED license." I was merely driving on an EXPIRED one.
Here's the bonus. If he had cited me for speeding (for which I was guilty), the fine was around $150 (as per my FRIEND'S past experience). The fine for driving on an expired license?
$40.
I'm going to write out a check right now for "shop with a cop." Oh, and I'm going out to get new shoes. But I still have an ugly license picture. You can't win 'em all.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Illegal
Don't you think a good Driver's License picture is as rare as a matching pair of child's shoes on a Sunday morning?
Well I do. But I happen to actually like mine. Well, I DID. I DID until about three days ago. You see, when I got it about 5 years ago, I went to an unknown little division of the DMV where I was one of about 5 patrons. When the guy took my picture, he swung his computer screen around and said, "are you happy with the picture, or should I take another?" LIKE THAT EVER HAPPENS!!!
So for 5 years, I was HAPPY to show my I.D. whenever asked. Three days ago when I got pulled over, even though I was feeling bad for WHATEVER I was being unjustly accused of, I knew at least my picture was cute. :)
This cop was funny. Not only did he flash his lights at me, he waited a good three or four blocks before he did...AND, he turned on his SIREN. WHAT??? I KNEW I wasn't doing anything wrong. Was Timothy jumping up and down in the back of the car without his seatbelt? Was a tail-light out? Why in the world did he target ME?
Well, as it turns out, my eyes don't work as well as my lead-foot, and I was speeding. He took my license, and when he came back, he said, "the news just went from bad to worse." huh? I haven't had THAT many tickets before!
Apparently, my license had expired about a month before on my birthday. So, this man decided to SEIZE my license to "encourage" me to take care of the matter quickly. I jokingly asked him "well, if you have my license, how am I supposed to get home?" He said, "Carefully."
It didn't help that I had all six kids with me, and Ashley remarked "I can't wait to get to school tomorrow and tell my friends that you got your license taken away." I'm sure you can't, honey.
The next day, and 2 hours and 47 people ahead of me at the DMV later (they closed my favorite little unknown branch) I have a license (at least on paper until the "hard copy" arrives) and UGH. I HATE the picture. I guess good things can't last forever. My picture, OR my driving record.
Well I do. But I happen to actually like mine. Well, I DID. I DID until about three days ago. You see, when I got it about 5 years ago, I went to an unknown little division of the DMV where I was one of about 5 patrons. When the guy took my picture, he swung his computer screen around and said, "are you happy with the picture, or should I take another?" LIKE THAT EVER HAPPENS!!!
So for 5 years, I was HAPPY to show my I.D. whenever asked. Three days ago when I got pulled over, even though I was feeling bad for WHATEVER I was being unjustly accused of, I knew at least my picture was cute. :)
This cop was funny. Not only did he flash his lights at me, he waited a good three or four blocks before he did...AND, he turned on his SIREN. WHAT??? I KNEW I wasn't doing anything wrong. Was Timothy jumping up and down in the back of the car without his seatbelt? Was a tail-light out? Why in the world did he target ME?
Well, as it turns out, my eyes don't work as well as my lead-foot, and I was speeding. He took my license, and when he came back, he said, "the news just went from bad to worse." huh? I haven't had THAT many tickets before!
Apparently, my license had expired about a month before on my birthday. So, this man decided to SEIZE my license to "encourage" me to take care of the matter quickly. I jokingly asked him "well, if you have my license, how am I supposed to get home?" He said, "Carefully."
It didn't help that I had all six kids with me, and Ashley remarked "I can't wait to get to school tomorrow and tell my friends that you got your license taken away." I'm sure you can't, honey.
The next day, and 2 hours and 47 people ahead of me at the DMV later (they closed my favorite little unknown branch) I have a license (at least on paper until the "hard copy" arrives) and UGH. I HATE the picture. I guess good things can't last forever. My picture, OR my driving record.
Pinewood Derby
I'm not sure where the communication break-down occurred, but the night before the Pinewood Derby, we got a call saying it was the following night. We hadn't even STARTED making Andrew's car, and I was pretty certain I'd seen Timothy sometime in the last week walking around with some unnamed block of wood.
Needless to say, I picked up the kids from school and headed to the Scout store. I was looking for those mostly-done derby cars that you basically paint and hammer in the wheels. No go. I should have known the BOY SCOUT STORE was going to want me to make it from scratch!
On limited time, I ran to Michael's...they were out. I ran to Robert's...they were out. I turned to Andrew, and told him there was another store, but a considerable distance away. He said, "Mom, I'm tired of shopping. I don't care if I don't have a car. Let's just go and I'll cheer on my friends." I asked him over and over if that's what he wanted to do, and he assured me it was.
Later that evening, I asked Andrew again if he wanted a car and he matter-of-factly said, "Last year I worked hard on my car, and took second place, and all I got was a small bag of M&Ms." Secretly I was chuckling, but a bit mortified that that's what it all boiled down to for this kid. Where's his sense of competition??? Where's the pride in beating everyone else? (OK...my competitive side is coming out...)
So, we showed up to the church at 6:00 (later found out it didn't start until 6:30) but saw the Scout Master pulling out some cute TROPHIES and putting them on the table. NOTHING woos a little 10-year-old like a trophy! He turned to me and said, "Mom, now I feel a little bad for not making a car."
Not to disappoint, I got on the phone and called not one, but TWO nearby family members to see if they had any "winning" cars we could borrow. (Shameful, I know). Jennifer AND Mom and Dad came through beautifully!!! Michael is apparently WAY into this! He gave us a really cool "shark" car...and...Andrew took second place at the derby.
We realized later that ALL of the boys got trophies. I felt sheepish letting Andrew accept one...but he was proud. Not sure why...he didn't do ANYTHING to earn it! Oh well. Today goes down in history as "bad mothering" episode 7,352.
Needless to say, I picked up the kids from school and headed to the Scout store. I was looking for those mostly-done derby cars that you basically paint and hammer in the wheels. No go. I should have known the BOY SCOUT STORE was going to want me to make it from scratch!
On limited time, I ran to Michael's...they were out. I ran to Robert's...they were out. I turned to Andrew, and told him there was another store, but a considerable distance away. He said, "Mom, I'm tired of shopping. I don't care if I don't have a car. Let's just go and I'll cheer on my friends." I asked him over and over if that's what he wanted to do, and he assured me it was.
Later that evening, I asked Andrew again if he wanted a car and he matter-of-factly said, "Last year I worked hard on my car, and took second place, and all I got was a small bag of M&Ms." Secretly I was chuckling, but a bit mortified that that's what it all boiled down to for this kid. Where's his sense of competition??? Where's the pride in beating everyone else? (OK...my competitive side is coming out...)
So, we showed up to the church at 6:00 (later found out it didn't start until 6:30) but saw the Scout Master pulling out some cute TROPHIES and putting them on the table. NOTHING woos a little 10-year-old like a trophy! He turned to me and said, "Mom, now I feel a little bad for not making a car."
Not to disappoint, I got on the phone and called not one, but TWO nearby family members to see if they had any "winning" cars we could borrow. (Shameful, I know). Jennifer AND Mom and Dad came through beautifully!!! Michael is apparently WAY into this! He gave us a really cool "shark" car...and...Andrew took second place at the derby.
We realized later that ALL of the boys got trophies. I felt sheepish letting Andrew accept one...but he was proud. Not sure why...he didn't do ANYTHING to earn it! Oh well. Today goes down in history as "bad mothering" episode 7,352.
Field Trip!
Once in a rare while, I get to go on a field trip with my kids' classes at school. Back in the Fall, the school postponed a trip to the zoo due to weather, and rescheduled this week. Of course, we were still snowed on, but we had a great time. The older grades (Ashley's class) got to "chaperone" the kindergarteners (Matthew's class) on the trip, and I was luckily invited to go along. Great day!
We caught this snow leopard just about feeding time. Check out that bone!
I TOUCHED this snake. REALLY good for me.
On the carousel
How do those kids measure up???
Up close and personal
Matthew makes friends with a bird
Geese with their newly hatched little ones. (the highlight for Ashley!)
We had a great (albeit cold) time! Can't wait for the next invite!
We caught this snow leopard just about feeding time. Check out that bone!
I TOUCHED this snake. REALLY good for me.
On the carousel
How do those kids measure up???
Up close and personal
Matthew makes friends with a bird
Geese with their newly hatched little ones. (the highlight for Ashley!)
We had a great (albeit cold) time! Can't wait for the next invite!
Spring Break
Most kids get a few days off for Spring Break, but our kids got 10 days! We opted to stay home for our vacation but we still had fun! Between Easter and Conference, there was much to do!
First, I got a new niece!!! Emily Nicole Dustin was born on April 3, weighing in at 9 lbs., 4 oz., measuring 20 1/2 inches long!!! Jenn, you're AMAZING! Her face was a little bruised, but isn't she just ADORABLE! Just like her mommy! Love you, Jenn!
We had Aaron, Abby, and Daniel over to watch conference with us while Mommy and Daddy were at the hospital, and they did so GREAT! We played Conference Bingo with M&Ms...I think I heard "Bingo" so much (the kids get a mini candy bar when they get bingo) that we were ALL on a sugar rush for the whole weekend!!!
That night, we went to Grandma Loveridge's house to dye Easter Eggs! We had a great time with the Hendricksons and Johnsons!
Easter Sunday was a little uneventful. On Saturday night, I was at the store with Andrew, and I asked him a question about easter baskets. He replied, "What's an Easter Basket?" Uh...I KNOW I've done them before, but I guess it's been a few years! I just go overboard with the chocolate, and decided to stop doing baskets as an excuse for more treats and toys that my kids don't need! Funny, huh?
My mom told me later that she said something to Adam (my sister's son) and he also replied, "What's an easter basket!" The only funny thing is, I think she DOES do one every year!!! Well, feeling sheepish, I dropped 6 giant chocolate Easter bunnies and a few other treats into one giant Easter basket that the kids got to go through when they woke up Sunday morning. (Baskets: check.)
Conference of course is a HIGHLIGHT in my life. I feel like those 8 hours FLY by, and WAY too quickly. I can't wait for the Ensign to come out, but until then, we've been watching our tapes of the recorded conference.
Monday, we took ALL the kids (cousins included!) to tour the Sweet's Candy Factory. Here is Amy with her three girls donning their gorgeous "smurf" hats. My favorite part of the tour? Discounted candy in their store! Chocolate covered cinnamon bears!!! yay!
Next, we realized on the first day of Spring Break that our Wii was broken. We sent it in to be fixed, realizing it wouldn't be back for about 1-2 weeks. Truthfully, I think that made for a much better Spring Break! Andrew created his own "Mario Kart" game with cards...he designed them with me on the computer, and we had a great week playing that instead. The kids also took the Wii driving wheels, and ran around the house all week long "racing." That was even better! We did have pretty cold weather for the vacation, so I was glad for some indoor fun!
We celebrated Matthew's birthday!!! My little guy turned 6 this week! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this kid. He is so sweet and loving, and constantly gives me hugs. He has a litte problem with focusing at school, so I think he enjoyed being away and just running around the house with family all week. With Andrew's Mario Kart Card game, he did a lot of reading of the cards (which usually he doesn't like, but put a little Mario in it, and he LOVES reading!)
Matthew is a funny little man, and although a little "distracted" at times, truly has a sweet and loving heart. He is kind, and really wants to be a helper. He IDOLIZES Andrew, and likes to do anything Andrew does. Andrew is so cute to sit and draw with him, or play ball with him. Andrew also lets Matthew sleep in his bed at night (the top bunk on the bunk bed.) It's great to see my boys getting along so well!
On Matthew's birthday, I was looking forward to going out to dinner and maybe some fun activity like bowling or a movie. I asked Matthew what he wanted to do that night, throwing out a few restaurant suggestions. He didn't like ANY that I suggested. I started to get "kid"-minded. I stopped suggesting places like "Applebee's" and started to recommend McDonald's playplace and Fat Cats. He didn't want to do those either. (I could see my vision of a night out crumbling fast.) He finally came to me that afternoon and said, "Mom, I just want to stay home and eat Macaroni and Cheese and make Easter decorations."
I fought the idea (I wanted to go out!) but that's what we did. Matthew got his macaroni, I got Pizza Hut for the rest of us, and he made some giant Easter Eggs out of construction paper. Ashley and Andrew decorated the kitchen with crepe paper, and all was right with the 6-year-old's world.
Johnsons, Hendricksons, and Grandma and Grandpa Loveridge came over to help us celebrate and eat that gigantic Costco cake!!! Love this family!!!
Hendricksons brought him a Sprite. He was SO EXCITED!!!
The next day, we took the kids swimming. They were so excited about going, but about 30 minutes after arriving, some were asking when we could go home. Oh well. We had fun while it lasted!
All in all, we had a great spring break, but I think when it was over, the kids were ready to get back to a regular schedule. I'm so grateful that we have such fun together, and that we have so many family members who live close enough that we can do so many fun things together! Love my family!!!
First, I got a new niece!!! Emily Nicole Dustin was born on April 3, weighing in at 9 lbs., 4 oz., measuring 20 1/2 inches long!!! Jenn, you're AMAZING! Her face was a little bruised, but isn't she just ADORABLE! Just like her mommy! Love you, Jenn!
We had Aaron, Abby, and Daniel over to watch conference with us while Mommy and Daddy were at the hospital, and they did so GREAT! We played Conference Bingo with M&Ms...I think I heard "Bingo" so much (the kids get a mini candy bar when they get bingo) that we were ALL on a sugar rush for the whole weekend!!!
That night, we went to Grandma Loveridge's house to dye Easter Eggs! We had a great time with the Hendricksons and Johnsons!
Easter Sunday was a little uneventful. On Saturday night, I was at the store with Andrew, and I asked him a question about easter baskets. He replied, "What's an Easter Basket?" Uh...I KNOW I've done them before, but I guess it's been a few years! I just go overboard with the chocolate, and decided to stop doing baskets as an excuse for more treats and toys that my kids don't need! Funny, huh?
My mom told me later that she said something to Adam (my sister's son) and he also replied, "What's an easter basket!" The only funny thing is, I think she DOES do one every year!!! Well, feeling sheepish, I dropped 6 giant chocolate Easter bunnies and a few other treats into one giant Easter basket that the kids got to go through when they woke up Sunday morning. (Baskets: check.)
Conference of course is a HIGHLIGHT in my life. I feel like those 8 hours FLY by, and WAY too quickly. I can't wait for the Ensign to come out, but until then, we've been watching our tapes of the recorded conference.
Monday, we took ALL the kids (cousins included!) to tour the Sweet's Candy Factory. Here is Amy with her three girls donning their gorgeous "smurf" hats. My favorite part of the tour? Discounted candy in their store! Chocolate covered cinnamon bears!!! yay!
Next, we realized on the first day of Spring Break that our Wii was broken. We sent it in to be fixed, realizing it wouldn't be back for about 1-2 weeks. Truthfully, I think that made for a much better Spring Break! Andrew created his own "Mario Kart" game with cards...he designed them with me on the computer, and we had a great week playing that instead. The kids also took the Wii driving wheels, and ran around the house all week long "racing." That was even better! We did have pretty cold weather for the vacation, so I was glad for some indoor fun!
We celebrated Matthew's birthday!!! My little guy turned 6 this week! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this kid. He is so sweet and loving, and constantly gives me hugs. He has a litte problem with focusing at school, so I think he enjoyed being away and just running around the house with family all week. With Andrew's Mario Kart Card game, he did a lot of reading of the cards (which usually he doesn't like, but put a little Mario in it, and he LOVES reading!)
Matthew is a funny little man, and although a little "distracted" at times, truly has a sweet and loving heart. He is kind, and really wants to be a helper. He IDOLIZES Andrew, and likes to do anything Andrew does. Andrew is so cute to sit and draw with him, or play ball with him. Andrew also lets Matthew sleep in his bed at night (the top bunk on the bunk bed.) It's great to see my boys getting along so well!
On Matthew's birthday, I was looking forward to going out to dinner and maybe some fun activity like bowling or a movie. I asked Matthew what he wanted to do that night, throwing out a few restaurant suggestions. He didn't like ANY that I suggested. I started to get "kid"-minded. I stopped suggesting places like "Applebee's" and started to recommend McDonald's playplace and Fat Cats. He didn't want to do those either. (I could see my vision of a night out crumbling fast.) He finally came to me that afternoon and said, "Mom, I just want to stay home and eat Macaroni and Cheese and make Easter decorations."
I fought the idea (I wanted to go out!) but that's what we did. Matthew got his macaroni, I got Pizza Hut for the rest of us, and he made some giant Easter Eggs out of construction paper. Ashley and Andrew decorated the kitchen with crepe paper, and all was right with the 6-year-old's world.
Johnsons, Hendricksons, and Grandma and Grandpa Loveridge came over to help us celebrate and eat that gigantic Costco cake!!! Love this family!!!
Hendricksons brought him a Sprite. He was SO EXCITED!!!
The next day, we took the kids swimming. They were so excited about going, but about 30 minutes after arriving, some were asking when we could go home. Oh well. We had fun while it lasted!
All in all, we had a great spring break, but I think when it was over, the kids were ready to get back to a regular schedule. I'm so grateful that we have such fun together, and that we have so many family members who live close enough that we can do so many fun things together! Love my family!!!
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