"You Lost Your Chance"

Often, when my children are making a wrong choice, I give them a chance to do the right thing. If they choose not to correct their behavior, then I've been known to say, "You lost your chance; now you have to sit in time out," or something along those lines.

So the other day, Shan called me from his office mid-morning and asked me to check the van's registration in the glove box. Sure enough, it had just expired, so he renewed it online and printed out the temporary certificate.

Later that day, Shan's dad flew into Pope Air Force Base and Shan was supposed to pick him up. What do you know, but he was tied up in a meeting, so I hopped in the van with all of the kids and headed out to post. On my way, I realized that I didn't have my military ID because Shan took it the day before so he could pick up a prescription for me at the Ft. Bragg pharmacy. (For all you non-military readers, you cannot get on post without a military ID, or a search of your vehicle.) No problem, I thought, I'll just let them search my car and off we'll go.

Not so fast, missy.

We arrive to the check point and the security guard instructs me to open the hood, the trunk, and all the doors, and hand over my driver's license and registration (something I've never been asked for before, even when they've had to search the car.) Nice. So I explained to him that my registration expired a few days ago, but that we just renewed it online and my husband has the certificate at his office on post. He slowly looks me over like he knows I'm lying and calls it in over the radio to see if I'm telling the truth. Inexplicably, the voice on the other end reported that indeed, my registration had expired. (I later learned it takes 24 hours for the system to update...) Then, I get the "I knew it" look and the now smug security guard orders me to pull over to the side of the road and calls the military police. So there I sit, the outlaw. Waiting for the MPs to show up. By this time, my kids are asking questions and getting restless. I call Shan, who had just gotten out of his meeting and is on his way to get his dad. So the plan was for him to pick Doug up, go back to his office and get the registration, and meet me at the check point, which would take him at least an hour or more.

Lovely... sitting in the car with three kids for an hour an a half, and we had forgotten all the movies and had nothing to do other than sit and stew. So I was frustrated that any of this had happened, Emma's furious because "This is boring!," and she just wants "to see Papa!" and Ryan is terrified. He is my rule follower, and hates to be in trouble. He keeps telling me over and over, "We're in trouble, huh mom?" (No son, everything will be fine. Daddy's on his way.) "Where is the policeman?" (He's coming. He'll be here in a few minutes.) "Remeber when that other policeman pulled you over for speeding?" (How could I forget THAT.) "What if this policeman is the same policeman that pulled you over for speeding?" (Highly unlikely, son.) "Will you go to jail, mom?" And our conversation continues like this for quite a long time. Ryan's scared, Emma's ticked off, and I've had it, so I tell everyone to be quiet, that I don't want another word.

So it's silent for about 2 minutes, and then from the back, three year-old Madeline pipes up: "Mom, you lost your chance."

Yes I did. And that pretty much sums up my day.