Catch up with Tuesday

The MORNING:

I am going to go back to Tuesday and explain my day for ya'll. It started out with an 8:30 appointment at the Belgrade City court house/police station. I got a ticket about a month ago because our registration was expired by about a month and 2 weeks. The ticket was $85 dollars, which seems outrageous because when Chris registered the car the next day, that total was only $40. Cheap you're thinkin' huh? Yeah, it was the 88 Buick. One sweet ride. Anyway, so I thought I would appeal the cost of the ticket because I didn't want to pay that much. On a side note, we received the notice to register the car at the same time Chris was laid off, so we kind of had other things on our minds.

Ok, so I show up to court, with Child #1-we'll call her Busy Pants, and Child #2-let's call him Grunty Pants ('cause if he isn't eating something, he's a gruntin'.) So, I walk into this appointment with a 'set' time of 8:30, and the ticket said to report to judge So and So's office. I am thinking that I am going to walk right in, explain the sad situation of Chris getting laid off and be forgiven and scurry home. NOPE. 8 people in line before me. A 16 year old with his mom who looks like she isn't older than 25. I know , that math on that doesn't work, but the point is she looked very young too. A 30-something with dark rimmed glasses. A construction worker type. What were they all doing in line before me?

I get in line at 8:25. Busy Pants starts running up and down the isle, but staying within view. 8:35 rolls around and line is still very long, I am worried that I am going to miss my scheduled appt. and Grunty pants starts up. So I dig a small bag of Cheerios out of my bag. Meanwhile, Busy Pants is trying to get a stranger to give her a quarter for the M&M machine and did I mention there is only one lady manning the desk? And she is the friendly type who likes to chew the fat with each line member. 8:45, I am still in line and there is more grunting and Busy Pants has spotted an exit door. Few minutes later, only one person in front of me, and chatty Kathy Lady behind the desk has like a 10 minute conversation with the criminal in front of me. Ok, maybe he wasn't a criminal, but why else were all of these law breakers in line ahead of me? And why didn't anyone offer to let me butt ahead? I am trying to plead with my eyes to the lady to let her know that she needs to HURRY up and stop gabbing. Couldn't she hear Grunty Pants and see Busy Pants running around? She looks at me and finally waves me on up.

Finally, I get the front of the line, fill out my paper work. Then she starts chatting me up.

"How old is your baby? "

"Wow, doesn't he look big?"

"We were just talking (her and the other lady who was now back there) about our grand kids. I have 2 this age and she has 1."

Then she tells me that I can wait out in the hall until the judge comes in. It when then, that I noticed the paper taped on the court room door that stated, It probably isn't a good idea to bring children, because they can be distracting. Thanks for telling me now. It finally occurred to me that all of these people in line are going to talk to the judge before me. It is like 9:15 by the time she-the judge- walks in and Grunty pants is doing his thing and Sophie is stomping up and down the isle. The judge calls the first name and then practically yells to the whole room, what this mans offense was! I was suddenly very excited. I was going to get to hear what everyone in this room did. Then, my bubble was burst. The judge, we will call her Scowly Pants, looked at me and said, "you really need to take your kids outside, they are VERY distracting. Wait outside until you are called in." The tables had been turned, and now everyone was looking at me. So, I gathered up my two little distracting ones and left the room. I had no idea it was going to take so long.

I am in the hall contemplating my options when Sophie remembers the exit door she found earlier and runs outside, and across the parking lot to the car. I chase after her trying to calmly call after her because it was a police station and I didn't want the police officers who were mulling around to arrested me for beating her in public. I put Gunner in his car seat quickly and chased after her, doing my best to not rip all her hair out. I started the car and started calling my one-block-away neighbor and asked if she wouldn't mind watching the kids while I finished up with my ticket. She said sure, and I was grateful. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that this was day one of me potty training Sophie. She is in underwear, I have no diapers left and no extra change of clothes for her. I thought about telling my neighbor, but didn't and wished for the best:) Don't judge me...

I raced back to the court house/police station and got back into the court room. Still tons of people in there, so I didn't miss my turn. The room was very cold though and I started thinking about Sophie not having a diaper on. Should I have told them? I felt bad, so I quietly exited the room, called up neighbor and she said not to worry about it, her little boy was also potty training. Whew. Back into the room. Next lady up, no insurance, failure to yield. Next guy, no insurance, expired registration. Next up 16 year old and young mom. Charged with MIP. Minor in possession. 2nd offense. Judge goes through all of her stuff, like what do you plead, this is in violation of section blah blah blah, etc. Then she goes off for like 20 minutes on this kid like a counselor. What are you doing with your life? Why aren't your in school? What have you done to get your GED? How many job applications have you filled out? Where is your life going? Meanwhile I am freezing, there are still two people after 16 year old and young mom in line before me, and I am still hoping Soph hasn't pooped at the neighbor's house in her big girl undies. What feels like another million minutes go by and it is finally my turn. I stand up before the judge, nod my head politely and say yes ma'am to everything and explain my sad situation, and asked to at least have the ticket price reduced some. She looks at me, says she will give me a break and knock the ticket down to $40 bucks...with a $35 COURT FEE. WHHAAAAAAAA? So, my totally cost is now $75, instead of the original $85. I was so mad for the following reasons. A.) 3 hours of madness. B.) Trucked my kids down to said court and had to deal with them publicly alone with only a small bag of cheerios. C.) Only saved $10 dollars! Did I mention that everyone else's time before Scowly Pants was at LEAST 10 minutes? My time to shine lasted about 1 minute 30 seconds.

Good news, I went and picked up the kids and Sophie hadn't wet her pants and we got home safe and sound.

The AFTERNOON:

Let me backtrack. I had decided that I really wanted to get Sophie out of diapers. So I bought an e-book, called 3 day potty training. $25 bucks. I thought it would be worth it because that is cheaper than diapers and I was down to like 3 of Sophie's size. One of the rules of this 3 day potty training guarantee is that I have to not leave the house for 3 days and I have to completely stay with her the whole time, so I can watch her every move and read her signs. No Internet, no walks, etc. So I was going to start after my court date. Ha. More like my court debacle you don't. When we got home from the court stuff I started the training in earnest. I watched her like a hawk, and I noticed she started to hold her butt and and look a little uncomfortable. We rushed to the potty (another rule is she has to go in the bathroom. I can use a trainer toilet or a big toilet, but I can't let her go in any other room.) I could tell she had to go, but she was holding it in. We did this about 4 times within the next half and hour. We would try for a few secs, and then put her undies back on. She would run out and look very uncomfortable again. Finally, it worked and she went. It came out like a fire hydrant. We danced and celebrated and waived the potty stick and got stickers and all sorts of stuff. I continued to watch her the rest of the day and she did great. She went two more times that day. She still held it in when she really had to go, but no accidents. That night, when it was time for her to go to bed, she wet her bed because she was mad at us and was screaming. But she went through the night all dry and did great.

That NIGHT:

I had to clean the bank. I left about 9 and when I got there and started with the routine. I got in the elevator with the bucket, cleaning caddy and vacuum. I must have bumped the call button with the bucket because I heard a dial tone and few beeps and then, "911, what is your emergency?"

"Ooops, I must have pushed the button on accident. Sorry"

"What is your name?" I told her

"What is your location?" I told her

"What are you doing there? " I told her, then she said ok, and hung up.

I figured they would send out a unit to check, so I kept my eyes out while I dusted chair legs. I went into a dark office because this banker had been gone that day and quickly went about dusting. Then I heard a knock on the window and I about peed my pants. There was a police officer, standing in wind-blown willows, in the shadows outside the bank. I tried not to look completely shocked and he pointed to the front door. I figured they were going to come, but it still took me by surprise.

I let him in the front door, hoping that wouldn't set off some loud alarm. It didn't thank goodness. He asked how I was doing and if he could see some I.D. so that they could see if I was who I said I was. I assured them I am who I said I am, and we walked to my purse. I showed him, he radioed it in and left me to my cleaning.

I have been cleaning this bank for a year and half and have never even been close to that call button. I hope to never have to use it again!

WEDNESDAY:

Sophie did great today with going in the toilet. I asked her a hundred times at least to tell me when she had to go and watched her intently. She struggled with the poopy and had to go but didn't want to go on the potty. We tried, and she would cry and then put her undies back on, and she would immediately start to complain her butt hurt. After a few rounds like this, she released in the potty and we made a big deal again. She only had one accident after to poopy because she was washing her hands and I wasn't watching her.

She went potty this morning again in the potty. I have noticed she goes much faster if I step out of the room. News Flash, this just in...she just went poopie again just as easy as could be. I thought she had to pee, stepped outside the door and heard more than pee. Came back in and she declared she had pooped, was finished and, "Where is my ice cream Momma?" I think we got this thing nipped in the bud. I am sure there will be more accidents, but I am proud of my stubborn ms. busy pants. It was long few days, but good ones. Thank you 3 day potty training e-book. I am going to start Gunner at 22 months like the book suggests. Only 13 more months to go!