this is NOT my day

After we got home from the Safeway this morning, Cooper was chanting: "this is not our day... this is not our day... this is not our day..."

My kids are pretty great parrots.

My day actually started off very nicely.  A little cuddle time with Brent and then off for a run.  Mornings are s l o w l y (because I LOVE my sleep) becoming my favorite time of day.  It's really the only time that Brent and I have to spend together.  You know, uninterrupted time without whining or hitting or teasing or crying or stinky diapers or accidents.  He wakes me up at 4:45 am and then gives me 15 minutes to s l o w l y wake up.  Then we workout together.  He's a great trainer.  My run this morning was the best yet.  All of those ab workouts and bike rides have made my legs and core much stronger.  And I only sucked wind on my last lap (the one where I push it as fast and hard as I can).  He's patient with me and says things like, "you can do it!"  and "you're stronger than you think!"  Then afterward he tells me how proud of me he is.

Then I get to take a nice, quiet shower and get dressed and enjoy the peace... until the kiddies wake up.  Lately they've been getting up around 6:45 - I think that Brent opening the front door to leave for work is their alarm clock.

And... it begins.

The morning madness.

The "Mommy will you get me milk in my cereal and milk in my cup" and "I want to watch TV!", and "Mommy you're not getting it fast enough!" and "Mommy, I want something else to eat..." from Cooper.

The daily morning meltdown as Mercedes gets dressed for school... because something always seems to go wrong and then I'm the meanest mom in the whole world.  When I make her lunch she wants to buy and when I don't have time to make one she tells me that she doesn't like to buy.

Lincoln is my morning angel.  He's always happy to see me and is happy to cuddle with his blanket and milk on the couch.  Then he plays and eats and eats and plays.  And poops.  And plays.  And gets into trouble - but with a big cutie grin on his face.

But the thing that was different about this morning that made today not my day?

The Washington State Highway Patrol.

Yup.

When we first moved here I was PARANOID about getting a speeding ticket.  I figured that I needed to be since most of the traffic goes 55 in a 60 zone.  They're all worried about getting a ticket, right?  I've always (except for my brief sojourn to the south) lived in areas where most vehicles move at 80 mph in a 65 zone.  I'm usually comfortable at 70 (providing the weather is good).  If it's raining/snowing/foggy I slow down.  As a mom I'm much more cautious than I was ten years ago when I felt immortal (and did A LOT of speeding).

But with Cooper screaming at me because he wanted a fruit snack NOW and not in 15 minutes when we got home and me just wanting to get HOME and focused on merging onto the freeway and into the left lane where people usually go at least 60 mph (it's more like 45 in the right), I wasn't paying as much attention to my speed as I should have been.

It had been YEARS - MANY years even - since I'd gotten a ticket.  Today I was ticketed for going FIVE miles per hour over the speed limit!!!!  (As a side note, when I was at traffic school in Lehi, UT the police man told us that we probably wouldn't ever get stopped unless we were going over 80).  I guess here in Washington where there's no income tax and a 9.5% sales tax they need to get their money from traffic violations.

So the rest of the way home I must have been chanting, "this is not my day."

I don't think that Brent will be ecstatic when I tell him that we owe Thurston County $93.00, and that traffic school isn't even offered - so our car insurance premium will probably increase.

How is YOUR day going?