That cop had no IDEA what he was getting himself into...

I took a bit of an unexpected blogging break.  Not that I meant to.  Just overwhelmed.  Last weekend, after finally starting to feel better, I had one last paper and my final to do for that class.  I also had planned make-overs for a friend and I, and Tony and I had a date night.  On top of running errands, doing laundry, etc.  Then, Tony went out of town on Monday, and I played single mom until he came back late on Friday.  During the week, I had little to no time to sit down, let alone read or write blogs.  Hence, the break.

It was a busy week though.  One particularly lovely day (Tuesday), I woke up with a swollen eye.  Now, I've had this happen before, when I learned that changing out your mascara should happen more than once a year.  Basically, my lids were swollen, and almost closed on my right eye.  The only explanation I had for this was that I used an old night cream trying to counteract the extreme dryness of my skin.

Why did I have extreme dryness?  Well, when going to get our makeovers, I noted that I had picked up some skin care items a couple months before, and that I had been having breakouts since then.  More than usual.  We found out that the lady had given me an oil based moisturizer that was causing these breakouts.  Unfortunately, the lady I saw last weekend took this an extra step further and gave me the acne products.  These acne products, after three days had severely dried my skin and my face was tight and tingly as well as having a swollen eye.

So, Tony was gone, my eye was swollen, and I hadn't slept much.  Mostly because Mia kept coughing and screaming during the night, but also because Tony wasn't there.  So every sound needed to be analyzed and a decision needed to be made as to the necessity of pulling the bat out from under my bed and exploring every.  Single. Noise.

I woke up late - but wasn't super worried about it.  I was working from home that day, and just needed to get Olivia to day care.  Day care is only 5 minutes away from us.  I woke up late, and the girls got up late.  Olivia wanted to wear a skirt.  We had to argue about what she should wear with said skirt.  I had to explain seven times that a t-shirt would not look good with a sweater skirt, not to mention it was between 20 and 30 degrees, so I wanted her to wear something warmer.  Finally, she wore something that was suitable and made it downstairs.  She had to make her lunch because she's been lying to her teachers and scheming hot lunches.  Then, we would get billed for this.  I had to call the teacher and the lunch lady to tell them not to let her have hot lunches any longer.  Olivia proceeded to take 20 minutes to make her lunch, which consisted of a cheese sandwich, bag of chips, package of carrots with ranch dressing and bottle of Gatorade.  Seems like it should take 20 minutes right?

Now, we're running late for me to log in and begin work on time.  We leave and make it almost to Olivia's day care when she goes, "Oh!  I forgot my lunch!"  Great.  I turned around and drove back home to get her lunch.  

Now, we're really running late and on our way back, the buses are coming into the schools we pass on the way to day care.  I'm on a four-lane road, and there is a bus on my right and a stupid little car in front of me.  The bus and car stop to let five buses get into the school parking lot.  I'm getting more and more stressed, so when these guys finally move again, I get around the car and move up to the posted speed limit of 40.  

That's when I see him.  The cop.  Just waiting.  "Oh crap!" I think.  "I didn't see the lights flashing.  I don't see kids.  Is it 20 or 40?"  I don't have time to slow any more before passing the cop, and he pulls out after me.  Double Crap on toast!

He turns on the lights and we both stop.  I fish out my license and tell Olivia this is her fault - she should have remembered her lunch!  The cop comes to the window and asks for my license and insurance.  He then says, "You know it's 20 in a school zone."

"I didn't see the lights flashing for 20."

"Did you come past both schools?"

"Yes I got stopped next to this bus that stopped to let in like 5 other buses and I didn't see the lights or any students and I'm taking my kid to her school but we're running late because she forgot her lunch and we came all the way out here and came back and our coming back again and I live over there and I always do 20 when I see those lights and I just didn't see the lights because I live over there and I always do 20 except this time when I didn't see the lights."  Yes, this entire run-on sentence coming from extreme dry skin, over make-upped, swollen eye crazy mom that is obviously stressed out.  I looked like I had Downs Syndrome - even more than I normally do.

He looked at my insurance card and said, "I'm going to let you go with a verbal warning.  It's 20 in a school zone."

Can you blame him?  What would you have thought pulling this over?

Later, when Olivia talked to Tony, she told him the police had finally caught me.  She has also made it a point to tell me the speed limit and to note when I speed.  Thanks, Olivia.  I'm still gonna speed, mostly because that's how I like to drive.