Another story: One time when the twins were about 14, meaning Lize was two with everyone else between two years apart, Marshall had trained his parakeet Whitey to do fantastic tricks. As I was frying chicken (!) he brought him in to show me he could do a flip. Well, Whitey took off and landed in the frying pan... with the chicken. I immediately grabbed him and put him in a cup of cold water... he seemed very alert so I thought maybe it was okay however when I checked he was NOT. Everyone was horrified so I made them wait until Michael got home from work so he could check him out. to check him out. He had the kids stay at the house and took him to the barn... he lifted him from the water, noting his legs had fallen off. Whitey 'flew away' down by the barn. Mercifully!
He told me he could arrest me and put me in jail. I said, 'Officer, do you see that swaying bouncing vehicle with seven crazy children in it? Well, go ahead and send me to jail, that will be fine with me... I could use a rest'. He answered, 'Well I'm not going to arrest you, I'm going to ticket you for no license. Go home now.' (Which I did not!)
The kids were heartbroken so the next day after Michael left for work I told them to load into the station wagon and we would run to Walmart to get another. Unfortunately, I had not renewed my drivers license for about 6 or 8 years since I never drove... too busy with the 7 kids to drive. It was before seatbelt laws and the mood in the car was excited... Mom was driving!
We were almost to El Reno when I saw the flashing lights of a police car... I was being pulled over. The officer came to my side and asked to see my license because of the 'activity' in the car. The kids looked horrified since they knew I didn't have one, but I persevered grabbing my purse, looking through it, exclaiming, 'Where is my license... did one of you kids take it out of my purse'. I kept looking, under the seat, in the side pocket, in the glove box until he had me get out of the station wagon, now swaying with kids jumping from seat to seat, and come to the cruiser. I got in the cruiser with him, he ran the plates and my name and announced, 'You don't have a license do you? Why did you lie to me'. I told him it seemed the right thing to do at the time.
We were almost to El Reno when I saw the flashing lights of a police car... I was being pulled over. The officer came to my side and asked to see my license because of the 'activity' in the car. The kids looked horrified since they knew I didn't have one, but I persevered grabbing my purse, looking through it, exclaiming, 'Where is my license... did one of you kids take it out of my purse'. I kept looking, under the seat, in the side pocket, in the glove box until he had me get out of the station wagon, now swaying with kids jumping from seat to seat, and come to the cruiser. I got in the cruiser with him, he ran the plates and my name and announced, 'You don't have a license do you? Why did you lie to me'. I told him it seemed the right thing to do at the time.
As Michael got home from work, the kids rushed to the gate joyfully shouting, Mom almost got sent to the slammer!, the Police are after her, and so forth... over and over again. Michael was in shock... I think maybe he grounded me for a week over that fiasco!
*I had to take a test and get a license the next week.
Update on the story:
Update on the parakeet story: Naturally I defied the officer and went to Walmart to get a new Whitey... who was green! (If I had the guts to drive without a license, I would of course defy the officer.)
I had to see him in Court and present my new license, which was traumatic to get... imagine taking the written/driving test again!
No comments:
Post a Comment