Nanny Nightmares – After School Activities: The Kids and I Appear in Court (Chapter 5)

No More DWI (Driving While Interviewing)

Still no nanny, but between my mom and working from home a couple of afternoons, I managed. It’s several weeks after I received my moving violation for taking a left on a red rather than sitting in the middle of a busy intersection, and it’s time to appear in municipal court to argue my case. I really thought I’d have a nanny by now. I never dreamed I’d have to pick my girls up from school, give them lunch in the car, and bring them with me to court to appeal my ticket. This really adds some diversity to their after school activities – I know, I am exposing my children to government and law. Yeah, right.

We head for the court room which is filled with decent looking citizens who are waiting for their opportunity to argue their moving violation. I wish I had thought to bring some extra books to keep my girls occupied while sitting in the courtroom, it’s incredibly quiet and every time one of my girls wiggles, it sounds loud. While we are waiting, I jot some notes down on the back of an envelope to organize my thoughts. My girls want a turn with my pen, shhh! After about 30 minutes, my youngest announces that she has to “go potty.” We’ve been working on teaching her to whisper, but all the lessons are lost in the moment. Everyone in the courtroom turns to look our direction (I am the only one with young children). I quietly walk towards the front of the room to give my name to the policeman so that I don’t miss my turn while I take my children to the bathroom.

A couple of minutes after we are reseated, the judge calls my name and I approach the front of the courtroom. I state my case simply and the judge excuses my ticket. He then tells the girls they can bring my paperwork to him, and then he can show them his light-up pen. My older daughter is too shy and stays close to me. My younger daughter brings the judge the papers and he hands her his light-up pen. She is off like a shot thinking that it was a gift. Great, now we’re going to get in trouble for stealing J. My youngest brings the judge his pen back and the courtroom gets a good chuckle. I head out with my girls to go home so they can nap, and I can get some work done. On the way to the car, my older daughter asks me, “Mommy, so what did you do wrong at that red light?” Stay tuned for Chapter 6 of Nanny Nightmares…