COPS!!! I'm SERIOUS!

So, apparently, I am a terrible mother who doesn't deserve to have children.

That's right... the COPS were called on me!

No, really, I'm serious. The police were called to my house.

Here's the story: I stopped off at Wal-Mart after picking up my older two boys from the rec center. I had all three older boys with me, and I should have known better, but hope springs eternal. So, after going through the store and hearing, "Can we...?" and "Mommy, I want..." nonstop and having to chase down 3 and finally toss him in the cart because he REFUSED to listen... I lost it in the parking lot.

9 ignored me and proceeded to open up three very large bottles of Gatorade for him and his two brothers. 3 then proceeded to dump half of his bottle all over the back of the van, before I had even gotten around to the driver's seat. HOW DO THEY DO IT? Did I mention our van is relatively new... I get upset if stuff is spilled in it... because DH gets upset if stuff is spilled in it.

I lost it, I admit it, I was hollering in the parking lot. I stormed around the van, hollered at them to give me the stupid drinks, and proceeded to tell them very loudly that they were never coming to the grocery store with me again. Now, when I got into the driver seat, I noticed a woman staring at me. I gave her a "What are you looking at?" look and drove off... after gripping my head and screaming loudly, "AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" I then took a deep breath and drove home (which is right down the street).

When I got home I told the boys to get in the house and get towels to mop up the mess. I came in, lamented to DH that I didn't know why I kept doing this to myself and proceeded to cry while I put the groceries away. I noticed a car slowly driving around the school across the street and thought briefly that someone was lost.

20 MINUTES LATER THE COPS WERE RINGING MY DOORBELL!!!

"Could you come outside please?"

Holy crap... what is going on? "Um, okay, sure, let me put the dog in the back yard." (Harley was going nuts.)

"Were you guys just at Wal-Mart?"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? "Yes, sir, I was, and Yes, sir, I was screaming at my kids in the parking lot, but I did not beat them no matter how much they deserved it!"

"Honestly, I don't really think you did. But, we have to investigate these calls. You understand."

"Absolutely."

"Why were you so upset with them?"

"Because, they had just dumped half a gatorade in the backseat when I told them not to open them until we got home!"

"Well, hell, I would have had the same damned reaction!" I kid you not, the nice Officer McGinnis said this!

"Yup, I was not happy with them. When we got home they got to clean it up too."

"Good!"

"But, I did not beat them.."

"Well, frankly, I'd prefer it if you did." Color me stumped! "If more people made their children own up to their actions and spanked them I wouldn't have to deal with them later on in life!"

I swear I just stood there and blinked at him... as did his rookie he was training. The boys then proceeded to trot outside wanting to meet the police officers (we like police officers, firefighters, and soldiers in our house). When asked, 9 freely admitted he had opened the bottles, but that I hadn't been very clear on when they COULD in fact open the Gatorades. (9 is on a fast-track to law school if you ask me) This brought a laugh and then a lecture from Officer McGinnis on how 9 needed to listen to his mother. 3 at first thought they were there to take him away for spilling the Gatorade (wonder where he got THAT idea... 9?) and locked us out of the house. Good thing 9 was still inside and let us in.

Basically, the officers said they had to check it out, make sure that we weren't killing our kids and they were sorry to bother us. They walked away laughing. Meanwhile, our friends in the neighborhood were driving by staring wondering what in the world had happened that the police were on our front porch. *sigh* And I am southern enough to be bothered by what my neighbors might think of me... at least for ten minutes or so. LOL

Yanno, I never once slapped my kids in that parking lot, I never pulled them out and made them walk home, I never did anything beyond scream at them and warn them of the consequences of their actions. They would never get to go to the store with me unless it was an emergency (no milk and no DH to cover me), they would be cleaning up the mess they made and... The Gatorade was confiscated to be re-released at a later date. BUT, someone felt that I went over the line... I guess they either don't have children or their children are angels because they don't "need" to yell at them or hellions because they obviously never yell at their children about the consequences of their actions at the top of their lungs. Well.. bully for them. These are my children who are ALL BOY! And there are days where my children are darned lucky I think it would scar them if I spanked them in public.

So, basically, someone had nothing better to do than to follow me down the street from the Neighborhood Wal-Mart and then drive around while she made sure she got my address right when she was talking to the police. Pretty convinced it was that lady in the parking lot staring at me. When the cops showed up on my doorstep I had no idea why they were there. I thought another one of our cars had been broken into...

Nope, apparently a nosey woman's call that I was "possibly" harming my children causes them to make haste, where as when someone breaks into our van, or bashes out a window, and they can't be bothered to come out and take a report we had to go into the station and fill it out ourselves. Grr... if I see that lady again... I'll smile sweetly and ask her if SHE would like to spend a day in the grocery store with all three of them.

Okay, I'm done. I almost want to laugh now... at the time I was quite a bit furious that some nosey ass woman had no business sticking her nose in my business. But, oh well... she'll get hers someday. Good thing the boys are charming and just "so obviously abused and neglected. Some freaking people.

The officers were very sweet and understanding so it was more a conversation about friends.

Okay, I'm tired. It's been an emtional day. No kiddie quote today. I had to give a nother rant. I'll try to post some pictures of Harley tomorrow... he's so purty now that his winter coat has been combed out.

I'm losing my ability to make sense now, so that was the most exciting stuff to happen to me today... let's see how the rest of the week to see whatelse happens.