Guilty As Charged

As I've mentioned many times, Celeste is attending preschool this year. It is located at a church, and I drop her off and pick her up everyday. At the beginning of the year, it was no difficulty to park in the parking lot and make the big trek to her classroom upstairs. However, as I've gotten further along in my pregnancy, I've occasionally parked in the handicapped parking spots to run in for pick up or drop off. I had been watching many, many Moms do this for months...a lot of them had newborns, and a lot of them just had kids to drop off. Nothing else is going on at the church at this time, and it appeared that it wasn't an issue....until today, one day before my due date!

I walked out from picking up Celeste this afternoon, and there is a police man going down the line of cars writing ticket after ticket to all of us Moms that are parked there picking up our kids. I'm feeling miserable, and I am in pain, and, and, and...whatever my justifications are, I clearly deserve a ticket because I do not in fact HAVE a handicap sticker. He is quickly snatching all of our drivers licenses as we come out to load up our kids. The Mom in front of me argues with the police man about handing out the tickets. I just accept my fate (mostly, I did make a comment to the Mom that had argued with the officer, that maybe this would put me into labor, and I'm pretty sure he overheard) and hand over my license. He eventually comes to my car where I am waiting.

Officer: Ma'am is there a reason you are parked here?
Me: Yes...(putting a hand to my 9 month pregnant belly, and not being able to say anything else cause I'm biting back tears)
Officer: If you are going to park in these spots, you need to display the proper decals.
Me: Yes sir. (I've started crying, and feeling like an idiot!! I'm not crying because I'm getting a ticket, and I'm not crying to try to get out of the ticket. I'm just crying because I was stupid enough to park there, and I'm crying because I hadn't asked my doctor to give me a handicap sticker because I would totally qualify for one, and I'm crying because I'm nine months pregnant.)
Officer: Is everything on your drivers license correct? You live in Mckinney?
Me: Yes sir. (sucking in a sob as best as possible) I'm sorry. (I'm apologizing to the officer for crying.)
Lady parked next to me also getting a ticket: Are you okay?
Me: Yes, I'm fine. Just being emotional because I'm pregnant. I'm fine. (I pull it together.)
Officer: You come closer to qualifying for parking here than everyone else, but you do have to have the proper decals to do so.
Me: Yes sir, I understand. (No longer crying)
Officer: Please sign here in the bottom right hand corner. It doesn't signify guilt, but says that you will contact the Courts to resolve this. If you mention that you are pregnant maybe they will reduce the charge.
Me: Okay.

He hands me the ticket, and I close my door and start crying again!! I'm trying to find my keys, and I hear a knock on the window. The officer. I roll down my window, and

Officer: When are you due if you don't mind my asking.
Me: Tomorrow. (trying to stifle the new set of tears)
Officer: Hand me the ticket.
Me: Speechless. Hand him the ticket.
Officer: I'm going to VOID this. It's not fair...
Me: (Interrupting) No sir, it's not. (Hello, shut up, Danielle!)
Officer: I'm going to VOID this, and I will void it in the system. You are probably gonna have a baby tomorrow, right?
Me: Right.
Officer: Just don't park here again. It is a heinous thing that is going on here. You won't need to contact the city since I'm voiding this.
Me: Yes sir. I won't park here again! (sniffle, sniffle) Thank you.
Lady next to me: Smiles and waves at me as I leave. She is glad for me that I'm not getting a ticket.

I drive away and the tears really start flowing. My poor kids are hounding me with a thousand questions about why I am sad and they both start trying to cheer me up. Celeste suggests some deep breathing technique. "Take a deep breath Mom, and let it out real slow." I do it. It helps some. Lol. Caedmon is offering me a picture from the back seat saying, "Here Mom, this will make you happy." It takes me the rest of the way home to gather my composure!

I'm grateful I didn't get the ticket I deserved. I'm wishing the encounter would've put me into labor!