In reaction to the crocodile tears freely flowing from my daughter's eyes my husbands looks at me and winks," tsk, tsk.tsk...if only she could run as fast as she drives..."

Not funny, but yes, it really is.

So Eldest got her first speeding ticket today.

I met her at the front door as she was draggin' butt up the stairs with cello, gym bag and backpack in tow...I knew by the look on her face that something was kinda sorta wrong.

"How was your day," I asked.

"o.K. I reckon," she replied. ( Insert a heavy dramatic sigh here )

"Fess up!" I demanded.

And she did to the tune of one hundred and and twenty-five bucks. That's what it cost to go 14 mph over the speed limit on the campus of Appalachian State University. Ouch. And that is before adding the extra costs of insurance. Yikes! She's gonna hate that.
Eldest hoped that tears would buy her a slight reprieve or at the best of all possible worlds, a 'daddy bail out.' Nope. Still, she snuggled in my arms and said, 'I love you."
I replied, "I love you too sweetheart. This isn't the end of the world but, I'm not buying you out of this one. Consider this yet another one of those stinky life lessons that you hate me to nag you about."

I'm all about Tough Love ;-)

Insert a 'glad it wasn't me that got the ticket this time' smile.