"Out the Window"

I used to be a working mom. I would teach school all day, and then rush to the sitter's house to pick up Rachel. You all have been there, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

On this occasion, for some reason, I had my mom's car. Usually I drive my Honda mini-van. The cool one with the folding back seat and back passenger windows that don't go down. I can't recall why she was here....just visiting? Watching baby Mark? Maybe my car was in the shop. Any way, I had her car.

On this sunny afternoon, I had picked Rachel up and was making my way home. I made sure I had everything; her bag and night-night. Night-night's were what my kids called a receiving blanket that they had become attached to; I think they're known as 'lovies' where ya'll come from. Any way, we went no where without this. It was put away during the school day, but it was the first thing to come out of the bag in the car. Rachel's was this cool Fisher Price bug one that I got free somewhere.

So, now were are driving down the busy street, a six-laner, on the way home. Rachel asks if we can have the windows down. This is a special treat since our van doesn't do that. I'm always leary of this, however, the back windows only go down half-way in mom's car, so I humor her.

I'm driving down Ulmerton Road, and there isn't much traffic. The sun is shining, I'm through with work, we're headed home and life is good. But, I begin to notice that while the drivers in the oncoming lanes go by us, I'm getting some weird looks. So, I do the inventory in my head....is mom's car okay? Do they have a weird front plate? I didn't leave anything on top of the car, right? So what's up?

I call back to Rach to make sure she is okay. This was before mom invested in kid mirrors. Rachel's reply is simple laughter. And something about 'out the window'. So, I do the freak quick turn in my seat to see what she had done.

She is hanging on to a corner of her night-night as it flies out the car window like a flag.

I quickly turn in my seat, do the 'mom snatch', and roll up the windows. And thank my lucky stars the stupid thing didn't actually fly out the window.

Moral of the story: Driving with your windows down is for dogs, not kids.

Addendum: About 5 to 6 years later....in California...we're driving in our rental car and Rachel asks if she can put her window down. We let her, and 30 seconds later she is holding a Skittles wrapper out the window like a kite! Maybe we'll try in another 5 years....