Cub told my trainer to watch out for my mouth...

I swear. I curse. I try not to take the Lord’s name in vain…but every other word is fair game. I don’t parent with hypocrisy…so at one point I tried to stop swearing to be a better Mommy. I went the financial incentive route…and established a home version of the office cuss jar. If the kids caught me swearing I paid them a quarter (each kid for each word they called me on)…and a dollar for the “F” word. My oldest the mathbrain kept a running total. I was shelling out about ten bucks per kid per week. (bad habits are expensive)

It was one of those evenings when I was late leaving work…three kids in the car….somewhere between two different schools…sports practice…music lessons…and I HAD to go to the market to shop for dinner. I was cutting through side streets avoiding rush hour traffic in the pouring rain.

The Cub was about eight years old and riding “shotgun.” The girls were in the backseat ranting and raving about their days at an ever-increasing decibel level. I drove by the overpass of the freeway…trying to judge if that would be the fastest route. Cub starts calling out…..”take the freeway…take the FREEWAY”.

The freeway is gridlock. Red tail lights goin’ nowhere. I avoided the onramp. The Cub is yelling now…TAKE THE FREEWAY….I WANNA GO ON THE FREEWAY!!”. I look over at my sweet boy...he has big tears pouring from his eyes and rolling down his face. He is totally devastated.

I stare at him incredulously and ask…
"What is wrong? Why do you want to take the freeway?"

In a full blown meltdown he wails,
“I MAKE MORE MONEY ON THE FREEWAY”