Scared Straight: The Infant Addition

Our child care plan is a bit of a mishmash. When I first returned to work, I had wanted to come back part time – working on the days that my husband didn’t. My job really wanted me back full time, though, so they agreed I could work from home the 2 days a week he worked for 2 months and then after that one day a week. Of course “working from home” with an infant is a bit of a mess, so after a few weeks I went back to them and we worked out a part time arrangement. Our current arrangement is as follows – I work Mon-Wed. My husband works a rotating 2 (24 hour) days a week so that he will always work one of my work days. On that day, his Mom watches the baby.

Of course this doesn’t account for when he works overtime… or teaches. Or has to go to court. So this plan was bound to have some hang ups. Today’s hang up was it was his day to do daddy daycare and he needed to go to court. (As his Mom had watched her while he worked overtime yesterday and will be watching her for his normal workday tomorrow, we couldn’t ask her to do a 3rd day.) So off my not yet 5 month old went for her first brush with the law. We’ll call this the Montessori approach to teaching her about the judicial system. Or her first scared straight program.

Now, as it turns out, my husband didn’t have to testify (and therefore didn’t have to hand my angel off to the bailiff? Oh jeez… I don’t want to think about how that would have worked… Though he did know everyone there as he’s had to testify before, so there weren’t complete strangers involved. But that sounds a little like justifying…). Anyway, this case was a no show and a bench warrant was issued so he just had to wait. While he waited he met the cream of society. My favorite stories of the “people in your neighborhood,” today, Angel… are - There was a woman in her early 30’s who had been caught with pot. It was a repeat offense, so her lawyer had told her – look, I’m not going to be able to get you off. You’re going to go to jail. My husband looked at the baby and said (within their earshot) – don’t do drugs. Apparently her lawyer found it a lot funnier than she did… The other interaction was a VERY big man sat down next to my little family to await his hearing for a battery charge (can you say “thug” baby? Good girl!). The baby was looking at him (while her Dad was thinking – don’t stare! Don’t make eye contact!) and eventually shot him one of her biggest smiles. Apparently, he totally “broke character” and started baby talking to her! Ah, that’s my girl! She’ll break down even the most hardened of criminals!

I wonder what we’ll learn tomorrow…