Untitled...

so...I ran to the store today - Had to go to HEB to get a few things...it took about an hour, afterwards we went to starbucks, where I got my favorite white chocolate mocha frappaccino with an extra shot of espresso....Logan is always begging for my drink, so I got him the same thing - except I got his decaf and no extra shot! LOL We sat outside at Starbuck and I read Logan and Landry Toy Story....Logan is obsessed with Buzz...he has about 6 buzz toys....they just keep adding up! Shrek and Buzz are all he talks about. More on this later... After we got in the car I realized that I was out of gas so I drove over to the HEB gas station....
AND THIS IS THE REASON FOR THIS POST...
The HEB gas station is the kind where there is a little booth in the middle where there is an attendant....It isn't like a convenience store, where you go inside....So I pulled into the carport at the number 3 pump. ONly one port away from the attendants booth. I sat in my car searching for my credit card...I had just used it at starbucks, but couldn't find it anywhere...so when I finally came to the conclusion I must have left it at starbucks I decided to use the 20 bucks I did have in my wallet. Logan and Landry had fallen asleep, so I rolled the windows down and left the car on, with the AC going (not to mention it is 73 degrees outside) and I ran over to the attendant to pay for the gas...might I also add there was no line, and I was parked very closely. I was gone about 45 seconds...if that long...however long it took to run over, say I need 20 on pump 3 and run back....seriously, it was probably less than 30 seconds....so I am being generous, saying that it was 45 seconds. I got back, rolled up the windows, and turned off the car, and started the process of pumping the gas. All of a sudden this woman confronted me...she was at pump 2...she said, "I have just called the police, you should be ashamed of yourself." I literally looked behind me - I had no idea what was going on. So I said, "For what?" She said, "You broke the law, you left your children in the car without you - and you left it running." I didn't really think about what she said until later...but if you are going to leave kids in the car (which is against the law, and not something I do on a day to day basis) wouldn't you want to leave the car running? Anywho, I just looked at her for a minute thinking...oh my god, really? It really upset me, so I felt as if I needed to explain. I said, " I was only gone for a second and I had my eyes on the car the entire time." She said she had watched me get out of the car and go over to pay. She said, I know how long you were gone, but it doesn't matter you broke the law and the police are on the way." I was like, " Lady, you did what you felt was necessary, and so did I, My kids are sleeping, and I wasn't going to wake them up and get them out of the car for only a minute, only to put the back in." A few minutes later my pump went off. I got in the car, wrote down my name, address, phone number and license plate number. I waited for about 4 or 5 minutes and then I took it to the attendant and told him what had happened. I told him, I was going home and that if the police arrived he could give them my information and they could come to my house if they needed any more information. As I headed back to my car, the lady was driving off.
I called starbucks and sure enough, I had left my card, so I told them I was on my way. I drove back over....it is in the same strip as HEB, I was questioning whether to leave the kids again, and decided to call them and see if someone could meet me outside, while I explained that my kids were asleep and didn't want to have to get them out...luckily one of the workers came outside and met me at my car. I showed her my ID and she gave me the card, I gave her a $5 for coming outside, thanking her for understanding my situation, and then I drove home.
It has been nearly 3 hours, since then and I haven't heard from or seen the police, so I have no idea if they decided to not follow up since, neither of us were there, or if maybe she didn't REALLY call the police. I dont know....
I completely understand why she felt she needed to say something...but at the same time, if she saw me go to pay and saw that I wasn't exactly leaving them in the car while I went shopping, I dont see why she felt she needed to be so bitchy. Did I do the wrong thing? probably - The law does say I can't leave them in the car. But I weighed my options and did what I thought was best. I knew I wasn't going to be gone, but for just a second...I kept my eyes on my car. I dont know. If had to make the decision again, I would choose to do the same thing. Anyway...so that is what happened....any feedback. And yes - I know I broke the law, so you dont need to remind me. I felt horrible, I still do, but have any of you mothers ever been in a situation like this....okay stupid question...If you are a mother, you have been in a similar situation. Would you have done the same thing? Or would you have unloaded the sleeping kids?
Again, I must reiterate that I was gone less than a minute, with my eyes on the car....and I do NOT condone leaving children in a car unsupervised. But I feel this was a different circumstance...I was still supervising them in a way. I dont know....I am torn between thinking that I did something wrong and feeling that I did the right thing.....hmmmmm.