Here come the COPS!

For once, they are not after me for speeding. I mean, for going too slow. They could have been looking for Farmer Boy today.
We went to our local shopping mall -- Wal-Mart. He needed batteries for a reading light. LaRue wanted to eat the package, so I asked Farmer Boy to carry them instead. Well, that didn't mean all the way to the car!
We got out to the car and I noticed the package in his hand. I asked if we had paid for them and he gave me the typical male response: "You told me to carry them." Mothers everywhere would be proud of me. I didn't scold him. I didn't even raise my voice.
Instead, I calmly strapped everyone in their seats and said I had better go back in and pay for them. On the way to the self-checkout, I commented to the clerk that their security alarm must not be working really well. She smiled.
I paid for the batteries and proudly walked out with a smile on my face. Inside, I was relishing the life-lesson that I was teaching my children.
Now what was the life lesson I was teaching them five minutes later when we stopped by dad's work and I handed him the keys and said "YOUR son just stole something from Wal-Mart. And LaRue and Cookie Monster about got us kicked out of the movies. Where are your keys? They're all yours." (This was said in one breath, by the way).