Milestones

The Eldest hit a new milestone today, luckily only figuratively. She's learning to drive. After over 2 years of resisting ALL parental pressure to get her learner's permit, I prevailed! (Muahahahaha.) Once she had the permit in hand I signed her up with a local driving school; her first lesson with the very brave instructor was today. From the information they gave me when I signed her up I knew she would need a little bit of time behind the wheel before her first official lesson so I took her out to an abandoned parking lot over the weekend. I jumped in the passenger seat and she drove us around and around and around, just getting a feel for the car- where the controls are located, (wipers, blinkers, that kind of thing), braking without causing whiplash, and so forth. She did well; it didn't take her long to catch on. She was making some pretty wide turns at first, but she got better by the 100,000 time around. Well, OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but we both got bored and called it quits after what FELT like 100,000 times around.

The instructor picked her up today in a VW Bug with "Student Driver" plastered all over it and put her directly in the driver's seat. (WHAT! IS HE TOTALLY CRAZY!?!) Off they went, right into traffic. I'm so glad I wasn't here; her dad saw her off. (I was at my book club meeting.) I thought there would be more parking lot time, not directly into traffic! I am so glad I found out after the fact, but I still have more gray hair now. Parenting teenagers is NOT a job for the faint of heart.