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.

Teenagers....Sheese

You'd think my teenager, The Eldest, would be anxious to get her driver's license like most teens ON THE PLANET, but NOOOOO, she has to be all unique and different and in no hurry to drive at all. Which means I have chauffeur duty in order to get her to her classes, tutors, and various activities. I took her to take the test for her learner's permit but she bombed. I keep bugging her to study and I'll take her in again but she won't do it. I finally laid down the law a couple of days ago and told her Mom's taxi service is out of business, for her anyway, when she turns 18. (Which isn't that far away.)

I'm of two minds about it, however, since car accidents are such a huge cause of teen fatalities. On the one hand it would make my life a lot easier if she could drive, but on the other hand it is a dangerous thing for her to do and I would be constantly worried. (I'm a huge worrier at the best of times.) I keep nudging her but I don't want to push too hard; if she's not ready, she's not ready.

I got her today, though. She's been jonesing for a burrito from a little Mexican place that's not too far away but it's not exactly in our neighborhood or on my regular driving routes. I pointed out that if she were driving, she could go get her own darn burrito. I think she's tempted. ;)