She got her learners last fall - and lucky for us, winter hit shortly after, so her driving experience consisted of driving around one empty parking lot (and hitting a shrub) and pulling from one parking stall into the next one.
We figured there's no rush - she can't get her licence till she's 16 anyway so we have lots of time to practice... Thing is, that little licence is burning a hole in her wallet.
My girl wants to drive.
All 85 pounds of her...
And so, my tiny heart unfolds her legs behind the wheel of our 12 passenger van, The Silver Fox. She checks the mirrors and moves the seat forward. She holds that monstrous steering wheel at a picture perfect 10 and 2 and with her small foot on the break pedal, she shifts that beast into drive.
My feet try to boar holes in the ground, i'm sweating and nauseated and audibly frustrated with all the vehicles parked on the road that she attempts to navigate around... she's over correcting to the right, over correcting to the left - the panic chokes me and i find there are no space bars in my speech.
"i'dbeturningnow i'dbeturningnow turnturnturnturnTUUUUUURRRRRRNNNNNN!!!!! Notthatmuch notthatmuch NOT THAT MUCH!!!!!!"
i glance at the speedometer.
10 kilometers per hour. Ten.
Three times around that block - i don't think we went over ten.
"Okay," i breathe, "You can pull over now - gently."
She pulls about 3 inches over - directly in front of someone's driveway and breaks hard.
"Good enough?" she asks.
i glance behind us. No one is coming.
"Yup. Good enough."
i slip into the drivers seat and buckle up.
You never know what kind of crazies are out on the road these days....
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9 comments:
Come fall I should take her to my parents and let her drive around the empty fields :) I guess I take for granted that I was driving long before my learners.... :) Learning to drive in the city is completely different I guess ;) Way to go Cai
ohhh this makes me laugh! I so remember when this was me!
I believe teaching my children to drive was/is my least favourite part of parenting!
Eeek!
I'm thankful for dusty backroads and (pre-dented) farm trucks to learn on :)
hate to tell you this but you will feel this way with every single child!!! I told Trent that number two child learning to drive was completely up to him to supervise :)
Ahhhhh! We need us some country roads in the city :)
Karen - i will die young if i have to teach them all to drive... i'm hoping Neil will do the lion's share, he's so mellow.
Poor kids living where there are these narrow roads, learning to drive on our big beast, but i guess that's what they'll have to drive, so might as well start there.
Absolutely hysterical. I have vivid memories of my mom FREAKING OUT while I was learning to drive. It got so bad that I refused to drive with her anymore and only went places with my dad. Oh my.....I have this coming my way too....scary times. (((HUGS))
OK I laughed so hard at this! That will totally be me in 6 years! Too funny!
Laughed hard, but gulped realizing this exact experience is going to turn me completely gray if I'm not already. Hoo boy! I'm just a little terrified now.
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