Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Driving

Mommy won't let me drive yet. I don't know why. Daddy lets me do it, and I can get where I'm going just fine! But Mommy just says not to rush - my time will come.

Well, today we've got a guest post from Ms. Sheila, who lets her kids drive. Well, at least one of them...

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Good Morrrrrning Mozambique! (and people of the world everywhere!)

My name is Sheila, I'm guest bloggin today. (Everybody raise their glass and say, "Sheila!" ) I'm from Ohio...a long...cold....way off from Mozambique. I have a blog over at http://www.maviefolle.com should you ever want to visit. I don't have any babies, as mine are all teens now. (Yes, you may say a prayer for me, thank you).

My Middle Child is now learning to drive. (Did I already request prayers?) We practice driving in cemeteries. It's the ideal place because they have little 'streets' there, some stop signs, forks in the road and basically it's pretty dead there. I mean, you can't kill anyone. And this idea works out well with my own obsession with cemeteries. I love to walk around them and check out the graves and the history.

So when I feel the pressure on my chest from her happily taking a turn a little too fast, we can get out, take a break and check out some unique headstones. Life is good.

When I taught my oldest to drive 2 years ago, it was very scary. For some reason she couldn't get it into her head that you needed to slow down a little bit when turning a corner. I'd start out calmly saying, "Okay, now braaake.....brake....(panic sets in) BRAKE BRAKE BRAKE!" She's say...."Oh, don't worry, I know what I'm doing". I think I may have aged 5 years in that 6 months of training. And I now understand why they put those little handle bar thingies in the car by the top of the door.

My youngest will learn to drive in just 18 months. He is just like his father. He can't stand crowds, or waiting for anything over like a minute. My husband has decided that HE'LL teach the boy to drive. Which, for all my complaining on having to teach both girls, makes me even more nervous than the thought of me having to teach all 3.

See, Shane (my hubby) did the majority of our driving on a 2-week road trip out west (the western US). By the end of the 2nd day, after the kids helped him pry my foot out of the dashboard (you know....I was looking for that invisible brake) I was a nervous wreck. He doesn't like trucks.....on the highway.....and MUST...at all costs....NOT be behind them. Or next to them. And no one can drive slow (slow meaning the speed limit + 10 mph)

So I'm not entirely sure I want him to teach the boy to drive. I don't know if the world can handle two of them.

8 comments:

Prasti said...

LOL! great post. i have a "tween"...i can see what i have to look forward to.

dani said...

lol, sheila, my one-and-only turns 16 today, which (in kentucky)means she is eligible for her driver's permit, YIKES!!! i, too, have a passenger's brake foot thanks to my hubby (who also has it in his head that he's going to teach katherine to drive!!!
i'll say a prayer for you; please say one for katherine:)
love,
dani
ps. esme, you'll be driving soon enough; enjoy the ride while you can:)

ShEiLa said...

It is always a scary time trying to teach your kids to be responsible drivers. I taught all four of ours... so good luck.
ToOdLeS.ShEiLa

Kori said...

I am too impatient to do a very good job of teaching either of my teens....and too mean, so all I can do is hope the Driver's Ed teacher is better, ha ha.

Dana said...

great post!!!

Tari said...

too funny! not something i'm looking forward to with my boys - i'm glad it's a long way off.

i didn't see my dad all throughout my teens and 20's, and when we first got back together after 17 years he was in the car from the airport with me for maybe 20 minutes before he burst out (while clutching the dashboard) "boy, can i tell your MOTHER taught you how to drive!" it lightened everything between us so much - it was hysterical.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all your cute comments! And to little MoziEsme'...I left you a little award over at me place when you get back you can pick it up!

if you don't get there for awhile, it's under Marie Antoinette in the search bar

Andrea said...

haha...let's just say I'm glad that I have over 13 years to wait until my oldest is ready to drive!!