My eldest child, Sissy, turned 14 this past January. She has been working to earn the right to study for her driver's learning permit. Sissy's attitude changed and she became a sweet (relatively) and helpful girl. Because of this, we let her study for her permit. Mr Farmer brought home a book and she began to study. She studied and she studied. She took notes and she took the practice tests online. She took the practice test every day, several times a day and passed it every time.
So, today, we had to be in town for something else and I decided she was ready to try to take the real thing. We loaded up the truck and we moved to Beverly...Hills that is...swimming pools, movie stars. Wait! Where was I? Oh yes. We got her birth certificate and social security card and headed to the courthouse.
She took the test and got 100% the first time! Her photo was taken. She took the eye test. I had to say I was her mother and was letting her have the permit of my own free will. As opposed to under threat of death and dismemberment, hellfire and damnation. Otherwise known as a teenage girl's daily life.
I agreed. I had to sign saying all that. And then she had to sign. This was hilarious! She tried the first time and set her hand on the screen so a line went across the whole thing. She started over. She wrote carefully and slowly and... it was not legible. She started over, clearly frustrated. This is one instance when homeschooling has a disadvantage. She doesn't write cutesy little notes to her friends or put her name on her papers, so she hasn't had a lot of experience signing her name to anything. Nevermind signing a stupid, electronic thingy with a plastic pen while hovering over the plastic pad. Third time was a charm and her signature was fairly legible, so we accepted it.
The printer spit out her temporary, paper permit and now she can legally drive a car. Legally drive a car. Legally drive a....What have I done? Was I mad? They never asked if I was in my right mind. Shouldn't I have had to have a doctor's note saying I was mentally capable of making such a huge decision?
If you come looking for me, I will be huddled in the corner, weeping and rocking back and forth, muttering to myself about unacceptable motherly behavior.
I tried to let her drive us home, but Baby absolutely refused to get in the car, so I drove home. Later in the afternoon, we left Baby and the Boy home and Sissy drove around the country block. Our top speed was almost 40! She did pretty good for her first time out. Mr Farmer took her out after supper to go uptown to get gas in the car. He told her she had to pump it and pay for it. She didn't fall for the paying for it part, though. I'm raising her right.
This just isn't right. My little baby girl is driving. Mr Farmer told her she needs to get a ticket so he can take away her permit until she's 16. She's going to have to find that gas pedal first!
Congratulations, I think?
ReplyDeleteThank you! As of today, we are all still alive and physically capable. :)
DeleteMine all had to learn stick shift and automatic both as we had one vehicle of each.
ReplyDeleteI learned on a stick shift. My dad said that way I could drive anything I needed to drive. Learning on a stick gave me one of my favorite memories of my dad. I let out on the clutch and it didn't catch so the car was jerking. Dad was holding his coffee and yelling, "Push it in! Push it in!" I thought he must mean the gas so I was flooring the gas pedal. The car began jerking violently and his coffee went all over him. He must have lost his temper, though I don't remember, and yelled at me. The learning session ended then and there. Later in school that day I got called to the office. I had flowers waiting for me. Dad was always so quick to apologize! And the only one to ever send me flowers at school. I always felt so special!
DeleteOh, that's a nice story about your Dad. My father could never seem to lose his temper with the two of us girls but the boys got some good talkings to. Many, many. I know we took a little advantage of his good nature, looking back, but we were a happy family. My father died, suddenly, when my oldest was 11. Too soon, but I am so grateful my children all had the chance to know him, along with all my nieces and nephews.
ReplyDeleteOh we played my dad, too. We'd bat our little eyes at him and snuggle up under his arm. He's always laugh and give us whatever we asked for. :)
DeleteI'm so thankful, too, that my kids got to know him. He was our overnight babysitter for the past couple of years, so they got good quality time together.
Holy Moley watch the ditches and sidewalks!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, congratulations to Sissy! Proud of her for passing her test first try.
We are too. She's doing pretty good. I let her drive to Centerville the other day, and even into town to the grocery store. She didn't kill anyone or even damage any property. :)
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