Thursday, January 27, 2011
Ok, Mr. Smarty Geico lizard: Now what?!?!
So, today two important rites-of-passage were reached. The first is that I became officially old. I have attempted to stay relatively "young at heart," as they say. I don't always participate in all the latest cultural trends, but I try to stay abreast of them, and I haven't yet gotten to the point where I will go to the store dressed in whatever I have on because it's the most comfortable (i.e. bathrobe, house shoes, Family Guy lounge pants, etc.) I attend all of my son's band's "metalcore" shows, I can play WII Sports with my daughter(and win sometimes!), and I know how to pirate MP3s off the internet. I'd say for being in my '40s I'm still fairly hip (other than I would use the word "hip".)
But, it's the second of the two rites-of-passage which resulted in my sudden old-agedness.
My 16-year-old son received his driving permit today.
Yes, although he is required by state law to be accompanied by a licensed driver of at least 18 years of age seated next to him in the front seat at all times, my little boy - of whom I changed diapers, spoon fed, potty trained, taught to tie his shoes, help to ride a bike, went with on his first day of Kindergarten, played catch with in the yard, traded his lost teeth for Tooth Fairy money while he slept, and tied his necktie on his first school dance - is now legally allowed to crawl behind the wheel of a three-ton vehicle, capable of crushing entire families in an instant, and driving freely on the same public streets as I do; his only limitation that he be co-piloted by someone three years shy of beer-buying age.
I took him to the DMV today to take his written test (I guess the third time really is a charm) and he confessed that he was one question away from failing it again, but luckily he guessed correctly on it. Then, after a couple other stops, he says, "Hand me the keys; I'm driving home!"
We were only three turns and two stoplight away from the house, so I proudly handed him the keys, made sure my daughter had her seatbelt fastened tightly in the backseat, and away we went. It wasn't the first he'd driven the car, but it was the first time in the city with other cars in motion on both sides. It took about three minutes to get home, and by the time he had backed into the driveway, I felt about three years older.
He had completed Driver's Ed class at school, but he explained that they never taught the kids to parallel park or drive using their mirrors. He said in all he was only behind the wheel about 4 hours in total. After he got his permit, he told me all that.
It's going to be hard now trying to run out to grab something from the store without hearing, "Can I drive?"
Sure, it's your mom's car. ¶ 3:17 PM
But, it's the second of the two rites-of-passage which resulted in my sudden old-agedness.
My 16-year-old son received his driving permit today.
Yes, although he is required by state law to be accompanied by a licensed driver of at least 18 years of age seated next to him in the front seat at all times, my little boy - of whom I changed diapers, spoon fed, potty trained, taught to tie his shoes, help to ride a bike, went with on his first day of Kindergarten, played catch with in the yard, traded his lost teeth for Tooth Fairy money while he slept, and tied his necktie on his first school dance - is now legally allowed to crawl behind the wheel of a three-ton vehicle, capable of crushing entire families in an instant, and driving freely on the same public streets as I do; his only limitation that he be co-piloted by someone three years shy of beer-buying age.
I took him to the DMV today to take his written test (I guess the third time really is a charm) and he confessed that he was one question away from failing it again, but luckily he guessed correctly on it. Then, after a couple other stops, he says, "Hand me the keys; I'm driving home!"
We were only three turns and two stoplight away from the house, so I proudly handed him the keys, made sure my daughter had her seatbelt fastened tightly in the backseat, and away we went. It wasn't the first he'd driven the car, but it was the first time in the city with other cars in motion on both sides. It took about three minutes to get home, and by the time he had backed into the driveway, I felt about three years older.
He had completed Driver's Ed class at school, but he explained that they never taught the kids to parallel park or drive using their mirrors. He said in all he was only behind the wheel about 4 hours in total. After he got his permit, he told me all that.
It's going to be hard now trying to run out to grab something from the store without hearing, "Can I drive?"
Sure, it's your mom's car. ¶ 3:17 PM
