After months of begging, $300 and the required 6 hours of driving instructions my daughter came home with her driver’s permit today.  Not even in the front door she was begging for me to take her out driving.  Being the good parent that I am, I thought of leverage I could get from this and after she mowed the grass we went for our first ride together.

I backed the car out of the garage and driveway, turned it off and got out.  By the time I got in the passenger’s seat she was already in and waiting for me. 

It looked so odd seeing her behind the wheel of that car and not just because her knees were up to her chin because she didn’t know how to put the seat back (I’m only 5’ tall).  As I looked at her squished in there and all excited all I could see was that cute, curly haired 2 year old climbing on her tricycle for the first time.

With the seat finally in a more comfortable position, the car started but still in park she started turning the wheel back and forth.  So I asked, “What are you doing?”  She informed me “you’re steering wheel is upside down”.  Then she tried to start my already running car.   Ok Joyce… Keep calm…  she’s just nervous.

And off we went.  “Too close to the curb.”  “Get back on your side of the road.”  “Stop giggling and pay attention.”  “Now at that stop sign… stop…Stop… STOP!”  “Ok, pull over and stop”  “Pull over to the side and stop!”  I guess I should have specified the side of the road and not the sidewalk.

It was a long 3 blocks.  Tomorrow we’ll start out in a parking lot.