Driving Lessons

My middle son now has his license, and let me tell you, the experience is a whole lot different than when Austin got his license!

I should have known something was up when it took us SIX trips to the Registry in order to get that license. Do you think Someone was perhaps trying to pass along a message?

Trip #1 - 30 min. trip to the Registry only to find out the birth certificate we had on file was not an "original." This cost us a trip down to Massachusetts which was a little over an hour in the other direction.

Trip #2 - 80 min. trip back to the Registry (from Mass.) with the original birth certificate in hand. Driving tests for the day are now over. Grrrr! 30 min. trip back home.

Trip #3 - 30 min. trip to the Registry only to find out you now need to make an appointment for the driving test since they are down to one instructor. Made the appointment and drove another half hour back home. When we arrived home, I looked at the calendar - that date is not going to work - Jordan will be in NY at the time. Called the Registry to reschedule. All appointments must be done in person! Grrrr.... "But this is NOT an appointment. I already HAVE an appointmnent. I just need to reschedule it." Nope. She was insistent. IN PERSON!

I should have just quit at this point, but the thought of driving him to school at 7 a.m. in below freezing weather spurred me on...

Trip #4 - 30 min. trip back to the Registry just to reschedule the stupid appointment! Soooo not happy at this point. 30 min. drive back home...

Trip #5 - Appointment day! Yay! 30 min. trip back up... yada yada... Oh no.... he failed the driving test! Fortunately, I remembered to make another appointment before leaving the stinking building! VERY MISERABLE 30 min. trip back home.

Trip #6 - 30 min. trip BACK to the Registry. "Pass or I kill you" were my parting words as the examiner took my spot in the passenger seat.

A license!! YAY! Or so I thought...

I may not be driving him around, but I spend an awful lot of time now on the phone with him. In the first 10 minutes of "alone" driving time, I received three separate phone calls! I have now received phone calls with the words...

"I need gas!!!"

"How do I turn off the radio?" (seriously... I got this question)

"Where's the highway?" (so not telling you, Jordan...)

"Um... how do I get to Walmart?.... Target?..... movie theatre?...... mall?....." (This question is my "favorite"... always seems to come about 10 minutes AFTER he has left the house. What the heck... how do you drive for 10 minutes before realizing you don't even know where you're going??)

"How do I get back home?" (OK... I strongly fight off the urge to give him directions to somebody else's house at this point....might be kind of fun to see how long and how far I can get him to drive before realizing he's not even remotely close to being home.... perhaps a sign that reads "Virginia" might possibly clue him in....)

Every other day it seems, I hear these words from my wild, carefree, and rather reckless son upon arriving home.... "Wow, I almost got into an accident today!" Lalalalala... soooooo not listening!

I once thought the toddler years with Jordan were difficult, but at least back then, I was the "mommy" and I was in complete control. Now my hands are tied as I stand in the doorway and watch his car disappear down the street from view. I close the door, breathe a quick prayer of safety for him, and then try very very hard to forget that my son who has had more childhood accidents and near death experiences than I ever care to count is now behind the wheel of a car!