Driving

Twenty one days until Daughter A and Daughter B will be 15! The countdown began months ago because they have been looking forward to the day they can get driving permits. The thought that we are so close to the big day is a little disconcerting. Can my babies really be that old? I’m almost coming to grips with the fact that JB will be 18 in less than 2 months (after all he looks, talks and moves like a man), but these are my baby girls! They were so small you could hold them in one hand! How will I ever help them both get enough experience in the next year to feel comfortable letting them drive alone? What if one passes the written test the first time around and the other doesn’t? Will I be able to get Verification of Enrollment forms from the school during July so that they can even take the test or will they have to wait until August? So many questions…

Luckily they will be at camp on their birthday so we don’t have to race to the DPS office at 8:00 that morning. Truth be told, their study books may not even be here by then, so that may buy a little time. My brother is borrowing the car they will drive until his is fixed – so that’s another possible delay.

I really do want them to learn to drive. It will make my life so much calmer (in some ways) once they are able to take themselves places. They’ve even already worked out how they will get to their respective practices for sports and who will drive when. (Wahoo! No more getting up at 6:00 in the summer to get someone to swim practice and then making another run at 7:30 to go to cross country practice!) The problem is I can’t quite figure out how to teach them both and get them enough practice to be confident within the year I’m allotted. Right now I’m thinking I’ll work with each one on alternating days. Of course I’ll have to keep a chart like I did when I was trying to remember who had been fed and who had had a diaper change when they were babies, but now the chart will read things like “stops and starts”, “parking”, “turns”, and “emergencies”.

I’ll keep you posted, but beginning July 27 you might want to avoid the roads in our neighborhood…the Wilkinson girls will be attempting to drive!