She's Driving!!!

Michaela is driving.  I mean it, she really is!  Driver's Ed started this week and it's been a frenzied week spent driving her to and from Color Guard camp and  Driver's Ed.  And she wants to practice.  A LOT.  "Let me drive!" has become her mantra.  I have to admit, I have a hard time having patience with this because I want to go HOME and stay there after work.  I don't WANT to go drive along some dusty road while she practices.  I know it's important for her to practice, so I try to get over what I want to do and let her have the wheel.  She's nervous when she drives so she chatters non-stop while I sit there and say things like "mmm...scoot over, you are too close to the edge of the road" or "try not to stomp on the gas/brake pedal" or "holy cow slow down!"  Okay, I've never REALLY said holy cow slow down to her because she hasn't gotten the car over 30 miles per hour! Yet.  The first time we let her drive the car was last Sunday around the empty parking lot at our church.  She drove in loops and practiced parking between the lines.  Jake summed up my feelings about the driving thing when Michaela parked the car to get out and switch places with her Dad.  I looked back to see  him sitting stiffly in the backseat, with his arms straight down, clutching the seat.  I said "Jake, are you okay?"  He looked at me and said "Whew.  THAT was weird." 

Yeah...Jake....weird.