Pull it over

Summary of the conversation between me and the Captain last night on the way to church about Jordan's expired drive out tags on her car:

It's only one day past the expiration date.
They are temporary drive out tags.
The police know it takes a while to get the license plates for vehicles.
She probably won't get pulled over because all of the above.

Guess what happened?

Yep.  Girl got pulled over.

By one of the Captain's officers.

She also had to go through a sobriety check point on Saturday night.

She was "flagged" and given a little extra attention.   Probably because she was a teenage driver, etc etc etc.

First of all, she doesn't drink.  Also, she was coming home from volunteering at an event of an organization that provides resources for orphans and homeless. Sooooo, pretty sure she wasn't a problemo at the sobriety check point.

The Captain, Cooper and I also went to the event.  The guest speaker was ... Tim Tebow.  If you are wondering if he's as cute in person as he is on TV, the answer is yes.  Absolutely, positively, 110% yes.

Sorry, I digress... I got a little derailed by Tim Tebow's hunkiness... where was I?

Oh, Jordan and her run in with the law all weekend....

She was a bit nervy about all that, I'm sure.

Poor Coop was riding with Jordan when she got pulled over ... Poor baby was scared to complete death. 

The new drive out tag or license plate will be picked up today.

Related:  Anybody had to add a teenage driver to their insurance?  Holy premium.  Almost had to sell a kidney to pay for it.

OK, people.  Have a happy Monday.  What's going on in your world?

Big

So, until Jordan gets her own car, she's driving my car.
I'm driving the Captain's SUV.
Since he has a bring home car, the SUV is available.
I hate driving it.
It's big.
Big like a bus.
Big like I've bounced over parking lot curbs.
Big like I can't get it in a parking space.
Big like I hate to have to back up.
Big like look out people I'm changing lanes.
And it has all sorts of Captain stuff inside.
An ice pick rolled across the floor board yesterday.
An ice pick.
There are toolboxes.  Knives.  And other crazy things.
I'm less than ladylike when I climb up in it.
Looking like a powerful marketing executive sitting in the fancy camo seats.
I've almost fallen out getting in.
I've almost fallen out getting out.
I don't mean to complain.
My whining goes unheeded anyway.
Glad that we have this car available so Jordan can drive and I can drive and the Captain can drive.
But, I sure do miss my own car.
OK, that's all.

Just keeps going

So, this driving thing...
It apparently continues from day to day.

She seems to be doing well.
Some random texts that I've received from her this week (NOT while driving):
"You should've seen my parking job.  On point."
"Ummm, are the lights automatic cause they are still on."
"How turn windshield wipers on?"
"Merging onto that road was hard."
"I did arms at the gym and now they are shaking and now I have to drive."

So, she just pulled out and headed to school.

Again.

I didn't even cry.

Yay me.

Now, I'm off to check that location app...

The way it is.

Driver's license.  Check.
Watching my daughter drive away by herself for the very first time. Check.
Crying.  Check.
More crying. Check.
App on my phone so I can track her location.  Check.
Incessantly checking the app. Check.
Excited teenager.  Check.
Happy mom.  Check.
Sad mom.  Check.
Scared mom. Check.
Rite of passage. Check.
Big milestone for our family yesterday.  Check.
Life.  Check.



PS - Cooper hitting a double last night and scoring two runs.  Check.

Licensed

The Captain is taking Jordan to get her drivers license today.
Drivers license.
That is what will allow her to get in the car
And drive.
Alone.
Alone as in without me or the Captain.
Oh dear.
I'm having an odd mix of emotions --excited for her and scared to death.
She will probably drive my car until we find some little vehicle for her.
Which means I drive the Captain's big ol' SUV.
It's big.
I already bounced over two curbs this weekend in a parking lot.
Whooops.
So, here we go opening a new chapter for Jordan.
And for me.
She's hitting the road.
I'm hitting my knees.

Get in.

Yesterday I drove.
And drove.
And drove.

Left home.
Drove Jordan to school.
Drove Cooper to school.
Drove to work.
Drove home for lunch.
Drove back to work.
Drove to pick Jordan up from school.
Drove home.
Drove to Cooper's game.
Drove home.
Drove to pick Jordan up from volleyball practice.

Drove
Drove
Drove

And, since each of the above destinations are in total opposite areas of the city, my route resembled some sort of obscure geometric shape.

I logged 95.7 miles on my car.

Beep beep.

Thursday blah blah blah

So we're pressing on with this driving thing.

Cooper just comments from the back seat.

"You're doing a nice job, Jordan."

"I think you're speeding, Jordan."

"That was a good turn, Jordan."

I just hang on to the door and press my pretend brake pedal on the passenger side.

She's actually doing a pretty good job. And I'm getting used to hearing, "Can I drive?" every time we get in the car.

I am also getting used to hearing her scream, "HOLY!" every time she makes a left turn.

In other news, Jordan is going to a church banquet tomorrow night with a friend and that little invite has resulted in a scramble for a dress, appropriate undergarments, hair appointments and ordering a "boy flower" as she calls it.

I know this is a lame post, but it's been a full week and my mind is a million places today so that's all I've got on this fine Thursday morning.

Permit. Passage.

Driver's permit? Check.

She passed with flying colors. Well, she missed 2 out of 26. But that's still passing.

And now she's the proud owner of a driver's permit.

God help us all.

And I let her drive two times last night. On the real road.

Just one liiiiiiitle bump when we left the house and she put the car in drive instead of reverse and almost drove into the garage door.

Because hey, nothing says driver's permit like ramming into the gargae door.

But once she figured that all out, the driving was actually ok. Slightly intense. But overall some decent driving. I've got no choice but to get used to it. So we might as well do it.

And, yes, once I did find myself saying stop Stop STOP STOP! STOP!! STOP!!!!!

Because pulling up in front of the house and stopping in front of nothing is not really the same as pulling up at a red light and stopping in front of another vehicle.

Anyway, another rite of passage has been passed through.

Peace and love, people. Happy Tuesday.

Taking the wheel...

It was a most excellent weekent. So nice to be home. My weekend did not include a hotel, little tiny travel toothpastes, or driving excessive hours all over the southeast United States.

Friday night we went to the baseball game. And, even though it did not end favorably for the ol' home team, it was a fun night at the ballpark. It included BBQ nachos. So, that in itself is a win. Jordan was unsuccessful at getting up on the big screen, but it was not without effort.

Saturday was Jordan's birthday. It was a very, very good day, even though I spent most of the day in denial that my little newborn baby was finally 15. She went back to another game that night with some friends and made it up on the big screen by dancing to YMCA. I'm just proud that she didn't have to resort to dancing like a kid from Jersey Shore to achieve that success.

Happy birthday to her.

The rest of the weekend featured reading books, taking naps, and sitting like a big lazy butt on my patio watching the Captain and Cooper play catch. It was bliss.

Which brings us to Monday.

The day that the Captain is taking Jordan to get her driver's permit after school.

And then she will be legally allowed to drive a car with an adult.

Drive a car.

Drive. A. Car.

God bless us everyone.

She already knows how to drive a car because my mother in law has been letting her drive all over the big church parking lot near our house for years.

But now she can legally drive on a real road.

With real traffic.

Eeeeeeeeek.

She still has some slight judgment issues with... how shall we put it... the width of the car.

And the whole turning thing could use a little more attention.

Plus, learning how to eeeeeeeeease on the gas and eeeeeeeeeease on the brake.

And how do you get experience driving without driving?

I'm not sure.

And, I'm thinking more time playing Mario Kart won't cut it.

Cooper says he wants a helmet.

Personally, I'm asking for meds.

Of course, she has to pass some written test that apparently includes questions about how far from the curb your wheels have to be when you parallel park and what yellow sideways triangle signs mean.

Stay tuned, people.