Reflections

There are many milestones in a child's life that remind the parents that their baby is growing up: rolling over, walking, riding a bike without training wheels, first day of school, first date, and the chiller - learning how to drive.

This weekend I took some time to teach both my kids how to drive. My 19-year-old son is taking his time with this and I really should be thankful. The insurance costs would have killed me if his driving didn't. My 15-year-old daughter is more than ready and has been backing the car down the driveway for almost a year now. She keeps pushing the line by edging the van closer and closer to the street.

Our first foray into the world of automotive independence was a good one. While both kids joked around about wanting to zoom down the empty Northwest Plaza parking lot at 80 miles per hour, spinning donuts and trying to run over each other, they did very well. I really believe they both will be very responsible drivers. Of course, I still have to restart my heart whenever Sami says, "10 points for every pedestrian I hit!"