Driving Me Nervous

One week ago today Dominic and I headed (for the second time) to the DMV for his driver's test!!

We waited nervously in line and then pulled the car around.

(I feel the need to take a moment to add that I, in fact, had a horrible stomach bug this day. It was all I could do to get dressed, let alone get kids off to school and be excited for a driver's test. Just goes to show that life never stops for a mom.)

After the initial blinker check, arm signals, etc...Dominic and the the "tester" took off...

leaving Emma Kate and me standing on the sidewalk. There he went, just like that. My baby taking his driver's test. Ok, Ok, I know he's not my baby anymore. Nonetheless, I was not prepared for this.

It's so crazy experiencing the whole "teenage driving thing" from a mother's perspective. I still remember my driver's test and the first time I drove alone. As a teenager, I thought I was invinsable.

As a mother, I worry!

He's a great driver. It's the inexperience and the other drivers out there that I worry about.

After a very long 20 minutes, he arrived back, parked in a different location than where he left from, and walked back to the building. The stinker had no expression on his face!

That's when the "tester" said to me "He did very well. Just step on up to this line and one of these people will process the rest of the paperwork."

Woohoo!

That's when my worry turned to excitement. (At least until he drove alone for the first time.)

He did it! He passed! Such a right of passage!

He didn't even scoff when I took a moment for some pictures:)

Now that's a stylin' kid next to a minivan ;)

He drove us to Starbucks for a celebratory drink (so hard seeing as how I gave up Starbucks and all sweets for Lent) before heading back to school.

Sunday he made his "maiden voyage!" We caravanned to church; he drove Jeff's truck and all of the rest of us rode in the van. He stayed later at church and drove home alone. And later in the day he came to me saying, "I really need some new mechanical pencils at Target." pause. "Can I go get some?!"

And there you have it! Off and running driving!

Now the search is on. The goal is to get Jeff a new vehicle and Dominic will inherit Jeff's truck.

My life will get so much easier! And a lot more worrisome!

Congratulations Dom!

And again...we are so proud.