I'm a bit of a distracted driver. Oh, I keep my eyes on the road and I don't run into things, and I NEVER text while driving. But I do miss turns and take wrong streets, and as I like to say, take "interesting" routes to get places. The people in my circles know this about me...the ones in my close circles anyway (aka anyone who has actually ridden in a vehicle with me ever). They like to say "Where are you going, hon?" Or "mom...Mom...MOM!" Or just sit there politely wondering what's wrong with me.
Like the other day when I was taking Hope downtown and we ended up in Wisconsin.
But I always get us where we need to be, yes I do. This interesting way that I like to drive was easier to pull off before my kids were old enough to know where we were going...when they weren't really paying attention to all the turns and kept themselves occupied with other things. Things other than the turns we were making or the scenery out the windows. Things like iPods and arguing.
But now that our youngest two have their driver's permits, it's a whole new game. They pay attention to everything now and so does my husband, by the way. This he has always done. He is a silent road rager...I mean "driving expert"...and he makes comments in the car about other drivers (most of whom don't know how to drive and are in his way). He can spot someone three cars ahead of us who doesn't use their blinker and will be all "oh nice, yea let's ALL not use our blinkers I mean really the rest of us don't need to know where you are going. Wow. Have fun in driving school." This I don't understand. I keep saying to him "why do you care about that? It doesn't affect us at all." And I shake my head with superiority, because I don't freak out over such things. Even when something major happens, like someone cuts us off and nearly causes an accident, I might say "oopsie, that was close" while Vince has a mini stroke.
So.
As I mentioned, our youngest two have their permits now. Which means that in less than a year they will both have their licenses and their own cars and won't need us to drive them around anymore.
Sigh.
This is both cause for happy dances and sadness for me, because I actually do enjoy our car time. I drive them to school everyday and pick them up most days too, and our car time is often when we have the best talks and laughs. We connect and talk about our days and have each other's full attention (which may have something to do with the interesting routes I take). And we listen to music together - hello Sirius Radio my new best friend! We listen to real music on stations like The Blend, Y2Country, Classics Rewind, 80's on 8, 70's on 7, and HAIR NATION!! Cha! Sometimes I let them choose but usually not. Mama's car, Mama's choice. And there are so many teachable moments, I mean how can we call ourselves parents if we don't teach our kids about Kansas and Elton John and Queen and Billy Joel and Guns N' Roses and Cyndi Lauper??? I mean honestly. If our kids launch without knowing the words to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Carry on Wayward Son" and "Sweet Child o' Mine" then we have failed as 80's parents. That's all I'm saying.
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