Cody's first driving experience

Last night, I went to pick Cody up from day #2 of his first job. I found him strolling the toy aisles, straightening toys and putting labels on shelves. He seems to really be thriving in this newfound responsiblity. After ony one day he was already working independently. He seemed to have a great sense of ownership towards "his department" of the store. And he looks so adorable in his uniform, a Dickey's work shirt with the company logo on it.

So he gets off at 8pm and we head home. I cruise through the back portion of our neighborhood and pull over and say "wanna drive?" I think I put him in shock, he hasn't driven a car since he was 12 and plowed into our house when I let him pull the car up a few feet in the driveway. It was pitch dark out and there was not much traffic so I figured it would be as good a time as any to let him get a feel for the wheel.

Teaching a kid to drive involves some serious thought I realized after he sat in the drivers seat and didn't know how to move the stick to D...it was even darker in the car and the console is on the floor. I think we got it into second gear instead of drive but anyway the car was soon going in forward motion all the same. Slowly taking his foot off the brake he manuevered into the street and edged toward home. There was a curve up ahead so he had to slow down, er BRAKE hard, I tell him "no brakes required, just let off the gas" so we ease around the corner, now entering the middle of the street so I tell him "keep to the right please and there is a left turn coming up right ahead" so then he drives into the middle lane again. "Blinker please" take a left here, slowly ok there is a car coming up ahead, just hold steady to the right, ok that is good...now we're cruising. Down the hill and across a bridge (very nice) ok up a hill and there is a stop sign coming up, also two cars and what's that? Rollerbladers? in the middle of the street? They have NO reflective gear on AT ALL. So we come to the stop I say "ok are you stopping?" Yep, we're stopping "ok, now do you see those rollerbladers up ahead?" "You see them right?" "They are right in front of you" We proceed at a snails pace toward t hem and low and behold, they do not move out of the way! So we follow them for about a block before they finally decide to get over on the side so we can pass them. So then we turn at our street and Cody forgets where we live...honestly now I am starting to wonder if this was a good idea. "Um, our house is another 2 houses away son, keep going" So then he FINALLY pulls into the driveway and parks. I breathe a huge sigh of relief and say a prayer of thanks for making it home alive.

I think that really made his night, yes he needs a LOT more practice before he will ever get onto a main street. Wish me lots of luck!