It’s official, she’s a driver! In mid June, after what seemed like FOREVER (to Emily) the final step was taken and the test passed!
The process started in late October 2010 when Emily took her written test for her temporary driver’s license. She was required to drive 50 total hours in the car (including 10 hours of night driving) with one of her parents. The first few attempts were nerve racking on everyone’s part. Emily’s first time driving the minivan and her whole family was in the car! She liked to hug the white line on the right side of the road and cars passing her threw off her concentration. However, Emily quickly found her focus and proved to be a very skillful driver. By her second month driving I felt I could close my eyes and take a nap in the passenger’s seat if I needed to, but of course I didn’t.
Emily finished with her 50 hours in March or April, I can’t remember, we were keeping track on a notepad but after she reached the required number of hours I stopped keeping tabs. Emily started driver’s ed class the end of March and due to spring break in April she had to miss a few classes and wait until May to make them up. The kids are required to wait until the 7th out of their 8 classes to begin their in-car training. In the world of this teenager that was a looooooooong time to wait, and I quote “I’m NEVER going to get my driver’s license!”
Despite her lamenting Emily got her in car training done in one week, the end of May/beginning of June. She scheduled her test for the first opportunity available once she was sure she would finish her in cars on time. We practiced maneuverability multiple times, thankfully a local church has a course set up all the time just for this purpose! Emily was extremely nervous and the consensus was that IF she were to fail, it would be this part that would do it. I had every confidence in her abilities as a driver and never doubted for a second that she would pass her driving test with flying colors.
Test day rolled around on June 14th and the younger kids and I took Emily to test for her license in Lebanon. We arrived early and waited almost 30 minutes past her appointed time until the tester was ready to take Emily out. Emily said that she whizzed through the maneuverability and only got nervous once she got on the open road with the tester. Less than half way through Emily reported that the lady she was testing with closed her notebook and started chit chatting with her. Emily pulled back in to the BMV and showed us her 100% score!
Next stop was the license bureau where Emily sat texting and calling family to report her success while waiting her turn to get her new driver’s license. Needless to say it is wonderful now to have another driver in the family.
All we need now is to complete getting her car ready. The plan is for her to drive a early 90’s VW Corrado that we are purchasing from one of Jason’s friends and that we have been storing for a few years. It’s not a beauty, and it’s a stick shift but to Emily it’s freedom. We still have the manual lessons to give her but that hasn't dampered Emily's enthusiasm. Also, we’re waiting on the title to arrive and during the wait, Emily has been cleaning the inside and outside of her new car.
Emily’s first trip out by herself was the same day she got her license. She loaded David up in the minivan to take him to the library and karate lessons. As she and David pulled out of the driveway you could hear Emily yell “Wooo Hooo” with excitement as the freedom of driving on her own was finally, literally in her hands.
No comments:
Post a Comment