The Driver’s Test, Part 2

The last time I wrote, I was getting ready to take my sixteen-year-old to her driver’s test. I had hoped that her experience would be far less eventful than mine had been.

It was not to be.

Date: February 5. Attempt #1.

9:00am: After six months’ of preparation, we realize we’d forgotten to get one of the many papers notarized.
9:05: Arrived at bank.
9:15: Leave bank. Drive to State Highway Patrol. Arrive there at 10:00
10:20: Daughter leaves with patrolman.
10:40: Daughter returns, crying. Passed driving portion, failed maneuverability section.
10:50: State highway patrolman regretfully tells me that my dear daughter was crying so much after hitting a cone in the course that he had to ask if she ‘needed to take a breather’. She, being my daughter, exclaimed “Oh, yes!”.
11:15: I say, “Lesley, what happened?” She replies, “Mom, I couldn’t see the cones…I was blinded by my tears.” I am speechless. We book retake for following week. I borrow a neighbor’s set of cones and vow to let Lesley practice a whole lot more.

Date: February 12. Attempt #2

9:00: Practice maneuverability in nearby golf course parking lot. Go back to State Highway Patrol.
10:20: Off she goes
10:45: She’s back, no tears…no license. I’m irritated. “What happened?” Daughter shakes head in wonder. “I hit cone, it wobbled.” State patrolman informs me that in his 20 years of testing, he’s never seen a cone wobble and fall after the course is completed. My daughter is the first.
11:00: We book test for following week.
11:15: Daughter cries whole way to school. I’m seriously thinking about 1)eating a whole Symphony bar or 2)having a beer for lunch.
Noon: Instead of either, I call up out-of-town husband and inform him that I have now had enough of driving test drama and it’s now his turn. He needs to do this duty and to clear his calendar from 3:00-5:00 on the 19th. Because he's no fool, he accepts the challenge without hesitation.

Date: February 19. Attempt #3

By this time I can safely say we have all practiced the maneuverability course at least 100 times. My daughter can’t sleep, my son keeps getting in trouble for teasing her, and my husband is feeling the stress, too. If Lesley doesn’t pass this time, she has to wait six months.
2:00: I elect to stay home to wait, pray, and eat chocolate. Tom picks Lesley up from school. They go do one last practice round. She hits three cones.
2:15: Husband yells, she cries, then turns remarkably calm. Almost zen-like. They arrive back at State Highway Patrol. Officers now recognize Lesley and wave hello.
3:00: Off she goes again with patrol officer.
3:30: I get phone call. She passed! She did great! She’s smiling on driver’s license! My daughter hugs patrol officers in gratitude.
6:00: We finally celebrate.

Now, just four days later, all this seems like a distant memory. Right now my daughter is out and about, driving to a friend’s house. She’s happy, and my husband has earned his bragging rights about being the best driver’s test parent.I’m just glad we don’t have to go through it again-and am hoping for a calm, drama-less March.

Anyone else have a story to share about taking your child for their license?
Shelley