The Dawn of a New Age

I remember when Nathan turned 13, and we started leaving him along with the kids.  It was so freeing to be able to go out for a quick dinner, or run to Lowes or somewhere, without having to take everyone!  And as he and Luke got older, and I got more and more confidant leaving everyone with them (and now Caleb), it has gotten better and better.

A few weeks ago, Nathan got his driver's license, but I've just been so nervous about letting him actually drive by himself.  It hasn't helped that he had all those extra CAP practices for the competition, and the timing was always so rushed, plus we were carpooling.  But now the competition is over, and I finally bit the bullet.  On Wednesday evening, he drove himself and Luke over to the McC's to watch a movie.  It was SO nice not having to drop them off or pick them up!  And then yesterday he drove himself to his orthodontist appointment in the morning AND to rugby practice in the afternoon.

Oh my goodness.  It was so wonderful to not have to be gone in the morning and the afternoon!  I was able to go through a huge pile of mail and papers in our kitchen, throwing stuff out and shredding others, and STILL have time to make dinner because I didn't have to be gone from 2:30-3:30, and then again from 4:45-5:45. What a concept!  It was so nice.  I won't pretend I wasn't really nervous, because I was, especially when Nathan didn't actually get home from rugby until 6:00 (traffic was bad on one of the main roads, which frequently happens, but still . . . I was nervous, LOL).  I think this is going to be a wonderful thing.

The good thing is that Luke should be getting his license a little before Nathan leaves for college, so we'll have continous extra driving coverage even after Nathan goes.  Then we'll have a year between Luke's leaving and Caleb getting his license, which will be very difficult for me, I know, LOL.  I will have been so spoiled!  We'll have another gap year between Jonathan and Anna, but once she gets hers, I think we won't have another gap until everyone has graduated!  And people think we didn't plan our kids (haha, that was a joke . . .)!  Just pray for me--lots of potential for gray hairs between now and then, LOL.