Meet Kip.
If any of you are fans of the show “Lost”, Hurley lives…
Right here in Overland Park, Kansas.
Today was the first day of Jordie’s official Driver’s Ed.
She completed the classroom work, and has about 30 hours of driving with Mike and me under her belt.
But this is the real (insurance mandated) deal.
First a little background.
How, you ask, do you “choose” a driving school?
Well by the CARS they offer you big sillies!
Harding Driving School offers the kids Mustang GT’s…
Nuff said.
The kids drive “alone” with the instructor 3 separate times for 2 hours at a stretch.
I was very clear that I wanted Jordan driving with a woman, or else I wanted a background check on whatever hormone driven male specimen was driving off with her.
They gave us “Pam” last Wednesday morning.
Wednesday came, and I offered to help Jordie out with her Nanny duties that day while she drove.
“Oh, I cancelled today Mom, I’m driving Saturday now instead”, she informed me.
No biggie, end of conversation.
Today roles around, Mike and I are out front with Tucker when the bright yellow Mustang with the blackened windows pulls up.
Expecting petite little Pam to step out, you can imagine the shock and horror on our faces when “he” emerged.
“Hi, I’m Kip”, he says reaching to shake our hands.
Small talk followed not really anything to do with driving or her current ability to do so.
No, it was more like babbling, clearly in shock that we were letting our little girl drive “into the country” without armed guards following her.
In our (lame) defense… it all happened so fast.
My motherly instincts must have kicked in though, because when I ran for my camera, much to Jordan’s chagrin, all I could think was “I gotta get an “Amber Alert” worthy picture and a good one of Kip for “FBI’s Most Wanted”!
And away they went.
Mike, uncharacteristically, didn’t have much to say.
But as they drove down the street, he slowly turned to me and said, “Do you think he’ll eat her?”
They’re back now.
And in true Baker fashion, it was NOT uneventful.
Jordie got Kudos’ for hitting the squirrel in the road “dead-on” (pun intended) rather than steering into oncoming traffic in order to spare the little guys life. (R.I.P little fella!)
She also scored high on the back-ass gravel country roads (where the 2nd death of the day occurred, this time a big black snake slithering across Quivira), because that’s where most of her driving experience comes from.
The highlight of the day was still ahead.
Back within city limits, they came upon an intersection that was in Jordan’s words, “confusing”.
There were police and a lot of people, but no sirens.
The police officer directed her to turn, almost like a detour.
A minute or so later, 2 horses came up on either side of them; they were clearly suspicious that all was not right.
Startled by a toy sounding horn, Jordie “honked back” at the tiny little car that weaved its way right in front of her.
Kip realized it first….
Somehow they were directed to participate in the Shriners Parade!!!
Maybe they thought there was a Beauty Queen in the hot yellow Stang!
Whatever the case…
She’s home, she’s safe, and there is no flesh missing.
I hope the same can be said for Kip!
If any of you are fans of the show “Lost”, Hurley lives…
Right here in Overland Park, Kansas.
Today was the first day of Jordie’s official Driver’s Ed.
She completed the classroom work, and has about 30 hours of driving with Mike and me under her belt.
But this is the real (insurance mandated) deal.
First a little background.
How, you ask, do you “choose” a driving school?
Well by the CARS they offer you big sillies!
Harding Driving School offers the kids Mustang GT’s…
Nuff said.
The kids drive “alone” with the instructor 3 separate times for 2 hours at a stretch.
I was very clear that I wanted Jordan driving with a woman, or else I wanted a background check on whatever hormone driven male specimen was driving off with her.
They gave us “Pam” last Wednesday morning.
Wednesday came, and I offered to help Jordie out with her Nanny duties that day while she drove.
“Oh, I cancelled today Mom, I’m driving Saturday now instead”, she informed me.
No biggie, end of conversation.
Today roles around, Mike and I are out front with Tucker when the bright yellow Mustang with the blackened windows pulls up.
Expecting petite little Pam to step out, you can imagine the shock and horror on our faces when “he” emerged.
“Hi, I’m Kip”, he says reaching to shake our hands.
Small talk followed not really anything to do with driving or her current ability to do so.
No, it was more like babbling, clearly in shock that we were letting our little girl drive “into the country” without armed guards following her.
In our (lame) defense… it all happened so fast.
My motherly instincts must have kicked in though, because when I ran for my camera, much to Jordan’s chagrin, all I could think was “I gotta get an “Amber Alert” worthy picture and a good one of Kip for “FBI’s Most Wanted”!
And away they went.
Mike, uncharacteristically, didn’t have much to say.
But as they drove down the street, he slowly turned to me and said, “Do you think he’ll eat her?”
They’re back now.
And in true Baker fashion, it was NOT uneventful.
Jordie got Kudos’ for hitting the squirrel in the road “dead-on” (pun intended) rather than steering into oncoming traffic in order to spare the little guys life. (R.I.P little fella!)
She also scored high on the back-ass gravel country roads (where the 2nd death of the day occurred, this time a big black snake slithering across Quivira), because that’s where most of her driving experience comes from.
The highlight of the day was still ahead.
Back within city limits, they came upon an intersection that was in Jordan’s words, “confusing”.
There were police and a lot of people, but no sirens.
The police officer directed her to turn, almost like a detour.
A minute or so later, 2 horses came up on either side of them; they were clearly suspicious that all was not right.
Startled by a toy sounding horn, Jordie “honked back” at the tiny little car that weaved its way right in front of her.
Kip realized it first….
Somehow they were directed to participate in the Shriners Parade!!!
Maybe they thought there was a Beauty Queen in the hot yellow Stang!
Whatever the case…
She’s home, she’s safe, and there is no flesh missing.
I hope the same can be said for Kip!
