(Legally) Driving

So, no one figured out my trivia question...

Sunday is Munchkin's birthday. Munchkin's 16th birthday.

A quick consultation of the driving laws in Massachusetts would tell you that said age makes her eligible for her learner's permit. Which means that Monday, after school, we are heading over to the Registry in Chinatown (on the corner of Washington and Essex, hence the clue:-)) so she can get her permit.

This also means I have to find someplace to take her to practice driving, since we clearly aren't gonna just pull out of the garage, hop on Storrow Drive and learn that way. Honestly, most of that will likely wait until summer when she can practice in a place with a lot less traffic and angry drivers (and a place where, ahem, she has some experience already).

This leads to the obvious...which is that, like all 16 year olds, she wants nothing more than her own car. More specifically, having spent two summers at the beach, and planning to spend them all there for the foreseeable future, she has her heart set on a Jeep Wrangler. I think she loves the idea of bouncing around the island with the top off all summer long...and really, who can blame her?

I don't totally love the idea. She would really only end up using it three months a year, and that seems kind of wasteful. I almost never drive anywhere (except school), and she would drive even less than I do...it will be a while before I feel comfortable letting her drive around downtown much. I just don't think it is a great idea to insure it and leave it basically idle all winter (we do, however, have a parking space for it, though).

Her pretend sisters, however, think this is the best idea ever...which presents something of a problem. Because they don't usually do what I tell them to;-) Also, both claim to have long wanted to have a Wrangler at the beach (although seriously, if they really wanted one that badly, they'd have bought one, right?:-P)

Fortunately, I think I have talked them out of buying her a car this weekend...but I may have to settle for one of them buying her own, and leaving it at the beach house, which would largely make it Munchkin's anyway.

This remains to be negotiated;-)