My teenager finally secured his driver's license, and I feel like I've suddenly cloned myself.
Gabe is entirely willing to drive my husband's Big Red Truck to the village recycling center or my -- gulp -- brand new compact utility vehicle to the grocery store. He can take himself out to my parents' farm or to the barber shop.
My schedule revolves around the schedule of my nearly 11-month-old tyrant. I have to allot my time for chores and errands according to how long Max will nap or how long he will be awake and pleasant. Consecutive slots are gold.
I found it remarkable when I stood at the kitchen sink washing baby bottles and extra formula and forgotten batteries came into the house during that same time slot. Two chores got checked off the list, and I had to physically do only one of them! It was like magic!
It was Gabe, without whom I would be totally sunk -- especially while my husband is out to sea.
There is a cumulative time-saving effect as well. I crossed off so many things from my list yesterday, including vacuuming out the fireplace for the season, that when I laid down Max for a nap this morning I realized I didn't have much to do.
So, I'm writing my first blog post in a month. Hopefully I will get to do this more and more often.
All thanks to a brand new driver in the family. Now I truly know what my mother meant when she said the day I got my license was one of the happiest days of her life.
