The kids and I were headed to Walmart yesterday to do groceries and pick up a few items.  We’d just settled into our new campground and Scott had some work to do.  The Walmart is literally 5 miles away and it’s a straight shot.  I didn’t think anything of it.  I wasn’t even planning to bring a GPS.

“Evie, come on, come get in the car.”  “Where are we going, Mommy?”  “To Walmart.”  “How?” “In the car.”  “When?”  “Now.”  “Isn’t Daddy working?”  “Yup, let’s go.”  “How?”  I’m used to the questions – she’s 3.  They don’t bother me one bit.  I get that she’s trying to find order in her world.  But I was starting to get confused.  “In the car, Pip.  Let’s go.”  “Who’s driving the Grey Man?”  “Me.”  That was followed by a pause, a deep suck in of breath and wide eyes….”Mommy, YOU can drive?!?!”    There were so many things running through my head…

Women Power: Right on, she’s learning that women can do anything;

Adventure: Let’s go explore together;

Confusion:  She’s seen me drive, been with me driving and talked about me driving her somewhere more times than I can count;

Outrage:  OF COURSE I CAN DRIVE… I know how to drive better than most people on planet earth – I drive stick like a pro {better than your father – yeah, I said it}, I can drive on the left side OR the right side, if a bomb goes off or there’s an active shooter, I know what to do, I’ve driven in well over 20 countries legally, I prefer to drive small sports cars and yet I still managed to drive a big diesel dually around Bogota without so much as a close call…. 

With reserve, “Yes my love, I can drive.  Some day I’ll teach you.”

Scott drives the Chief almost exclusively.  It’s not that it bothers me to drive, it’s more that it bother him to not drive.  He’s a terrible passenger… always shifting in his seat and double checking.  The Chief is wide so he feels like he’s falling off the road over on the passenger side.  He’s a more experienced driver and in many (most) situations a better one.  On top of that,  I’m more than happy to have the free time when we’re on the road.  It works for us.  That being said, I may need to rethink my position if my only daughter is going to go around thinking that I CAN’T drive.  How that makes the feminist blood boil.

This one is for Max.  Evie is wearing her bubble swords and she’s ready to play.

If there’s water, this kid finds it.