baby on board...alone!

Almost a year ago, my first blog posting was inspired by my daughter getting her driver's permit.  Time flies.... today was the big day - her 17th birthday and road test!  Let's just say that Tom and I were prepared to head somewhere far away for the weekend if she didn't pass.  Her instructor arrived 10 minutes late for her refresher lesson this morning and she was in a spin, ready to blame his lateness if she didn't pass the test.  He was certainly a character - Coach Kennedy - a basketball coach from somewhere in Newark whose diction was worse than Tommy's.  But I guess he coached her well enough on the road because she passed the test and when I got the news, I realized that I may have been holding my breath.  She was bursting out of her own skin with excitement when she got home. Then came the moment when she drove out of the driveway on her own, of course with me there with my camera, and after the jeep headed down the road on this beautiful sunny day, I stood there and cried.  Happy for her and her new found freedom, but for me, it seemed like it was just a few months ago that I brought her home from the hospital and invited everyone including the mailman in to have a look at my perfect baby girl!  Lesson learned - don't blink!