Hello Everyone!
What a fun day today. I knew as a parent, there would be a time when my kids would come up to me and say, "Mom, can I buy a car?" Well, I kind of expected that to happen when they are about 16 or 17....but low and behold, about a week ago, Austin came to me with that very question. He wanted to buy a Ford truck. An F-150 to be exact. We're pretty fortunate though, because the car he wanted to buy was built by Fisher Price, uses a rechargeable battery (no gas!), doesn't require insurance, and only cost $300! Well, we made a deal with him...if he paid half, we would cover the other half as an early birthday present. He was so excited! So day before yesterday, Ken, the wonderful Dad he is, went to Walmart to make the purchase.
It wasn't long before we realized we had several major problems...One...it came in a huge box with many, many parts! The other problem...How could four, non-union cripple people build a car with no assembly line and only a power screwdriver? Well, never under estimate blue collar disabled people...they can do anything! Everyone was assigned a job...Austin managed the wheel inventory, Michaela was the official photographer, Ken was chief power screwdriver operator, and I was in charge of holding the shaking man's hands still while he operated the power tool. What a team! Within just a few hours, we had a beautiful mini-sized F-150, complete with racing stripes! He couldn't drive it right away, because we needed to charge the battery. So, Austin and I just decided to sit in it, play the radio, and look "cool" for the rest of the day. (See attached photo).
Another problem...we realized that Austin's legs were about 7 inches too short to reach the gas pedal...so we called his friend, Super Dave. Dave is a genius...he can figure out anything, and he is a mechanical whiz...just the kinda guy we needed for a job like this. So, today, we loaded the truck into the back of my van, and drove it to the airport hanger where Dave keeps all his handy dandy tools. Dave took one look at it and knew just what to do. While he was crafting away, fabricating the special part for his car, I thought it would be a great idea to let Austin try out the car to make sure he could steer it. Well, someone needed to operate the gas for him, and since I was the only person brave enough who could fit in the car with him, that job belonged to me. I guess there are advantages to being a mini mom!
Well, anyway...we both got in the vehicle, braced ourselves, and put the pedal to the metal. I hit the gas, we were tossed back in our seats and we took off with about 10 g's of force! This car has the knobbiest tires I've ever seen...what a rough bumpy ride!!! As we are zooming down the taxiway, it reminded me of when my Dad taught me how to drive. What a special...but scary...moment! I was putting my safety in the hands of an 11-year old. But, this was no 11-year-old...this kid can fly a plane. So that thought put me at ease as we booked all over the airport and baha'd through the grass. What a great place to learn how to drive...nothing to bump into, except an occasional plane that would pass us by. I never saw my kids giggle so hard. Michaela was giggling because she thought we looked so funny, and Austin was giggling because he was having so much fun.
Dave needed some extra time to finish the part, so we brought the car home. Austin wanted to drive some more...so tonight we hopped back in and zoomed down the street...giggling and waving at all the neighbors. We must have been quite a sight, because they were all laughing too! What fun! The part for his pedal is suppose to be done on Sunday, and he can't wait to take off on his own. My only concern is he wants to buy a GPS for it and extra batteries...Should I be concerned that he's planning some kind of cross-country trip? Well, if you see him giggling and waving past your house...please send him home, will you?
Love,
Missy
Missy
