Driver's Ed

The Christmas before last, Poppa Owen got the boys a toy motorized Jeep. They tooled around in it for a little bit, but it was really a bit 'old' for them then, and so it eventually just started gathering dust in the garage.

Until recently.

Right around the 4th, Gabe rediscovered the Jeep. He wanted to drive it around the cul-de-sac for the first time in perhaps a year. However, once he started driving, he rapidly got bored, mainly because Gavin was riding his bike much faster than Gabe was driving.

That's where it got interesting.

You see, the Jeep has a little throttle that sets the speed. It can go in reverse, forward slow, or forward fast. Up until this point, the forward fast speed had been locked away, set off-limits through a screw that kept the throttle from being moved to that position. I figured that since Gabe was 4.5 now, he could handle driving a little faster. Plus, he's my kid, so I figured he would appreciate a little speed.

Man, was I right.

Ever since then, all he wants to do is drive. Drive to the neighbor's house. Give rides to the other kids. Drive across the yard and off the curb. Up and down the street, over the curbs...there is no obstacle too great that Ranger Gabe and his super Jeep can't overcome.

What's even funnier is that after about two weeks of doing it, he has mastered driving in reverse. He will drive up to a bush or curb or similar obstruction, kick the shifter into reverse, look over his shoulder, and navigate backwards until he is clear to move forward again.

He's just a written exam and a parallel parking test away from asking to borrow the car...