Sugars in the Drivers Seat? (part three)

For Christmas last year, hubby purchased this fine Four Wheel Driving Machine for Sugar Bear. As you may have noticed...he is a bit outdoorsy, so no girly Barbie or Dora Jeep for our girl. Nope, not this little Sugar. She was a month shy of 2 when she took her first spin. It was hysterical. Let's just say, she was heavy on the pedal, and light on the steering. OR maybe it is more accurate to say, "heavy on the pedal, and non-existent on the steering!" Mama got quite the workout running along side the dang thing trying to steer while she floored it and giggled with glee. She "drove" this way for about 3 outings, then suddenly, she declared that she could NOT drive it, and wouldn't even try. She would just sit at the wheel, and act like she never knew where the pedal was in the first place, and was now blind to all attempts to point it out to her. Days later, she refused to even sit in the drivers seat. The phase lasted several months. It really had us dumb struck.

So up until our fall trip east, the precious Jeep served such purposes as collecting dust, and providing excellent seating for impromptu "Drive in Movie Nights." (We can talk about the TV in the bedroom later...I'm educated, I am aware, and I'm willing to discuss it...just not right now.)


Honestly, this wasn't a half bad plan, we don't have drive-in movies around here, and it was fun sharing the "idea" with Sugar Bear. Sometimes she would even sit IN the Jeep, but usually she liked to sit on top. She is a rebel like that. Yeah...she is totally cool.


Anyhow, back to the story. Hubby, being the rustic mountain man he is, just couldn't imagine a trip to the desert without a chance to drive a super cool four by four Jeep. I mean....what better of a place to learn to drive the dang thing then a flat landscape with relatively little to run into? So along with the dog, we tossed it in the back of the truck before we left.

Once we got to the cabin, Sugar was begging to drive her Jeep. I have to admit I rolled my eyes a little knowing that she would most likely just sit there and pretend not to know how. Regardless we unloaded it and set her up to drive. Surprisingly she started to try out the pedal. At first she was hesitant....then a little more daring. I am certain now that it wasn't her "forgetting" where the pedal was or how to use it, it was her maturing enough to know that if you are going to push that pedal you dang well better know how to steer it, and she didn't, so she held back. Hubby gave her some pointers about steering, and she slowly started to get the hang of it. They also worked on reverse, as she would often get herself too close to a rock or something. She really understood the idea of reverse quickly. It was fun to see her improve in a mere 10 minutes.


Then the good times began....I got the crazy idea to encourage Sugar to "chase" me with her Jeep. This was the most brilliant form of education I could ever imagine. The motivation to run down her mama, got her learning real quickly exactly how to turn left and right. In fact, within 5 minutes she was quite able to dodge sage brush, and aim that Jeep for her mama's hiney. The evil cackling that erupted from that sweet little body, still has me running in fear. Honestly, it just might be the best exercise plan I've come up with. Look at her face....she is totally into this game.


It is also plain to see that she takes right after her mama. When driving, if you suddenly hear something funny, or the vehicle starts to act up, one must check it out ASAP!


After taking a quick look, it is usually a good idea to get out....walk around the vehicle, and then just give it a good KICK!


Soon you'll be back on the road. At least for a little while...I'm not sure the Jeep can 4 X 4 over that log...but heck...she is adventurous, isn't she?


All in all, this trip was exactly what she needed to master her Jeep. You can hardly tell how proud she is. She hides it well. Rock on Sister!


Truely, as a mama, I found myself in awe of her enthusiasm....her determination....her independence. I had to hold myself back from wanting to hover. I had to stop myself from uttering a long sting of warnings, and words of caution. I held back a tear, as I watched my beautiful daughter ride off into the sunset thinking, "Not yet baby girl....NOT YET!"


(That last picture....could very well be an all time favorite picture....sigh)