My backseat driver.

Meet Brendan. Pro-driver. You get in the car with him and it's "Why are you going this way", "Why is that car going so slow? Can't you go around him?" "Why are you going faster than all the other cars, Mom?" "What does that sign mean?" ALL. THE. TIME. It was really cute in the beginning a few years ago when he started asking questions about how to drive. He would say "Mom, I want you to tell me everything there is to know about how to drive." and I would. I would show him signs, the stripes on the street, the school zones, the traffic lights, the turn signal the brakes and his personal favorite... the cruise control. Or as he likes to call it "Auto Driving." "Mom, are you driving in automatic driving right now?" as we are going 35- or 45 down the road. He is especially aware about the violations like running a red light, or driving too fast. There are several stories I could tell you because he does it every day. He does it to my parents. He did it to my sister in law Hayley on the way home from school. You know exactly what I mean if you have ever had him as a passenger in your car when I say "SHUT UP!!!" but in a kind, motherly, non-verbal abusive kind of way. We don't say shut up in my family. So I take a deep breath and I say, "Brendan, I would really like it if I could do the driving today. Can you sit there and be quiet for me?" So today while out and about he said something and I actually can't remember what he said because something in my brain snapped and that's when I stopped the car and took his picture. He was giving me a sour puss face because he didn't want me to take the picture. So I had to use the word fart face. That's what got this smile out of him. We don't use the word fart in my family either, so you can imagine the lecture I got about using that word afterwards. The picture of the infamous back seat driver. Isn't he cute?? Yeah- until he tells you how to drive. Which is every day. I seriously love this kid. He's getting too smart for his own good.