Getting to know my 17yr old daughter...sigh...

Let me qualify what I'm going to share with you, the fact that I love my daughter. She is very smart, taking AP classes in high school and college courses through the Christian college she wants to attend. Gotta love her, right? Unfortunately, common sense isn't her forte.

We got home from Chicago after a 8+ hour trip, around 6:15pm. Brieanne was going to small group and had to eat and take a shower. She left for small group a bit after 7pm. I got a frantic call from her around 9pm.

"Mom, there's something wrong with the car. Oh my gosh, I'm going to run off the road. It's shaking really bad." Me, "What's going on?!" "It's shaking and I'm going off the road." I told her she probably had a flat tire. The change in her voice was obvious, "Really? I thought there was something wrong with the engine." She gets out of the car and I hear her laughing. Mind you, it's after 9pm!

I was not amused. I asked her when she noticed this "problem" and she answered, "when I left the house." Small group is about 7 mi from our house. She was about 2 mi from our house when she pulled over. So I head out to get her.

I get there and the tire is off the rim! Who knows how long she'd been driving like that. One of her best friends had stayed with her until I got there, thankfully. So, I called our mechanic, who had Brieanne's car (she'd been driving my '00 Neon). I told him we were headed over there to get it and about the car on the small highway.

We get to Tim's Auto (his house) a little before 10pm. Brieanne tells me she's not taking her car if her door isn't fixed. Uh, ok, wonder how she was planning on getting to work with no car! Some people's children! I told her to get into her car. She heads over to it, puts her stuff in and shuts the door. She's standing outside of her car looking through her keychains (yes plural). I'm yelling out my van window that her keys are in the car. I yelled that a couple times as she's still fingering through all her keys. She walks over to me begging me not to hate her. "Um, Brieanne, your keys are in the car. How do you think Tim moved it around?" From Brie, "Mom you have to promise you won't hate me." I sat there waiting, not understanding. "I locked the door and shut it...with the keys still in it." "WHAT?!" So, I call Tim and ask him if he's home (he works nights) and he is. I tell him what's happened and he starts laughing. Now, I realize it's not the best idea to threaten the mechanic who is your only source of help but I told him, "I swear, Tim, if you're laughing, I'm going to break through your door and beat the crap out of you!" More laughing and louder. "That's it, I'm beating the crap out of you!"

1/2 an hour later, he's into her car. I explained to Brieanne that it's a good thing this is an old car because the slim jim and screwdriver are chipping your paint! Brie remembers the people she babysits for has her on their AAA because they consider her their Nanny. So, since my phone is dead, I use her phone on our way home to call them to see if they'll change a tire. Thank you God, they do! Brie heads home and I head to the Neon to see if there's even a spare tire. There is and I call AAA back. They said it'll take about an hour for someone to meet us at the car. It's 10:43pm. I run home to get Brieanne.

We bring our books back to the car and wait 45 min. The tow guy shows up at 11:30pm and he's forgotten his cell phone or has misplaced it in his truck. He uses Brie's cell and he comes back saying it's at home. 5 min later, tire's changed and he's on his way. I explain that you can't drive really fast with a spare tire, blah blah blah and she finally just gets in the car. I see the tow truck's headlights fading in the distance. We drive about 1/2 a mile, if that, and I hear some weird noise. The next thing I know, Brieanne's pulling off the road again. Her spare tire is off the rim!!!!! UGH I can NOT believe this is happening. I can't even call the tow guy because he doesn't have his stinkin' phone. She gets back into the minivan and we head home.

I call Tim in the morning and he agrees to meet Brie out at the car at some point and tow it to his house. I am still shaking my head in wonder at everything that transpired from the moment we got home until I went to bed.

I had NO downtime last night. Got home, cooked pizza, unpacked the minivan, cleaned out part of the hall closest to fit in Brie's college gear that we loaded up on at Linens_N_Things, friend came by to drop off house key, different friend came by to pick up one son, and then Brieanne's call! I barely remember going to bed last night.

Now tonight I have about 7 girls coming to my house for a sleepover that was planned by my teen girls. Sigh...I'll be holing up in my bedroom and reading Gatekeepers by Robert LIparulo because my review is coming up on the 2nd. Peace and quiet! Yippy...

This is what my life is like living with Brieanne. Eh, who am I kidding? This is what life is like being me. My friends and family have said each time something to the affect of, "This could only happen to you," "Your life is never dull," and lots of laughing.