Zoe Wilson, the 8-Year-Old Who Drove Herself to Target 😂

I've had a super busy week, so I probably won't get to the horror-movie series for a bit, as we're going for a mini-hike on a local trail today, but this story - which actually made the NYT today - made me laugh-out-loud for a full 10 minutes!

Now, if I was the mom, I'd be freaking out!

But since I'm not, although scary and dangerous, you have to admit - it's also hilarious!  😂

So apparently, one early Sunday morning, while the rest of the family was sleeping, 8-year-old Zoe Wilson was worried about learning multiplication and was trying to get in some extra practice, when her iPad quit working. 

So instead of waking up the rest of the family, she apparently said to herself "Everybody's still Sunday sleeping, so you know what I'm gonna do?  I'm gonna get in my mom's purse and get her keys and wallet, and then I'm gonna drive myself to Target to get someone to fix it or buy a new one, get myself a Frappuccino - AND - I'm taking the family dog with me!"

And that is exactly what she did - drove herself to Target in the family SUV, with her dog in tow! 😂😂😂

Her mom, Tangie, quickly woke up and realized that Zoe, the dog and the car were missing, but she had no idea where she was, so the family was searching the neighborhood (the neighbor's Ring camera recording Zoe backing out of the driveway) - and Tangie called the police herself.

In the meantime, the store realized she was there by herself and also called police, and when they arrived, there she sat, calming drinking a Frappuccino, happy as you please! 😂😂😂

The police scolded her, but also found it "impressive" and "cute" and then posted this to Facebook ...

Very cool of them  - it's nice when police actually act like human beings 😊

Absolutely frightening for a parent, but you gotta give it up for Zoe's intelligence and industriousness - no barrier is too big for Miss Zoe to climb!

However, Mom - you DO know you're gonna have to stay one step ahead with THAT child at all times, she's almost too smart and "driven" (pun intended) for her own good!  😂

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PS - Spare us the parent-shaming, folks - it was early on a Sunday  morning, and she got up earlier than everybody else, and clearly, this kid is clever, way beyond her years!

I've gotten up early in the morning, even on Sunday morning, since my early 20s, true, but so has my daughter - and sometimes, she was up before me!

You learn your kids and learn to trust your kids, to a certain degree  - but who wouldda thunk that she - or any 8-year-old - would even be capable of figuring out how to drive herself to Target, and without incident?

No one - including the police - so give it a rest.

If the police weren't too worried, then you shouldn't be!

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PPS - My husband, Mark, just reminded me that early one Sunday morning - while everyone was still sleeping - he got the keys to his Mom's 1973 Mustang GT from his mom's purse, and then drove to all his buddies houses in the neighborhood and went joy-riding all over Detroit!  😂

However, he was 12 years old.

(He also was, of course, grounded for like 6 months. 😂)

But no one, including the police, would think it even possible for an 8-year-old to do such a thing - and to do so without incident - but clearly, Zoe is exceptional!