Car shopping

Those of you who know me and find me a bit aggressive in personality would be surprised to know that I hate car shopping. I hate anything that has to do with bargain hunting. I avoid flea markets because I am not comfortable with the price haggling, that and the people drinking beer at 1o am with their donuts in wife beaters, without bras.

It is time for a new car. Mine is rusting more each day, all around the gas cap as well as underneath. Two years ago they told me the undercarriage coolant lines were starting to rust. I can only imagine what they look like now. Night time is a bit treacherous since my headlights are so cloudy not much light actually gets through. The worse part is that my blower is not working. It wasn't too big of a deal until the damn frost had to come. I have to whack it with the kids vitamin bottle to get it going. (you'd think that was enough to remind me to give them their vitamins....hasn't happened) The last thing I have in the morning is time to wait for the windshield to clear enough to see.

I have put it off and put it off. Now with the holiday looming, I literally have a handful of days before I am up a creek without a registered, inspected vehicle. On most days I couldn't even decide what I wanted, another minivan or a car. I haven't had a car payment in almost two years...and I am not looking forward to another one.

Today we went looking and this is what I am looking at. The Toyota Sienna. I was first thinking about the Odyssey, But I like the shape of the Sienna better. Oh, did I mention my parameters are pretty strict...right price, looks good. Jim is beside himself about my lack of certainty. I will never get the car I would really like, unless we were rich and it was a third car. Because an Eclipse is really not a family car nor in my price range.

Things I loved about the Sienna.

• nice ride
• stow and go third row seating
• deep back if seats are up
• 8 seats
• three separate seats in the second row that each recline independently
• two side sliding doors
• windows go down in the side doors, so cool
• cd player...I have a tape player
• middle seat in second row folds to make a little table with cup holders
• the color was cute too

Thing I didn't love....$20,000 price tag! (Bottom line price)

Flashback Friday

Oh the places we've been....we've come a long way since this day.

First day of Kindergarden for Joshua. He so looked forward to this day until it actually came and went. Day 2-100+ were not so good :)

Fashionista

I always thought Joshua was the obsessive one. But Jacob is giving him a run for his money. The kids loves his dirt bikes and four wheelers. He sits at the table for hours drawing them, cutting them out of magazines and making pictures with the cutouts. He has practiced making posters for Hundred Day and keeps asking me to write a note to his teacher to make sure he will get to do it for school.

This week he wanted to take it one step further. Last Father's Day I had them each draw a picture and we made shirts for JIm. They each had a truck of course and kept waiting for each or theirs to be worn. Well Jacob wanted to make his own shirt. He thought we could just tape or glue the pictures on to a shirt. I figured at $3.50 for the shirt, we could do it. It was the transfer that end up costing the money, $15. for five sheets. Which is fine unless you screw up...and like I'm not gonna screw up. Luckily I had a staples rewards coupon so the first pack was 'free'. I tell you, this was no easy project and took all of us to do. Auntie did the ironing, mom did the scanning, printing and cutting (all those damn four wheelers and dirt bikes) and we needed Jacob's little fingernails to peel that G-damn paper off the back of the transfer. Joshua made one too, but his went on to day two...screw up that I mentioned would happen. I took a picture of his too, but forgot to download it. I will add it in when I do.

I'm sure Jacob would take orders if anyone needed a Christmas present idea :)

Halloween

I use to love getting the boys ready for Halloween, when they were younger. You know, before they had opinions and told me what they wanted to be. I liked it much better when I could gently prod them in my direction. I enjoyed making Jacob's costumes the last couple of years and took pride in the outcome. Now I'm 'out of business' as they are both into scarier stuff.

Joshua as Bob the builder.Joshua the army man...two years in a row. We actually watched a home video not to long ago of him practicing putting on his face make up. It consisted of 10 minutes of him brushing the same spot on his face with a miniscule brush....and the cutest little voice ever!My first costume...Jacob went as the cutest cow ever. Jacob was so easy this year. Going through the aisles he just wanted a hat. I took the hat (saved me money) and went with it. These cheap black sweat suits go a long way in the costume making world. Joshua on the other hand was soooooooooo indecisive. This was his start into the scary stuff.

I knew this would be my last year making Jacob a costume. He really wanted a scary one but I told him he was too young. I didn't let Joshua have one in kindergarden either. I kept this costume and it is in my Halloween decoration box. I'm hoping someone will get to use it again. Michelle, let me know if you want Christian to be a scarecrow. It was a large 4T :)Black,and more black. Jacob wanted to be Evil Canevil this year...which is totally him, but really wanted to ride a scooter to complete his costume. I told him it isn't really safe with so many kids around, so he settled for a dirt bike rider. We saw a costume at Walmart and it was so cheap, plastic mask and plastic suit. I told him if he wanted to be a dirt bike rider, his stuff was much cooler. I'm guessing next year I'll have two kids with black robes, scary faces and a bucket of candy.

Flashback Friday

Everyone thinks that Jeffrey and Jacob look just like Daddy. From this picture I would have to agree. I actually think Johsua has been through stages when he looks like him too.

Flashback Friday

In honor of my birthday, I'm posting an old school picture of myself. Back when I was so cute :)Well ik...there are two, I just couldn't pick one. Can you guess which Carly Simon song my dad always use to sing to me as a teenager staring in the mirror?

Charmingfare Farm

Charmingfare farm is a place that has some farm animals and others you would expect to see more in a zoo or something. Like these beautiful wolves.

This raccoon was hainging from the top of the cage and laying on a bar. It was too funny.

For Halloween they had a couple of events planned and one was for the kids. They started out feeding the farm animals, once again confirming how mean goats are, especially to baby goats!

I didn't actually take pictures of them.

Then they had a horse drawn hay ride to see the decorations in the woods, that doubled as a scary hay ride at night.They dropped us at a hay maze in a barn and then took a tracker wagon ride to a corn maze, which was flooded out :( The kids got to wear their costumes and each station gave out candy. A little pre-trick-or-treat day. They are holding the animal food. The goats grabbed the bag right from Jacob and ate most of the bag as well. No wonder those little suckers have such big guts!