So long 2010

Charlie wearing my scarf

This December, like every other December, we were hit with a major car repair bill for Dej's car. We also put four new tires on it. Only after that did we find out that there were additional issues that made unwise to put any more money into. We realized that sadly, a year before we were planning, that we had to give up on the old Tempo and get another car.

Libby (my mom's) hides in a gift bag

The car research and acquisition sucked up most of our vacation time. Neither M nor I feel that we got any relaxation time over vacation, nor did we get as much done as we had planned. We are the owners now of a 2008 Subaru Forester and the monthly payments that go along with it. We should be set now until L needs a vehicle for college.

Daisy, Chloe, Jezebel

The final day of negotiations and paperwork for the new car took several hours. It was hot as hell in the dealership, because there was a huge wall of windows that allowed the bright sun to create a major greenhouse affect in the building. The heat, the stress, and the general length of the day resulted in a migraine for me, and L becoming hot, crabby, and bored. She was perfectly behaved, however, because she had her heart absolutely set on getting this car from the first moment she saw it. She was in love when she got inside and saw all the little nooks and crannies for storage. It was a strange bond. It made her willing to tolerate all the crap, just to get the car of her dreams.

Oliver chills in bed

What she didn't know until we were ready to go was that the enormous stuffed animals piled around the cars in the showroom were a promotional item, and we got one with the purchase of the car. When we completed the paperwork, the finance guy told her she could go pick her animal. She was so surprised and excited. She went straight to the one tiger, which is exactly where M and I told the finance guy she would go. She has asked for a big stuffed tiger for years, and I have a "no more stuffed animals!" rule, so she hasn't gotten one. Until now. The look on her face was priceless, and she was so happy! She got to take her beloved tiger and get in her beloved new car for the ride home. She said the long, unpleasant day was totally worth it.

Chloe

I don't have any photos of the car or the tiger. I'm currently at my parents' sneaking in a quick blog while we take a little break from playing games. I do have some cute pictures of the animals during the holidays, so I using them for this entry.

Basil naps

The girls and I have been enjoying the Twilight Zone marathon today (until we got here and Sir Clix Alot {my dad--He likes big buttons and he cannot lie...} got the remote ;) and I'm really anxious to get back home to it. We missed our July 4th marathon this year, as SyFy robbed us of it, so we have to make up for it by watching extra this time!