A Team Week 82: Driving Miss Crazy

On Monday night, Asher and Avery played together for quite some time in Asher's room.  Eric and I enjoyed the time to get some things done but when a long silence was followed by lots of giggling, we had to check in on what they were up to.  We found Asher tickling Avery and giving him raspberries.  They were both very happy boys, and once again I was joyed to see them bonding.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you are probably aware that when I call someone Miss Crazy, I am most likely referring to myself.  Again, this is the case.  As I've been very open and honest about in the past, I constantly struggle with being a glass-half-empty kind of person, completely OCD, anxious, stressed, apt at avoiding confrontation and terrible at decision making...as I said: Crazy.  Despite my flaws, I honestly do my best to see the good in things and find the blessings in my life, and I have no doubt that there are millions if not billions of tiny blessings along with several large ones (three of which are the amazing boys that I live with), but it is a constant struggle with some days/weeks being better than others.  The past few weeks seem to be more of a struggle than usual though.  In the past few months several things have come into question regarding our life here in Kenosha, careers, house, schooling for the kids, etc. and neither Eric or I really know what to do about them.  Thus, when Eric asked me a while ago about when I was thinking we would replace his beater Buick, I just about it lost it at the thought of another thing to deal with...another decision to be made.  We avoided the discussion for a couple of weeks, but when it came up again, I realized it wasn't going away and since it was one of the easier items on our list to deal with I decided to just get it taken care of.  I had hoped that I could just mention to Eric to keep his eyes out, but that we could still wait a few months (if not more) before we committed to anything, but I should have known better.  Once Eric gets his mind set on something there is no turning back.  By the time this week started, I knew it was only a matter of time and just wanted to get the car to get it over with.  Then, when Eric came home test driving a GMC Terrain, I couldn't handle discussing it any more and joined Eric on his search for the new Migrin mobile.

Avery taking the Terrain for a (pretend) spin.

Checking our the sippy cup holder in the front.

Trying out Asher's big boy seat to see how it fits.

With my distaste for decision making, searching for a new vehicle for Eric was not exactly the way I would have liked to spend the week, but it needed to get done.  I survived with ice cream and snuggles! :)

My Monday night creation: A Girl Scout Thin Mint/Mint Ice Cream Sandwich = YUMMY!  (although difficult to eat)

(4) Videos: Avery, What Does a ____ Say?/Can you say ____??

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After checking out the GMC Terrain, we had a better idea of what we wanted (that wasn't it).  Eric wanted something "tough", and I wanted something with space for everyone (and carseats) and added room if we decided to expand.  After some more research, we found that the Kia Sorento had pretty much everything that we were looking for and there were several available in our price range.  Thus, with Eric's connections in the local car dealerships, we tested a 2016 Kia Sorento for a few days starting on Tuesday night.  By Wednesday night we were quite interested in it and decided to take it out on a family outing...to where else but Meijer!  Asher wasn't really interested in shopping, so we convinced him to go by promising him he could pick out a treat at the store.  Thus, we enjoyed more tasty ice cream upon our return back home.

Avery happily (& messily) enjoyed his first Drumstick.

On Thursday, we were convinced that the Sorento we test drove was what we wanted, if we could get the dealership to bargain with us at all.  We spent most of our evening talking to car salesmen, but in the end we were not able to get the deal we were hoping for and had to head back home with the Buick.

Avery coloring on the dealership while Daddy works to get the price down.

Avery was very interested in the mice people at the Kia dealership.  He just kept running around and pointing to all of them and then pointing to his head as if to tell me there was something strange about their heads!  He spent a disturbing amount of time staring at the mouse woman though!

On Friday night, we put our car search on hold to enjoy a family dinner together, but we still kept it car related...we went to the drive-in and enjoyed our first meal of the season at Big Star.  We all enjoyed our delicious food, but the boys (especially Avery) also enjoyed watching all the motorcycles out and about.

On Saturday, we kicked our search into high gear and were on a mission to find what we needed and end the search.  After a quick breakfast, we headed up to South Milwaukee to look at some Chevy Traverses that we'd seen online.  The plan was to look at those and then drive to Waukesha to look at some more Kia Sorentos, but Eric was so happy with one of the Traverses that we found that we decided to call it and make it ours.  We spent the remainder of the morning and most of the afternoon at the dealership with the boys running credit and getting through all the paperwork for loans, insurance, licensing, etc.  When we had been at the Kia dealership earlier in the week, the boys were driving me a bit insane, so I came prepared this day.  I had a bunch of different activities for the boys, my iPad (which they gave me the guest wifi password for), and TONS of snacks.  The boys were most interested in the snacks and basically ate everything that I had brought, but it made them happy and they were both very well behaved the entire 5ish hours that we were there so I was happy too.  At a little after 3pm, the paperwork was done and all we had left to do was get everything out of our Buick and transfer it into the new (well new-to-us) vehicle, which is a 2013 Traverse.  We took a few last pictures and then headed home to meet our babysitter so that Eric and I could go on a short movie date.

The boys had a lot of fun running around the dealership and checking out the cars.

The boys running the numbers.

While we waited for Daddy to sign all the papers, Asher happily colored next to Eric (including signing a "contract" that he could drive the car when he was 16 if he had good grades) and Avery and I sat in the customer lounge and watched BMX racing.  He was pretty excited by the bikes jumping all the hills.

Video: Automatic Trash Can

Avery was also VERY interested in the automatic trash can in the customer lounge.  With the push of a button it opened all by it self, waited a bit for you to put something in and then closed.  He thought it was pretty awesome!

Me with my beater Oldsmobile '88 and my new ride, the Buick in 2005...11 years ago.  Living in our apartment, living in Michigan, no kids, just graduated from Grad School...so much has changed since then!

Eric and the boys with my (& then his) old Buick and the new ride, aka "The Fancy Car"...11 years later.  Living in our house, in Wisconsin, two beautiful boys & we've been working at our firms for almost a decade!

Finally, it was Sunday and the car craziness was all over.  We were all happy to enjoy a lovely Spring day at home and church...and NOT looking for cars!

Asher enjoying a tailgating lunch outside.

Hugs from big brother after a fall.  Thoughtful, but not sure he enjoyed the headlock.

With all the car craziness behind me, I was feeling ambitious to finish another small project I had on my radar...a little toolbox for Asher.  My dad had some parts for a work project he'd made YEARS ago, that he let me take.  A few extra dowels and some felt and staples from around the house and voila.  It isn't perfect, but it at least gives Asher something to carry his tools in from inside to outside (which happens A LOT!).

So yeah, it was a car-crazed week and I am THRILLED to have it behind me!!  I do have one last car story to end the week though...  The beater Buick Regal that Eric drove prior to this was named the "Stinky Boy Car" as it had a forever smell of mildew, Stinky Boys and greasy fast food.  Every time I went in there (which was as infrequently as possible) my nose immediately wrinkled in distaste and I am thankful that my man was willing to drive it every day so that I could enjoy the much nicer vehicle (our van).  When we were finalizing the sale on the Traverse, I asked Asher if he would be sad to no longer have the Stinky Boy Car.  He looked back at me and said, "No Mommy...cause we will make this car stinky too!"  :P  So, even though Asher has decided that Eric's new SUV is called "The Fancy Car", I am thinking that instead a new SUV that is bound to loose its new car clean smell someday soon and be replaced by fast food and stinky boys should instead by called the "SBV" for Stinky Boy Vehicle!  :)

Asher starting some early planting with Daddy...they just couldn't wait any longer!