Cole and Rhys sing the ABC Song

Soccer!

Cole started playing Soccer this year. These pictures are of his first practice. I must say that our Coach is so engaging and fun that Cole remains interested in the process and seems to really enjoy practices. Rhys also is very engaged in the process as you can see and, dare I say, was quicker to pick up the idea and followed all of the coach's directions. I am also enjoying Soccer more because two of my very best pals have children on Cole's team. This is going to be FUN!

I blame John Lasseter

John Lasseter - the father of the Toy Story Series and Lightning McQueen is the reason that I shed a tear as my very first - just mine, bought for by me - car was carried away on a roll-back truck. Maybe it is afraid because it is being taken away. Maybe it is going to miss me. I am just projecting because it was one thing that made me know that I could be independent. I was really an adult - defined by debt. I bought a car! It was a very happy day for me and I was so proud of that car. Emotions that strong for a lifeless item don't fade completely and as I watched her being carried away on a "stretcher" bound for a future unknown, I was saddened at the prospect. Hopefully someone will give her new life and she won't be quick to the junk yard. I can't bear the thought.

Trust

Here is a conversation we had on the way home from the gym:

Cole: "Oops, mom, I dropped the wrapper on the floor."
Me: "That's okay, Cole, I trust you to pick it up when we get out of the car."
Cole: "What does trust mean?"
Me: "It is when someone does something they said they will do or they are supposed to do."
Cole: "I trust you to buy me a car when I get big."

Is is that time again?

I get into patterns and if I had the interest, I could go through this blog and see it all in black and white. I decide that I have had enough, gotten out of shape, let the house go, let myself go, and want to get it all back into shape right away.

I am really good for about a month and then I decide that things can take a break and so can I. I relax with everything and the first to start showing wear is the house, then my clothes are a bit tight, I find that I need to reel in the spending and the calories.

I cut back - way back - with everything and start fresh again. I am at the point of starting fresh again and find that I am having to explain more and more about why we aren't going to McDonalds, renting a bouncy castle for no reason, or getting smoothies at the gym cafe. We really don't need to spend the money. We really don't have the money. We don't need that. The list goes on and on while my frustration mounts.

I am hitting the gym again and this time I am not going every day. I actually don't want to go every day. If it works out that I am able to...great! If not, I will be happy with a steady 3 to 4 times a week. Everything in moderation is my mantra yet again. Living in excess is starting to show and I can't take it anymore.

"Tell him what he's won, Rod"

"It's a NEW CAR, Bob!"

The green car (the first car I bought with my very own money) finally kicked the bucket on Monday and we decided not to put any more money into it. So after one stressful night of internet car shopping, we ventured out with the boys to shop on Tuesday night. The boys made my presence useless, by the way, and after one stop, I decided to take the children home and let Chris head back out on his own. He did but didn't test drive anything or narrow his list down any more than he had already done. I called in back-up and set the kids up with a babysitter on Wednesday night.

I picked Chris up from work and we had a quick dinner followed by a slow process at the VW dealership where Chris drove a new Jetta. He wasn't convinced so we headed on to the Toyota dealership where he drove a Camry and eliminated the Jetta. He decided that he wanted the Camry and, although the price was higher than our limit, I asked the salesman to meet us at our limit and he "was able to do it". I am always curious about how much these things actually cost when you don't include all of the overhead - the fancy showrooms, the salaries of everyone from the sales guys to the receptionist and the cleaning crew to the freight costs and the commissions...that car probably cost about $1,000 to make - ugh.

Anyway, as the world turns and commerce makes that happen, we contributed to the auto food chain and were assured by our Mexican-American salesman (soon to be sworn in as a citizen and a very lovely man) that the car was made in Kentucky ;). SO, we really contributed to the US food chain - at least a little bit.

Jorge sold us a 2011 Camry LE with keyless entry and power seats (the only thing that sets this model apart from the base model)...nothing but the best for my husband..ha ha. Chris was unenthusiastic about the whole process only wishing for the end to come and it all to be over. I do hope that he is driving the car that he wants, not the car that he felt pressured into getting because of the time crunch. At any rate, he seems to love this car and while there may have been another one to love out there...he has this red beauty to love for a long time.