Rachel has a car !!! After years and years (ok - maybe it only seemed that long to her poor exhausted parents) of looking for the perfect car - WE FOUND IT !!! Derek has taken her car shopping for several days and he and I have looked at a few without her. Finding a car under $5,000 that isn't a POS is nearly impossible. They either have five bazillion miles on them or they were previously owned by a sweaty, chain smoker, who kept their seven monkeys in the car instead of buying them cages. Plus you have to find something "cute" and not an "old lady car" that holds five people. Good luck with that one !
We lucked out yesterday - big time ! I was talking on the phone to my banker friend about how much we could borrow to go along with the $3,000 that Rachel already has saved (yes we are one of those HORRIBLE parents who make their children save for their own cars) and he informed me that he couldn't loan us any money on a car older than a 2003 model. Well dangit all to heck ! We had planned a big trip to OKC to look at cars and none of them were newer than an 03 model. Then my banker friend had a lightbulb moment ... DING ! His nephew (who is leaving to join the Navy next week) is trying to sell his car. It's a 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier - really cute and only slightly old ladyish. Long story short (too late), WE BOUGHT IT !!! Rachel is going to get to learn about car payments, insurance payments, checking accounts, how much a tag cost, etc. She is also going to learn that if you let the little childrens have drinks and food in your car, then it won't be long before you have the monkey smell as well.
She couldn't wait to drive it around town when we got home last night, so she and the twins did a treasure hunt all over the house to find enough coinage to go to Sonic for drinks. Before they left Derek told her, "Get me the biggest blue slushie they have ..... and make sure that the straw is extra long so that when I ride in the backseat I can jab it all the way through the bottom of the cup and then sling it around!" She rolled her eyes and said, "Daddy - that isn't funny". After they drove off, he turned to me "She thought that I was joking". Oh yeah - this is going to be fun !
And thus it begins. This was my least favorite stage of life with the kids. The car ownership whilst still living at home days. And you are a perfect parent...making her buy her own car!! At some point you may hear, "Well, So-and-so's parents bought HER a car!" To which the proper response is, "I'm sorry that So-and-so's parents don't love her as much as we love you." That response works for a fair amount of teenage statements. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to your daughter on taking her first step towards responsible adulthood.
We hear the "well so-and-so gets to do this and that" all the time ... to which we reply "well so-and-so must have bad parents". MUAHAHAHAHAHA !
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