The Beginning of the End

We are beginning the end of "at-home" firsts with our youngest kid, which is always an exciting y(et numbing) feeling, I think. 

Ethan had requested to get his learner's permit after his birthday last September, but life -- as it does that time of year -- got crazy busy. So after getting the medical portion of the paperwork signed off by our doctor on Monday, we made a plan to go and get it today, which we did.

.....

We probably picked the wrong time and day to go. It felt like the DMV scene in Zootopia. You know the one where the sloths do all the paperwork?

THREE hours later, and we were celebrating! He passed with flying colors.

We have another driver-in-the-making in our family. The last one to get his first permit. We celebrated with ice cream!

Friday Funnies

Having "sold out" and joined the "dark side" with our mini van (not this brand, of course), we can truly laugh at the jokes in this video. And it isn't all that bad. At least we can fit everyone and his dog, brother, and uncle (and all the stuff we seem to "need") into our vehicle now. *wink-grin*

Enjoy! And have a very funny Friday!

Joining In

Well, it finally happened.

It was bound to happen.

It had to happen.

We finally joined the ranks of families with *gasp* a minivan.

[Insert scary music and horror screams here.]

Okay. Okay. Now that I've offended a huge percentage of the population with 2.5 or more kids *gulp*...I'll try to explain.

I've never been a "groupie." I'm not a conformist -- though I'm not a traditional non-conformist either...no black clothes or dreadlocks for me.

So I guess I'm a non-traditional nonconformist.

Hmm...

Getting back to the subject above.

Whenever we go to our homeschool group, I pull our little burgundy station wagon -- named "Speedy" -- into a sea of minivans. It's like it's the mandatory family vehicle, especially for anyone who homeschools or has kids who play...soccer.

That's part of the problem, I guess. I've always seen minivans as a "middle-aged soccer mom-mobile." Hence, my avoidance of this particular type of vehicle. Until this year, I was not a soccer mom...and until this year, I didn't consider myself on my way to "middle age."

Okay. Okay. I guess I've seen the light...or gotten pregnant with child #3...or realized I'm on my way to 38 this year.

Anyway you put it, somewhere around month 3 of this pregnancy, we realized our station wagon (not built like those of days past) would be way too small for three kids. With the advent of laws regarding kids' safety and carseats, we suddenly saw that there is no way that we can fit two carseats and three kids in the narrowness of our car.

Bummer.

So we knew we needed to get busy looking for another vehicle.

We've happily lived with one car for about six years now. It's been nice in some ways and a pain in the butt in others. But it's doable, and we did it.

Yet, it was inevitable that a second car would be needed. Our poor 11-year-old "Speedy" has nearly 138,000 miles on it...so regardless of new babies on the way, our family was facing the need for something completely reliable again.

We considered the possibilities and realized there wasn't any choice...we needed a minivan.

It would be convenient...and big enough...and offer us a chance to have friends/family join us on trips. Something we haven't ever been able to do.

All that aside, I can't avoid the fact that I am indeed a middle-aged soccer mom now.

*Sigh.*

Now off to find one of those cute little soccerball magnets...

*wink*

Introducing the yet-unnamed vehicle: a "certified pre-owned" (a euphamism for used) 2007 Hyundai Entourage.