One thing I love about spring is that everything feels fresh. Fresh air, fresh flowers, fresh start... And as much as I dislike it, spring cleaning is a big part of that as well. This may sound silly, but I love the feeling of a clean house. No, I haven't gone all Hannah Housewife. With the help of my wonderful brothers my kitchen, living room and bathroom are all clean and I'm caught up on our laundry. It was a long time coming, but at last our home is presentable again. As much as I may resent spring cleaning, it makes such a difference.
I have decided I need to take time off from school again. School, work and a baby is not the best combination in the world. It also makes a difference in that my grades caused me to not qualify for financial aid this term. That sort of sealed the deal for me. Those grades hurt my school nerd soul. They were the worst in my academic career and they made me want to cry. Last term I had to choose between spending time with Anna or having people watch her for even longer during the day so I could do homework. Under normal circumstances I could have handled that courseload and a job, but I have a new "normal" now. As sad as I am to not be able to continue my education until probably some time next school year (with luck), I am relieved in that I can spend time with my pumpkin with out feeling homework hanging over my head.
Also, again with the Hannah Housewife stuff, I have decided to take up baking and sewing. For years I have fought against the so-called "LDS housewife" stereotype and have resisted trying anything like scrapbooking (I still can't get in to that, but it's out of a lack of patience and an inability to cut in a straight line), baking, sewing, enjoying decorating my home...things like that. Call it the tomboy in me, I have always had a hard time with those things. This Christmas I started baking...a lot, and I started hand sewing again and even MADE Christmas gifts! Could it be that I've discovered my domestic side after almost two years of marriage?! Maybe. I've decided to make it my mission to make cooking, baking and even sewing cool. I love unique things, so if I sew something it's because I want an original and customized piece of clothing. Yeah, that's it...
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Squeaky Wheel
After all of the drama surrounding the new car dying, getting it fixed and reimbursed (that hasn't happened yet, but it should today.) I am so ready to be done with all of it and go on with our lives. This is a well-deserved weekened. Too bad it will be spent working on finals. The car experience has actually been an empowering one.
In the past, mostly before I was married, if there were any kind of issue that involved persuading someone to see things my way, complaining, or any sort of confrontation...I would ask my parents to do it. This time (with the exception of a letter writing campaign spear-headed by my dynamo mother-in-law and papa-bear father-in-law and my own formidable mother) we handled things ourselves. Last night I talked to the head of sales about what had happened with our car, the salesman who said it would be fixed and how much they were willing to pay for. Originally he offered to pay 50% (which he said is standard procedure)...by the end of the conversation he offered all but $70. After the guilt trip of a letter I sent them I hope it's more.
This experience has taught me that I can do things for myself and that I can make things happen. Also, I learned that my dear husband's super powers are perspective (I have been freaking out) and making cocky salesmen feel incredibly akward. I love that man.
Update: They're paying us IN FULL for the repairs we had to make on our car. The moral of the story: the squeaky wheel not only gets the grease, it gets the CHECK.
In the past, mostly before I was married, if there were any kind of issue that involved persuading someone to see things my way, complaining, or any sort of confrontation...I would ask my parents to do it. This time (with the exception of a letter writing campaign spear-headed by my dynamo mother-in-law and papa-bear father-in-law and my own formidable mother) we handled things ourselves. Last night I talked to the head of sales about what had happened with our car, the salesman who said it would be fixed and how much they were willing to pay for. Originally he offered to pay 50% (which he said is standard procedure)...by the end of the conversation he offered all but $70. After the guilt trip of a letter I sent them I hope it's more.
This experience has taught me that I can do things for myself and that I can make things happen. Also, I learned that my dear husband's super powers are perspective (I have been freaking out) and making cocky salesmen feel incredibly akward. I love that man.
Update: They're paying us IN FULL for the repairs we had to make on our car. The moral of the story: the squeaky wheel not only gets the grease, it gets the CHECK.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Pancakes and Not-Quite New Car Smell
Tim and I bought our first car together on Wednesday! It's a '92 Camry and other than smelling like smoke (hopefully that will come out while they're detailing it today) it's in fantastic condition and runs smoothly. We were planning on going the Craigslist route and had a few cars we were going to check out with a specific price in mind. We ended up, on a whim, going to a dealership. We didn't think they would have anything in our price range but kept an open mind. Immediately a salesman invited us in and talked specifics. He asked what we were looking for, price range, etc. and said that he had a few things in mind but they were at their other lot in Keizer. So he loaded us up, we plugged in Anna's car seat and it was off to Keizer for us. He was of the same mind as I was in that we need something big ENOUGH, but not too big; and it has to be fuel-efficient. I liked him. :)
That morning I had simply prayed that we find somethng that will suit our needs now, something that is reliable and safe and a good value for what we are able to spend. The two cars he had in mind were OK, then he went back in to the office to see what else they had available and came across the Camry. It had just been traded in this weekend and came highly recommended by the manager. It looked great, and we tried to hide our excitement (salesmen can smell enthusiasm like a dog smells fear) After a successful test drive and some back and forth with the salesman and GM we decided to see how much this would set us back (a detail they witheld until we were hooked).
Before that we were looking at safety ratings and such on the Blue Book site and Tim and I had noted the listing price. The dealership was asking for $200 over Blue Book. That just wasn't happening as it was $300 over our limit...and there was no reason to mark it up. Being my father's daughter I know to never accept a first offer. Being Irish, I also don't pay full price for anything unless I have to. I told our salesman that we couldn't pay any more than --- and gave him our price, which was below Bluebook. He came back and said "you must be living a clean life, they'll accept it!" Ah, the power of clean living and Irish shrewdness.
The moral of the story:
*PRAY - It helps to pray with something specific in mind.
*BE OPEN-MINDED - We (mostly Tim) were looking for something bigger and ended up with a mid-size sedan that more than fills our current needs. And it gets crazy great gas mileage.
*NEVER ACCEPT A FIRST OFFER - Settling, especially in a situation like this, is not the answer. People can be more flexible than you give them credit for, and the worst they can say to your counter-offer is "no."
*PAY IN CASH - We were blessed to have a windfall of late financial aid when Blue Steel crapped out and we didn't want to be trapped in a car payment. Dealerships seem to be more amenable to negotiation if you can give them their money right away.
So, YAY!
We also discovered that day that Anna loves peanut butter and pancakes. The night before I gave her PB for the first time and she reacted like so:
All in all, it was a very successful Wednesday.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Baby, you can drive my car...
We're reaching one of those marriage milestones...the first "new" car together. This will officially be our largest purchase as a couple. Our current car, Blue Steel, is slowly giving up the ghost.
As much as you think or say you agree on things sometimes, when it comes down to it, you realize that you aren't always on the same page. Turns out, we have very different ideas about the size of car we need at this point in our lives. Tim is planning far ahead (which is normally something I really do appreciate) and wants something with 3 rows of seating. I, being of a more liberal turn, don't think we need something that large as we would be guzzling gas and would have excessive space in a car that would be transporting only 3 people for at least a couple of years. I believe we have reached a compromise in the form of a mid-size SUV (5 seats and more room to haul equipment), and while it's still bigger and less fuel efficient than I would care for...at least it isn't a 9 seater Suburban. Our other option is a minivan-- and as practical as it sounds on paper my pride won't appreciate driving one at such a young age. And with only one child. We'll see what happens. Tomorrow is our big car shopping day! Heaven help us...
Lately we have been buying more "us" stuff for our home. Tim lived in our apartment for a couple of years before we got married, and for a long time it felt like *his* place. Not through any fault of his own, it's just that there was still furniture and decor that was left by previous roommates and we spent a lot of time over there when we were dating and engaged. We've replaced almost all of the furniture and such they had left behind with things that we picked out. It's amazing what a difference that sense of possession makes. I believe I have been successful in de-bachelor pad-ing our home once and for all. It only took me a year and a half. We hope to move in to a 3 bedroom apartment soon. Ours is just too small for Anna and our stuff (mostly Tim's equipment, let's be honest here). Then we will have "our first place." We're excited.
It's funny...with all of these major changes and milestones we're feeling more like a legit, grown-up, married couple. If that makes sense. On top of all of this we have Anna getting older, bigger and more mobile. We're truly realizing just what we're doing. :)
As much as you think or say you agree on things sometimes, when it comes down to it, you realize that you aren't always on the same page. Turns out, we have very different ideas about the size of car we need at this point in our lives. Tim is planning far ahead (which is normally something I really do appreciate) and wants something with 3 rows of seating. I, being of a more liberal turn, don't think we need something that large as we would be guzzling gas and would have excessive space in a car that would be transporting only 3 people for at least a couple of years. I believe we have reached a compromise in the form of a mid-size SUV (5 seats and more room to haul equipment), and while it's still bigger and less fuel efficient than I would care for...at least it isn't a 9 seater Suburban. Our other option is a minivan-- and as practical as it sounds on paper my pride won't appreciate driving one at such a young age. And with only one child. We'll see what happens. Tomorrow is our big car shopping day! Heaven help us...
Lately we have been buying more "us" stuff for our home. Tim lived in our apartment for a couple of years before we got married, and for a long time it felt like *his* place. Not through any fault of his own, it's just that there was still furniture and decor that was left by previous roommates and we spent a lot of time over there when we were dating and engaged. We've replaced almost all of the furniture and such they had left behind with things that we picked out. It's amazing what a difference that sense of possession makes. I believe I have been successful in de-bachelor pad-ing our home once and for all. It only took me a year and a half. We hope to move in to a 3 bedroom apartment soon. Ours is just too small for Anna and our stuff (mostly Tim's equipment, let's be honest here). Then we will have "our first place." We're excited.
It's funny...with all of these major changes and milestones we're feeling more like a legit, grown-up, married couple. If that makes sense. On top of all of this we have Anna getting older, bigger and more mobile. We're truly realizing just what we're doing. :)
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