Bi-Weekly Dr. Appts

This means that I'm getting down to the end. My next appointment is May 7th and then I go every week! YIPPEE!!! It means I'm finally getting close, although it seems that the closer I get the farther away it feels. So yesterday, I couldn't remember if we were down to the "internal" exam part yet and whether I should find someone to watch the kids while I went to my appointment. I called the Dr. office (you'd think that by the 3rd I'd remember when those start eh?) and they put a nurse on the phone and she asked if I was having any contractions or pre-term labor signs...I said no. She said they usually start those "internal" yucks at 36 weeks, but if I would like one she'd tell the Dr.

Uh...NO THANK YOU...I said, "do you actually have people REQUEST those?" I'll do just fine to wait until 36 weeks (May 7th). So the kids and I headed off to a visit to hear the baby's heartbeat. The kids always love that...Yates wouldn't know since he STILL has NOT been to any of Baby #3's appointments yet! He's even missed BOTH ultrasounds we've had with this one! I've joked with him about it because he didn't miss 1 appointment with Tucker, made it to about 1/2 of McKinlee's and hasn't been to any of this one. I told him I'd appreciate it if he makes it to the labor & delivery portion. LOL.

More Adventures of Tucker

As I'm taking Tucker to preschool yesterday here is how our conversation went:

Tucker: Mom, when is my birthday?
Mom: You're being silly. You know when your birthday is.
Tucker: Oh yeah, September 20th. How old am I going to be?
Mom: Ssssixxx!
Tucker: Oh yeah, whoopee, hooray! (SUPER EXCITED)(then pause) Mom, I want to be 14.
Mom: You can't be 14 yet. That's too far away and old.
Tucker: Okay, I want to be 11.
Mom: That's still too old.
Tucker: Will I have to start using one of those stick things to hold me up if I'm 11?
Mom: A cane? I hope you don't have to start using a cane at 11 years old.


Tucker also had his 1st t-ball game yesterday. He is on the New York Mets and they got spiffy little hats and shirts that are orange/blue. He even has an orange/blue mitt that we had bought him years ago, so now we look like we bought it on purpose to match! He did really good and we've been practicing catching and hitting off the tee. One time yesterday, he had run to first base and when the player after him hit the ball, instead of running to second, he came in to get his mitt to head back into outfield. You should have seen the mass confusion!!! 20 five-year old's trying to "get" it. I guess we all started somewhere! I forgot my camera yesterday, but I promise to get pictures of the little team and post them.

So I've had a few people ask who Dealership #3 was from Super Long Post below. I know I said I wasn't going to name, but if they were as bad as I really think they are I don't EVER want anyone to have the same bad experience.

The GOOD ones were Saturn of St George and Newby Buick. Kudos to both for being reputable places to shop!

The BAD BAD AWFUL HORRIBLE one was Legacy(cough)Blackridge(cough)Subaru(cough)Mitsubishi(cough)! AVOID AT ALL COSTS EVEN IF THEY HAVE A GREAT DEAL...you will NOT enjoy your experience!

This is SUPER long so bear with me!

So our adventure today (and yesterday for that matter) involved trying to find a car. We long ago decided that the single dumbest decision we've ever made involved selling our tried and true '99 Honda Accord. Now that we have the diesel to pull the trailer, it was kind of pointless to have both the Yukon and the diesel guzzling gas for our family. I drive 60 miles a day (Tucker to and from preschool and then into St George for work once Yates gets home). It was eating our shorts in gas. We finally got rid of the Yukon and are now down to one car payment, but are looking for a reliable used car in the $10,000 price range, hopefully 2006 or newer.

So yesterday we set out, after having done some research on used car inventory, for a few different dealerships in our area to "have a look". All shall remain nameless.
Day 1:
Dealership #1: Very little used car inventory available to browse and even fewer with our pretty strict criteria. We did find one vehicle in the price range, year and miles that we were looking for, but decided we definitely wanted to keep looking around since it was a little small in the backseat and pretty soon we'll have 2 carseats and a booster back there. Besides, everyone knows you don't swing at the first pitch a.k.a. don't buy the first thing you see from the first place you've been!
Dealership #2: Quite a variety of used car inventory available and in a LOT of different price ranges. It helped that a guy that I used to work with at South Central Communications left us to go work here, so at least I felt more comfortable working with someone that I knew fairly well. He was UBER-HELPFUL and waited on us hand & foot literally trying to find something they had that would work for us. We left because the 2 cars that we really liked weren't in our price range and we wouldn't be able to make the payment work for us.
Dealership #3: We weren't sure about going to this one and, once we did, were even MORE unsure about buying a car from them! I stayed in the truck with the kids, because by this time they were sick and tired of car shopping. Yates went out and talked to one of the salespeople and looked at a couple cars, but nothing really fit our criteria.

We left everywhere and went to Cafe Rio for some yummy goodness and headed home. When we got home we all laid down for a nap and had just barely settled in when I got a call from my friend at Dealership #2 saying that one of the 2 cars we had really liked was tagged wrong and actually would work great in our price range. We got some more information from him and then headed over to make ourselves a car purchase. We had not driven the car earlier because initially it wasn't going to work for us, so before we got too involved we took it for a test spin. The outside of the car was in good condition, but once we got inside it was a different story. It was a base model, so basic things were to be expected. However, the carpet was stained in quite a few spots and there were bare spots rubbed off on the panel and once we drove it we could hear/feel a loose something or other (like a strut) in the back passenger area. Our test drive didn't sell us in the least on the car!! We got back and let my friend know that we weren't comfortable buying it and he wanted us to test drive a different car...we agreed. It was a WORLD of difference from car #1 and was close to the price we needed it to be. We loved it and got back and started trying to make numbers work. It was pretty late in the evening by this time and kids were cranky because of the no-nap situation and numbers were coming really close, but not close enough for comfort. We decided it was day #1 and we were NOT in a rush and told my friend we appreciated everything he had done and headed home without the car.

Day #2
I had done A LOT of research on the 2 models after waking up this morning that we were leaning toward and looking around anywhere from Salt Lake to Vegas for some fitting our criteria. I found 8 potential winners and 3 that were actually right here in St George. We talked it over and decided to head over to check them out. 2 of the 3 cars were actually at Dealership #3 from yesterday and as nervous as we were about the actual dealership, we wanted to at least check out these 2 cars. I had called them beforehand to make sure that the 2 stock #'s (cars) that I'd found online were still IN STOCK so we wouldn't be wasting a trip and they assured us they were. On our way over, we called the salesperson who had helped us yesterday and asked to have the cars ready to test drive. We get there and they have some amazing salespeople out smoking and as soon as they see us pull in take a few critical last minute puffs and put their cigarettes out and beeline over to our truck. They had greeted us before we had even gotten the kids out of the car to go inside. We asked for the salesperson who had helped us hand them our list of the 2 cars (with THEIR stock #'s) and they tell us that car #1 is no longer in stock, but that we can go drive car #2. A little frustrating to say the least since I HAD called to confirm that before we even left.

We drive car #2 and it really IS nice. It's a 2007 and has low miles and has plenty of room in the back, but is listed on the lot for almost $5,000 MORE than the internet price so we were nervous about trying to knock them down from that anyway figuring there wasn't a lot more room to fudge. It wasn't our first pick anyway...the car that was NO LONGER IN STOCK actually fit PERFECTLY into our criteria (2006, low miles and was $10,100). We get back and notice that it's getting late in the afternoon and Yates is supposed to be checked on to work at 1:45 pm. We figure we're just going to go in and see if we can even get the numbers where they need to be. The salesperson starts right into filling out an application to start the financing. We get a little nervous at this point because we don't even know if the numbers are going to work and are NOT going to just take the car. We're assured that it's just to find out where we stand to get a better idea of interest rate to try and get the numbers to work first. We tell them we don't have long and have to leave by 1:00 pm to get Yates home and ready for work on time. They say that we'll be fine and they'll put a rush on it. One of the sales managers comes over to talk to us about 10 min later (about 12:55) and wants us to initial these papers saying that IF they can get the numbers where we need them that we'll take delivery of the car that day. We say no. Seriously HEAVY HEAVY pressure tactics ensued!! We said we had to go and that we weren't going to feel pressured into something and Yates had to work and he asked us to wait for 5-10 minutes and he'd be back to see if he could get down where we needed him too. At 1:20 Yates walks out to put the kids in the truck and leaves me with our salesperson. A different sales manager comes out with a whole bunch of numbers scribbled all over and another spot to initial saying we'll take delivery of the car TODAY. I'm by myself and he starts in on WHY this isn't going to work for us. (DUH, first of all my husband has to go to work. We told you this 45 minutes ago. We do NOT have the ability to make it work today.) He starts in on a lesson in Amortization 101 and what CAN happen if we pay extra on our car payment. I'm frustrated and smart off with, "I was an accounting major...I understand amortization." That obviously didn't please him, because then he got smart back with me and started throwing that statement back at me. For example: "As an accounting major, do you know how much depreciation the average car does in a year." "As an accounting major, why do these numbers not make sense." You get the drift. I tell him I've checked out of the situation and I have to go. He says, "didn't your husband leave you here?" Uh NO, he's out in the car waiting. He keeps hammering. Finally around 1:35 Yates opens the front door and whistles and the salesperson and manager give me an "oh, crap" look and I just walk away. Yates was SO MAD!! Needless to say, we will NOT be buying a car from this place NO MATTER WHAT VEHICLES AND HOW PERFECTLY THEY FIT INTO OUR SITUATION!!! They are the epitomy of the stereotypical high-pressure car dealership. We decided to almost go back and buy the car from my friend at Dealership #2 even though it was slightly above where we wanted it to be just to be done with the whole thing. We've simmered a little since then and will continue to be patient and keep looking (albeit, NOT at any located at Dealership #3)!!!!!!!!11

Miscellaneous new pictures of the kids

Now we move on to our floor re-model.
BEFORE:








DURING:











AFTER (notice the new dishwasher-happy day, also new stained pine baseboards and NEW carpet):

CATCH UP TIME!!!

Alright, first we have pictures from Easter. My Mom & Dad were down that weekend and we went down to Las Vegas to stay with my brother, Jared, and his wife, Kylie. We had a good time hanging out with family, coloring Easter eggs and letting the kids have their own little egg hunt in the backyard. McKinlee got a tea set and some "princess" jewelry and Tucker got a t-ball set to practice up for the t-ball season that starts Mid-April.

One Last Tidbit

I wanted to hurry and add something before I forget. Tucker did the funniest thing the other day and didn't think a thing of it. McKinlee was asleep when I got home from picking Tucker up at preschool. I grabbed her and went inside to lay her down, leaving Tucker to fend for himself. Tucker was sauntering up the sidewalk with his backpack, talking to himself, as I headed back toward the door to check on him. It's my favorite thing to listen when the kids think they're all alone because that's when the funniest stuff comes out. I was not disappointed!

Tucker's looking at the ground and walking really slow when I hear him say, "Stinky, nasty, son of a bit*h." Not yelling, mind you...just matter of fact. I couldn't believe my ears! Then I refused to believe them. When he came in I asked him what he'd just said and he told me the "stinky" part. I said, "Didn't you say stinky, nasty something?" He said, "I didn't say nasty Mom, just stinky son of a bit*h". I said, "We're not supposed to use words like that." He said, "But Mom, I was just talking to that plant (our rose tree that is patiently waiting to be planted by the front door)." Needless to say, we had a little talking to about the use of those words. I guess they really are paying attention...to YATES! (wink, wink) I'd never use such words, especially around the kids!

So...it's been a little bit and we have been a BUSY little family! We have completely re-floored our ENTIRE HOUSE! My parents came down from Idaho for their Spring Break and we put them to work!!! My dad had brought his bike down so he and Yates could go riding and we completely ruined their plans...I really DID feel (and still do) awful. It was unintentional - honest! Let me explain...the furniture store down here occasionally has these crazy sales where they offer good no interest/no payment financing options in conjunction with low low prices and they had the sale the day my parents left to come down here. We have been wanting to get new carpet and do something with our ugly linoleum in the kitchen for awhile and definitely before the baby comes in June and finally hit the jackpot. We finished the kitchen, dining room and entry way with laminate wood flooring that is very rustic looking and installed it ourselves (with MUCH help from my parents). We started ripping baseboards out on Easter Sunday after getting back from our trip to Las Vegas to stay with Jared & Kylie and just finished having all the carpet installed today. Not too shabby! 8 1/2 days later we have a completely different look to our house. Don't come visit too soon, it's still a disaster inside. I guess I didn't realize that you just about have to move out of your home to get all that done, but it's true. I'll get pictures on here, but that's going to have to wait until I get my computer at home all put back together. This is the only update you'll get for now.

MUCHO THANKS to my Ma & Pa who are old and on the other side of the dreaded hill and still spent DAYS on end on their knees just begging for the arthritis to set in! J/K LOL! You know I love you both - seriously - endless thanks for all your help!