FOUR doors!

So we have a new second hand car. Picked it up Thursday night. I can't tell you how nice it is. The move to four doors was worth every dollar the bank paid for it. I don't have photos yet because I haven't taken any but it's white and in case I haven't mentioned it already it has four doors. I've counted them several times to make sure I'm not dreaming. FOUR doors. That means no more back pain trying to heave Henry in and out of his seat in the back. No more slamming back of the front seat in order to just get to the back seat. I would talk about the other features but they pale in comparison to the fact that it has FOUR doors. Alright... I will anyway. It has one of those cute little buttons that you can press to lock and unlock the doors. Handy but not as handy as having FOUR doors. It's also a lot more comfortable to drive and ride in.

When I bought our old car there was only Maya and me so it was no big deal. The family was extended to three when Ben arrived on the scene and then four when Henry made his entrance into the world. We wanted to buy a bigger car when Henry was born but we just couldn't afford it. We put up with it and then bought a cheap volvo from our friend who moved to NZ. We got our money worth out of that car and then it just kind of started to cost too much money to repair so we ditched it. We then bought another cheap car from some other friends who moved to France but it isn't roomy. Ben drives that around and loves it. It's by no means a car for a family of four though. As Henry got bigger and heavier we kept talking about buying a bigger car but never got around to doing anything about it. Eventually I'd had enough. I could no longer take the two doors. It was time to upgrade.

We narrowed down our options with the help of a book called the dog and lemon guide to cars. If ever you're considering buying a car I recommend you invest $20 and read it. With the help of that book we decided we wanted a Toyota Camry or Corolla. We already knew we wanted only 4 cylinders, a car that was cheap to run and maintain and would last a lifetime, and was considered relatively safe. The Dog and Lemon Guide helped us by recommending highly the Camry or Corolla. Next came the price. We had originally decided we really only wanted to spend $10 000 but because those cars hold their value so well we were looking at a car that was as old as the one we already had. Seemed a bit stupid if we were to really go for something that was going to last. We decided to go higher. We ended up with a 2004 Corolla with only 30 000klms on the clock. It is immaculate. Looks like it's never been driven. It was owned by a guy and his wife who were pedantic about keeping it clean and tidy. It still smells new.

So now we're driving in style. It's no longer a chore for me to get in the car and do stuff. At first Henry was a little dubious. He didn't want a new car. He kept saying "No Mama, we need our old little car". When we picked it up he refused to ride in it and insisted on travelling home in the old car. The following day however, lured by the button pressing locks he was convinced that the new car was indeed a beauty.

Maya wanted to be delivered to school in it. On the way I drove right by Henry's daycare and he told me I'd forgotten to drop him off. I told him that I hadn't and would do it as soon as I had dropped Maya off as she wanted me to take her to school in it. "No she doesn't, Henry wants to go to school in the new car" is what he told me. Unfortunately he now thinks he's king in it and won't allow anyone to touch anything in it unless he gives the go ahead. If we adjust the radio he's like "No. Don't touch that. That's the new car radio"!

I know the excitement will wear off in time but for now. We're lovin' it!