In October, when we were driving home from a corn maze, we got into a very minor accident. We were at an intersection and barely moving, going only a couple miles per hour. I saw us slowly getting closer and closer to the car in front of us and wondered when Nate would finally press the break. I yelled for him to stop, but his mind was elsewhere apparently, and we bumped the car in front of us going a few miles per hour. After exchanging car insurance information, we drove the 40 minutes home. Our car had a crack in the bumper, but was otherwise fine.
Organizing through insurance, we couldn't get an appointment to have the car looked at for 2 weeks. In the meantime, I drove it like normal. At the repair shop, I was told they would replace the bumper and whatever else that entails. They began the work more than a week later. I say this to point out that there was nothing wrong with the car besides the cosmetic bumper damage. Unfortunately, after the Odyssey had been in the repair shop for a week, I got a call saying that actually the car had lots of other damage and it would cost so much to repair, that the car was being declared a total loss.
Here we are clearing our stuff out of the car at the repair lot after the mechanics had pulled things apart to examine it better:
When Nate went in a final time to the repair lot to give back the middle seat of the second row of the car, the worker who brought him out was shocked that our car was being declared a total loss. We are wondering if someone was scamming the system. Anyway, the insurance company gave us another week with a rental car, and that left us scrambling to buy a new minivan in a short period of time.
After a lot of stress and time, we were finally able to purchase a new 2024 Toyota Sienna Woodland that was arriving in a few days. Toyota Siennas are in high demand and are typically sold months before arriving at the car dealership. We felt we were lucky to find a dealer with one arriving soon with the features we want, and after haggling, willing to not charge above MSRP.
Overall I love my new car. The one thing I hate is the constant beeping if I get too close to another car when I am parking. I never hit another car parking my old Odyssey, but I can't maneuver this Sienna the same way, because the car beeps at me when it thinks I am too close to bumping another vehicle.
Derek tried out fencing. I was really hoping he would want to stick with it given his fascination at the time with swords, but he seems to have had his fill after a month, and we didn't sign him up for further classes.
Karina and Lydia decided to recreate their toddlerhood by creating a tall lego tower. Eventually, they made a tower taller than Nate.
We also dog sat for a weekend to a sheepadoodle named Zozo. She was very high energy, very large, and very social.
Mimi and Mormor came to visit for Thanksgiving.
We went on a pirate treasure hunt hike that is put on locally every month.
The kids solved the clues and found the treasure chest:
Thanksgiving dinner was a success. My mother and I have our duties split up very well after so many years.
Lydia is getting to be a more adventurous eater, and she happily ate most of a drumstick.
Karina and Lydia decided to dress Derek up like a girl. I think he loved getting so much attention from them - Derek just always wants Karina and Lydia to include him.
While Mimi and Mormor were there, we played lots and lots of Bananagrams, a scrabble-like game.
Mimi went home after a week, but Mormor stayed for another week because Nate flew to Sydney, Australia for a work conference. The kids were not impressed that Daddy got to go to Australia and they didn't...
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